Life update

November 9, 2006

WARNING: THIS IS A MUCH-TOO-LONG POST. WAY, WAY TOO LONG. IF YOU SKIP IT, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY AT LEAST READ THE LAST FEW LINES.

Hey. Remember me? Yeah, I own this blog.

Why you haven’t heard from me lately:

1. My husband just returned from Africa. He was gone 12 days. He had a great time. Me? Let’s just say, I was glad when he got home. In his absence the munchkins and I enjoyed 1 fever, 1 case of pink eye, 1 unexpected trip to the pediatrician which resulted in the news that my oldest son will have surgery (albeit relatively minor surgery, but somehow when the poor kid’s got to be knocked out cold, it feels less than minor to me, but whatever) and just the basic craziness of three small humans and one frazzled mother. As I said, Brian was gone only 12 days. I kept thinking about all the military families who are separated for months and months or a year or more…and then sometimes, back home again for a few months and then separated again. God bless you people. Really.

Anyway, no time for blogging.

2. Quite frankly, I shouldn’t complain at all about 12 days. After all, my mother was kind enough to stay with me for 7 of those days. And if you don’t have a mother like her, you should. She’ll do anything. She cooks, she cleans, she does laundry, she provides adult conversation, she gladly reads The Emperor’s New Clothes 59 times if necessary, she gives baths, she buys groceries and she’ll even get up in the middle of the night with a crying baby just so you can have a break. God bless her. The only thing I noticed she wouldn’t do is floss teeth. Plunge the toilet? No problem. Floss teeth? “That’s a job for mommy.” I couldn’t quite figure that out, but hey, who am I to complain? Anyway, we had a great time together. Each night after the kids were in bed, we watched documentaries. Because we like them.

No time for blogging.

3. The best thing I love about my mom is that she’s high quality. She’s got amazing life experience, great insight, much wisdom and deep faith. She’s also a bit of a Dallas Willard fan (hi, understatement of the century) which, for some, might seem a little weird, but I love her just the same. I think so highly of my mom and knowing she thinks so highly of Dallas Willard really makes me want to dig him as much as she does, but to be honest, the last time I tried reading one of his books, I think I found myself sitting motionless, eyes glazed over, mouth agape and maybe even a small stream of saliva dribbling out. In other words, he’s so deep, my brain just cannot handle it. Maybe when I’m 50. I digress.

Anyway, so as I was saying, my mom is high quality. I think we have successfully transitioned into friendship which is a gift. Plain and simple. Because I trust her, I am eager to have her speak into my life. I know for myself, an outside perspective usually provides some good food for thought. So, I just asked her if there was anything she observed in my life that she thought needed a little tweaking. She has a way of pointing things out without making you feel like a total loser. She’s good like that. Anyway, some of the things we talked about in that conversation as well as some things I’ve been pondering on my own have basically led me to the realization that I am, at least to some extent, addicted to the internet. I’m not talking about addiction to porn sites or things of that nature, I’m talking about plain, old fashion surfing of the internet. No joke. Did you know there have been studies done on this? Consider:

More than one in eight American adults show signs that they could be suffering from some form of internet addiction after admitting to researchers that they find it hard to limit their use.

A study from Stanford University School of Medicine in California found that “problematic internet use” was present in a sizeable portion of the population.

The study found that many of the respondents admitted that they wanted to spend less time surfing the internet but found it difficult to cut back, with almost six per cent saying that their excessive use had badly affected their relationships. (from Times Online)

The first clue that I had a bona fide problem occurred one day when I had decided in the early morning that I wasn’t going to get online until that evening. Well, within about an hour, I threw my good intentions out the window and hopped online. The real kicker was when I said to myself, “Oh, that’s OK, I can quit whenever I want.” Now that’s scary.

(OK, this post is becoming a short novel. I’ll speed it up.)

Suffice it to say, I need to cut back on my computer (and blogging) time.

4. The last several days Brian and I have been working out some kinks in our relationship—OK, some large knots. It’s amazing how much time and energy this sucks right outta ya. We have talked and processed and argued and processed and talked some more until we are both blue in the face. It makes running for your life so very attractive. But that ain’t an option here. So we work. Hard. And it’s so worth it.

But definitely no time for blogging.

