My new little buddy, Albus.

Yesterday Albus joined me in my little town house. Four roommates, two cats, and one dog. A full house, I'd say. He's a sweetie and really cuddly. So far, he's a good fit in the house.

Summer 2011- One for the Books

sMy summer involved a lot of the Kerchers.

uMy summer was Wednesday morning Starbucks with the Moms.

mIn May I got to see Josh Turner with my sister!

And what is summer without a Memorial Day weekend
church picnic?

I went to the beach a lot.

What is summer without good old fashioned VBS fun?
Doesn't get much better than this.

4th of July tie-dye goodness



And somewhere in there, I went to Camp Kulaqua
but did not bring my camera.... :(

I went to my grandparents' on the farm.
Just a few of us with Grandpa

And a few of us with Grandma.

Summer 2011 really was one of the best summers I've had in a long time! And it wasn't even summer vacation, because I'm not in school and I still had to work a lot. But it sure felt like a summer vacation in high school, which was so much fun. Between hanging with the Kerchers, VBS, Kulaqua, and going to Grandma's, I really had so much fun and almost felt like a kid again. Almost. I have to say, I'm sad to see it end.

With how emotionally difficult this last year has been, between losing my grandparents and various other issues, it was good to have this summer, to have some time that was for me. Yes, I admit it is selfish.

On the upside, Lauren and Brennan are getting married in a month. Yay! And my mom and I are planning a trip to DC in October with my brother and possibly my sister. Again, you say? Well, she was gonna go and I thought, I'm gonna tag along! Plans are still up in the air, but I sure hope it works out. It will be so much fun if it does.

So, you remember how I wrote yesterday that I was going to clean? Well, I did. I actually got a lot accomplished, and my room looks about sixteen times better than it did (with still a ways to go-- let's just say I'm not very domestic). Anyway, once I was finished for the morning, I collapsed downstairs in front of the TV watching 48 Hours (one of my weird obsessions-- yeah, I dvr that show) and found myself falling asleep. "Ok," I say, "I need a nap, I'll just go upstairs to my room so I'm not in my roommates' way." Fast forward six hours: 7pm I wake up! I couldn't believe it! All the while I knew I was taking a ridiculously long nap, but I was so tired and I just couldn't get myself out of bed.

So then I'm going to bed again by 10pm, asleep by probably 11 or so. And now here I've been awake since 5am. I think I'm gonna make a Starbucks run, then have to take a nap again later (I work tonight- I actually have to this time).

So, am I just incredibly lazy? Or is it just that I have the time, I take advantage of it, and it's ok? None of my friends could do this with kids, so I guess I should be grateful I have the time to rest right now. But sometimes I'm also worried. Lately I've been way more fatigued than before (yes, even since I started night shift), I've been achy, and had absolutely no energy. None. So how long do I let this go on before seeing a doctor, and not be labeled a hypochondriac? (I do not like doctors and avoid them like the plague... ironic, I know) Maybe I'm just fatigued, and lazy, etc, etc.

I used to blog almost every day, and here I am with barely weekly updates and half the time I don't even talk about my life anymore. Maybe every day was overkill, but I have gotten lazy about this. And maybe my life just isn't exciting/cute/fun/interesting enough to talk about on a blog. Work. Sleep. Eat. Then do it again.

Ok, I do more than that (sometimes it doesn't feel like it though!). I applied to get a male kitten over the weekend. I'm so hoping I find out today if I get him! He is two months old, and when I held him he curled right up in my lap. If they tell me no I will be so upset. I'm hoping by this evening I will be the proud new owner of a kitten, but I have my doubts. I might start looking on Craigslist or something but I really want this one. Unfortunately I made the mistake of marking "I don't know" when it came to de-clawing, even though I don't plan on doing it unless absolutely necessary. So when they saw that they grilled me on it, and then I find out they will deny people kittens if someone plans to de-claw. Stupid, stupid! Shouldn't that be up to the owner, anyway?

