What I Learned in August

It was such a busy month, I'm surprised I had time to pause and learn ANYTHING! But I managed to soak in a few life lessons. And they are....

1. I am too old for all-nighters.

We pulled an all-nighter to drive 850 miles to my sister's house to surprise her before my niece's wedding. Even the pure adrenaline of surprising the family wasn't enough to overtake the truth that I am too old to pull all-nighters. It took me a few days to recover!


2. I really can't dance.

I love to slow dance with Ryan at weddings, but that's all we ever do, because that's all the skill this girl has. {And truth be told, I don't even have REAL skill there. I just turn in circles.} But at Cassie's wedding, one of the groomsmen asked Ryan if he could dance with me, and it wasn't a slow song. Ryan said we looked like were in fast forward out there on the dance floor, and I assured him it also FELT like we were in fast forward. Matt, the groomsman, was kind to explain every move, but I had to hear it, comprehend it, and then do it, and by that time, we'd crashed into another couple and were on to something else. Bottom line? I can't dance. {But I still had fun!}


3. I should not read suspense novels on the road.

I took advantage of a 13 hour car ride to read a novel, and it was pure genius to use that time to do it, but I learned that reading a particularly tense section while in heavy traffic creates way more anxiety than I should absorb. LOL!! Every time Ryan braked hard, I screamed. He found it most amusing. I kept trying to put the book down, but I just couldn't!!!

4. I need routine.

We went to the lake for a long weekend, and as soon as we got home, we turned around and drove to Kansas for Cassie's wedding, and as soon as we got home from that, I worked at the Global Leadership Summit at our church for three days. By the end of that, I realized how desperately I wanted time at home to write, read blogs, play on Pinterest, and eat vegetables. Wait. WHAT?!?!? It's true. I crave routine {of work, eating habits, and exercise} and while I knew that, I don't think I really knew that...know what I mean?

5. Borrowing clothes truly rocks.

For the last year, I've been paring down my wardrobe and eliminating excess. My work {even when I'm speaking} doesn't demand excessively dressy clothing, so when I prepared for the big wedding weekend, I found myself wanting something new to wear, but not wanting to spend money on clothing I didn't need to keep. Enter Ryan's co-worker with a generous heart! I borrowed two dresses from her and jewelry from my friend Marie...and the only thing I purchased were my shoes, which I needed anyway. I'm thankful they allowed me to borrow from them so we could save money and room in the closet!

6. 20/20 vision can look blurry to someone with even better vision.

I had my second-ever-in-life eye doctor appointment this month, and tests showed I have 20/15 vision. {If you don't know this, 20/15 is better than great. 20/20 is the goal, and anytime that second number gets lower, it's even better.} In fact, I read 3 of the 6 letters on the 20/10 test line. Anyway. The eye doctor told me I can thank good genetics for that vision, so at this time, I will send my apologies to my sisters, who both had glasses in elementary school. But the doctor also told me that whenever my eyes do slack off to "perfect" 20/20 vision, I will really notice it and be frustrated with the quality of my vision. Who knew!?!?!

7. 80 candles don't fit neatly on a bundt cake.

 Self-explanatory. Happy birthday, Mom! Glad we didn't burn down our house - or you!

8. 20 years changes a whole lot of perspective.

I haven't blogged about it yet, but last weekend was my 20th high school reunion. And while I didn't have a horrible high school experience, high school also wasn't my favorite season of the soul. I didn't fit in {who DOES, really?} and that brought its own brand of hard and hurt. I graduated with the firm belief that I resided near the bottom of the totem pole. Twenty years later, I told Ryan it hardly matters anymore. I looked forward to going and seeing people I hadn't seen for many years, but I didn't stress. If they liked me, fine. If they didn't, fine. I wanted to look my best, but I didn't stress over what I wore or the humidity growing my hair. I'm me. They can like me or not like me. Praise. The. Lord.