5. If you’ve read my other blog, you’ll know that we are planning to move soon. That means we’re in the process of getting our house ready to sell. It’s amazing how much you realize needs to be fixed, sanded, painted, caulked, repaired, hung, cleaned or replaced once you decide to get rid of the place. I fear we won’t want to leave once we get it all done.

Nevertheless, no time for blogging.

6. One of the byproducts of our move will be a switch from public school to homeschooling. Since the dawn of time I have sworn up and down and around the corner that I would never, ever, under any circumstance homeschool my children, mainly because I had visions of standing at a blackboard in our dining room for 8 hours a day, lecturing to my sorry-looking desk-bound, friendless children, for the next 20 years of my life. Well, that all changed when I heard about a homeschooling family who spent 12 weeks of school touring the Mediterranean. All the stuff they learned in school—you know, like about ancient Greece and Rome and all that jazz—they actually got to see with their own eyeballs. And then it hit me. I could do that. Definitely my kind of homeschooling. In fact, I have already decided that on Day 1 we are setting up a “Mediterranean Fund.” Yes we are. I figure by the time the kids are in middle school, we will have saved enough dinero to be taking our own little 3 month voyage. Yes indeedy.

Anyway, no time for blogging when I’m starting a school ya know.

So there you have it. All the boring details of my life that you probably didn’t need or want to know.

And I hate to end on such an unglamorous note, but this will be my last post…indefinitely. There’s just too much going on. I’ll keep the site up for a while and perhaps one day I’ll show up again with a new and flashier blog.

So for now, farewell o readers. I thank you for the fun.

It’s been real.

(See, I told you I could quit whenever I want.)

Category: Life

Comments

23 Responses to “Life update”

  1. crickl's nest
    November 10th, 2006 @ 2:31 am

    ((Amy)) You’ve done a lot for PW’s here and by setting up they forum. We all love you and thank you for that. I’ll miss ya!

    christie

  2. Kathryn
    November 10th, 2006 @ 3:36 am

    Amy, just don’t be too hard on yourself. You have a lot of strong points, please remember. No one is perfect except our Lord and Savior. God bless you on your move.

  3. Amy
    November 10th, 2006 @ 10:50 am

    Hi! You don’t know me, but my husband somehow found your blog a while back. (several months ago) I just want to tell you good luck and thanks. You have ministered to me in ways that other people probably could not have and you didn’t even know it. I understand that you are busy, but I would like to definetely encourage your staying on the web for purposes of helping others like me that you may not even realize are reading your blogs. If you decide not to, in the words of Christie “I’ll Miss Ya!”. My blog is http://andrewandamy.blogspot.com/ if you get curious! Good luck again!!! Amy

  4. joannmski
    November 10th, 2006 @ 1:53 pm

    Amy, thank you for a great read. When I first found your blog, I thought “this is a PW I can relate to.” Or maybe I thought “this is a PW to whom I can relate.” ;-)
    Anyway, the coolest blog header is going quiet - but you leave behind a great legacy of thoughts and sharing that we all appreciate. Good luck on the next exciting chapter.

  5. Alida
    November 10th, 2006 @ 4:19 pm

    Thanks for the read… I can relate to a lot of what you said, I guess that is why I started reading you in the first place!
    Take Care!

  6. julie
    November 10th, 2006 @ 4:28 pm

    Ummm…please don’t go? Can I say that? Catch up with us on the forum somtimes maybe? When I found this blog right after becoming a PW it was such a gift-the right thing at the right time. So THANK YOU for taking the time to do it. And thank you for the forum, too. And blessings on taking that huge leap into homeschooling–I can totally relate to how you’re feeling!!

  7. Kirken
    November 10th, 2006 @ 6:00 pm

    Amy,
    I am going to miss reading what you have to say. It was a real comfort for me to read. Being a PW scares the heck out of me. Good luck in the future and may God bless you and your family.

  8. Kirken
    November 10th, 2006 @ 6:01 pm

    Amy,
    I am going to miss reading what you have to say. It was a real comfort for me to read. Becoming a PW scares the heck out of me. Good luck in the future and may God bless you and your family.

  9. kdrk
    November 10th, 2006 @ 8:16 pm

    Amy-Thanks for creating a place where all of us can be honest about our unusual life. Thanks for the forum. Let us know how you are doing. Take care of yourself and your family. Sounds like you have a wonderful mom. Treasure her. Love to your family and to you.

