Another Joy of Living Here

Remember how I told you one of the perks of living in DC were the men in uniform??? Well, I found another one! Last night Nate, Laura, Erin and I headed into the district for "Screen on the Green." During the summer they show movies on the lawn of the Capitol. All I could think of while I was there was the scene in The Wedding Planner, with Jennifer Lopez sitting on the reserved tree branch with Matthew McConaughey, talking about brown M&Ms and how they are best for you because they don't have any food coloring-because chocolate's already brown. The only thing that was missing was the reserved tree, Matthew McConaughey and the brown M&Ms. :-) (By the middle of the movie, Erin and I were really wishing we had that reserved tree....laying on the ground is rough!) Even with those things missing, it was still an amazing time.









So, with the Capitol building shining brightly and standing majestically behind the movie screen, the Washington Monument standing even taller behind us, a Merry Melody cartoon began playing, with that slobbery Sylvester interrupting someone's sleep. After that was over, the most bizarre thing happened....the HBO symbol showed up on the screen, a little song began to play, and people sparatically stood up and started jumping up and down while waving their arms and heads side to side. It was SOOOOO odd!! We didn't know what to do! We looked around at people, making eye contact, and they kept going as if this was a normal thing to do! I still don't understand, but all the regulars seemed to have great ol' time doing the movie dance.






Rachael is in VA!!!!!!!!! I'm going to enjoy some time at her Dad's house, ski-dooing, hanging out etc and then she's coming up here Monday-Wed and then we are going to Baltimore to enjoy that city and take Rach to the airport. I'm going to take Rach to the Screen on the Green so she can enjoy the whole experience.


I might even join in on the movie dance..........

Desire and Discipline

I feel like I'm all mixed up. I feel like the world is spinning, yet I'm standing still...and I'm getting quite dizzy. Nauseous. Confused. Anxious. Unsettled. Restless. Empty. Lonely.

Every summer since I can remember, I've always started to long for structure around the beginning of August. I would talk to myself, saying---Abby, are you dumb? It's summer! Who wants to go to school, come home, do homework, eat, study more, shower and go to bed everyday, in that order! Be free! Enjoy the laziness of summer! Don't worry!

Well, I'm a creature of habit. I'm longing for it. As I'm typing this, I'm yelling at myself. I've had one AMAZING summer and I shouldn't want it to end. I feel so mixed up. I was home in PA for a month and then I was back in VA for 5 days and then I left for church camp where I was a counselor for the Older girls (rising 6th and 7th graders). I got home on Saturday and didn't know what to do with myself. Today was church and spending time with friends. Again, I felt so out of the loop about things that I didn't want to hear one more thing that I missed. I'm leaving for Richmond on Thursday morning to visit Rach at her dad's, where we'll veg, spend time with her family, ride sea doos, and have great conversations--ones that have been on the back burner because we haven't seen each other for a long time. I'm so excited to see her! But it's another addition to my craziness feeling.

Desire without Discipline always results in Disappointment.

Tonight at Frontline, this hit my soul. I feel so mixed up because I have all of these desires, yet no discipline.

Desires
Teach overseas
Spend time in God's word and reawaken and deepen my stagnant relationship with Him
Learn Spanish
Teach overseas
Destroy my debt
Casual, confident conversation and mingling with guys, leading to dating
Prepare for school
Teach overseas
Make my house a home
Destroy my debt

All these things I want, yet I'm doing NOTHING to make it happen. Nothing. How can God even take me serious about teaching overseas when I'm not trying? I need to make my relationship real with Him, I need to grow the desire for evangelism and I need to destroy my debt. I'm not even making one ounce of effort to save. I'm not spending like crazy, but I'm not budgeted.


Disappointment. I think that sums up all those feelings.

Count down to family vacation: 22 hours!!!

Just wanted to let you know that things have gotten better since my last blog. I've enjoyed being LAZY, trying to get back my time that I gave to work all school year. I think I worked 60 hour weeks. Literally. I think I'm entitled to some R & R., don't you??

I traveled with Laurie (AND Tomtom, the most amazing present ever, and to prevent the last entry from happening again----THANKS DAD AND JAY!!!!!) to Naomi and Louis's wedding. It was so amazing. I loved it. Pictures will be coming soon.

So, tomorrow we are leaving (Mom, Dad, Jay, Abby (the sister-in-law, to clear up the confusion), Me, Craig and Ty) to go camping at Ohiopyle State park. We hope to go to Falling Water, white water rafting, canoeing, biking, paintballing, natural water sliding, play some tennis, volleyball, hillbilly golf, boardgames, and MAYBE get some sleep and some fire watching in. Dad is exhausted just listening to the list of things we want to do. We just want to play together. It's been so long since us siblings and parents played. AND we get to smell like campfire. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Until July 7....Adios!