  10. Shash
    November 10th, 2006 @ 10:49 pm

    Thanks for the good read and debate (Women’s roles within the church government), enjoy your move and change over to homeschooling. We took our kids across the US, from Oregon to New York last year for the few weeks we homeschooled. Enjoy the journey!!

  11. joannmski
    November 10th, 2006 @ 10:53 pm

    Amy, some of the folks are wondering if this closing of your blog will affect the PW forum, which is enjoyed by many. Will it need to change? Do you want us to help with hosting fees or something? Please advise. I think everyone would like to keep the PWF alive. Creating it was a brilliant move.

  12. julie
    November 11th, 2006 @ 3:41 pm

    I second that Joann! It was BRILLIANT!

  13. Leah, The Mom
    November 12th, 2006 @ 6:01 pm

    Thanks for your great blog, your honesty, your willingness to share. Maybe you will reconsider in the future. Please know that you have been a fantastic Christian witness to all who have read. Not to put pressure on you, but reading this post at the end was like our minister saying he couldn’t deliver any more sermons. Your blog is a message, an encouragement, and a ministry all.

  14. Angi
    November 12th, 2006 @ 9:35 pm

    I remember the first time I surfed in, I was totally taken in by an honest PW. It astounded me to find one who was able to say all the things I wanted to say but didn’t have the courage . Thanks. I have since gained courage and speak more freely about myself, and my faults.

  15. Traci Vanderbush
    November 12th, 2006 @ 11:30 pm

    Oh…I’m sooo sad, Amy. I don’t want you to leave us. I hope we’ll hear from you again. It’s such a blessing to have your posts and this forum. I hope that all is well with you. Where are you moving to?? Will you still be in the ministry??

    By the way, I homeschool my kids and it has been a great blessing. It was difficult at first and some days were days that I cried and doubted myself. But, it all works out and you’ll be glad you had that time with your kids.

    I pray for you and your husband as you work things out. NEVER GIVE UP!!! Please keep in touch.

  16. Andrea
    November 13th, 2006 @ 9:37 pm

    Wow, I can’t believe it. I totally understand and I am so excited for all God has in store for you and your family. Like many of the ladies here, you have been a blessing to read–the laughter, tears

    I pray that all goes well with you and your family and I know the Lord will richly bless you.

    P.S. So, umm..do you really mean it? Or will you be back? I’m not one to encourage addictions or anything, just wondering if I should keep checking in to see if you backslid… ;)

  17. Amy
    November 13th, 2006 @ 11:06 pm

    Wow. You all are very kind. Thank you very much for your encouragment and support. I can’t tell you how honored I am that you hung out with me and that my quirky little life was a blessing in some way. It’s entirely possible I’ll catch a second blogging wind once life settles a bit…although who knows when that’ll be. So yeah, Andrea, you could check in to see if I’ve backslid. :) That cracks me up. And oh, the Pastors’ Wives Forum is still going strong and I have no intention of taking it down. So, if you’re a PW or PW-to-be (or similar), be sure to check it out. Those women over there are awesome.

  18. Renee
    November 14th, 2006 @ 6:47 pm

    Amy,

    Good for you! Take care of your family!
    You will wonder why you never home schooled before after you start. I personally love it! I love to bring God into our lesson’s.

    Blessings,

  19. thea
    November 22nd, 2006 @ 1:54 am

    thanks for the memories.

  20. Maiju
    December 23rd, 2006 @ 1:47 pm

    Thank you Amy for your blog!

    I have also been out of blogging for several months because I have been busy living my life fully here on earth not in the net. I guess we need to find balance wit these both.

    May God bless you and give you and andventurous year 2007!

  21. Liz
    January 1st, 2007 @ 5:19 pm

    Are you still gone? Miss you!

    (formerly Tess from Tess Talks)

  22. Kara Deal
    January 18th, 2007 @ 6:34 pm

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I will miss you my friend! All of your wisdom and all of your funnies. My heart is tearing up.

    But I guess we all gotta do, what we all gotta do. Please come back every once in a while. Maybe tell a hallarious story, then leave again. then come back again. then leave again. You get the drill.

    Yeah, for God and your family. sad for me. IT’S ALL ABOUT ME, AMY! IT’S ALL ABOUT ME! You made baby Jesus cry.

    Ummm… yeah. took that one a little too far. I’ll miss you.

  23. faithinflorida
    January 20th, 2007 @ 2:39 pm

    Like ur site..ive got issues too.
    ;)

Leave a Reply