It's been nice having another few days off of work. I went home yesterday after church, then hung out with Tricia and Alex which is always fun. I need to be productive today and get some cleaning done as I've neglected that a lot since I've been gone so much this summer.

Someone on facebook recently posted this article about introverts. I found it so interesting and quite hilarious.

I'm an introvert. Always have been (I used to think I was just a homebody because I didn't like going anywhere on Friday nights) and always will be. I'm ok with it, until I feel judged by others because I'm not the vibrant, outgoing girl that people expect (why is it that women are always expected to be bubbly and over-talkative? I read that in general, men don't know how to respond to introverted women). Depending on the company, of course, I can be very talkative and loud, but only with those I'm very comfortable with (i.e. family and close friends).

Wanna know what I do on an average evening? Hang out at my house-- read, write (it's why I enjoy blogging so much), watch a movie, or maybe take a nap. There was awhile where I thought this was becoming a problem. What is wrong with me that I don't want to go to a party, or a gathering of the young adults at my church? It isn't anything personal against anyone. I simply feel drained when I have to attend these functions. I'm not saying I shouldn't make an effort, but I do believe that people have little understanding of us introverts (we are, after all, a minority). Because most people tend to be extroverted, we think there is something wrong when we aren't.

Misconceptions about introverts: shy, boring, snobby, aloof, emotionally disconnected, loner, need I go on? I also recently read an article about how every time there is a mass murder, one of the first things that is reported on that person is that he/she was a "loner," or "quiet," (which they usually are, but with actual psychosis and antisocial or schizoid leanings) leading to the misconception that there is something pathologically wrong with people who enjoy solitude. I'll never forget a lady that came through my line at Publix after the Virginia Tech shooting and said, "I always am wary of quiet people." Really?

If you are an extrovert, please don't be quick in your judgment of people who may not be as outgoing as you, or who may seem a little awkward in social settings, or decline a party on a Friday night. To extroverts, my even making a big deal out of introversion probably seems weird, but I promise you we are very misunderstood. If you think about it, a lot of the social expectations are laid out by the extroverts, who typically run the show. So even if I'm not saying a lot, I'm always tuned in to what is going on around me, and do have something to contribute-- I just can't always get a word in edgewise among the non-stop banter. ;)

I've now gone and come from a visit with family. It was a wonderful trip. I will post pictures eventually, but since I'm not on my computer I can't.

We brought home a few more mementos and many more pictures from my grandparents. If there's one thing my grandparents were (and there were many), it was avid photographers. Not professional by any means, but they both loved to photograph life, and especially those that they loved: family. My grandma took over in the later years, as my grandpa's eye sight deteriorated with macular degeneration.

I can't even believe the sheer amount of photos we have obtained from them. And really, it isn't even all of them, as both of my dad's brothers got some as well.

Just before my dad was born. My grandpa is
the smiling man on the far left, and my grandma
is the smiling lady on the far right. That is also my great-grandpa, and my great Aunt Georgia. Those are my two uncles as well as my dad's cousin Ellen (the baby).
Birthdays have always been a big deal in my family.

Cute little 1950s family. I think life really was so happy.
My dad is the baby.

Celebrating Great-Grandpa's birthday.
My dad is on the far right- a little Greg Brady-esque.
Again, birthdays were a big occasion.

Three brothers- my dad is on the right.
All these guys are awesome fathers, two of them
now grandfathers. All three are honorable men.

St. Louis Zoo 1988. I'm the baby in the backpack.

Me playing on the swing set. I'm probably about two.

Us kids, with our special addition.
My grandma always took 5am pictures of us before we drove home.

Family on Christmas Day 2008- all happy :)

I love memories.

Was the past really as wonderful as the memories? Do we paint it to be better than it really was? I don't know. I do know that the past is a secure place. One where we know the outcome-- or at least some of the outcome. I can smile at a warm memory, because I know how wonderful it turned out to be. It is sometimes hard to feel secure in the present in light of the future, because we do not know what that future is. However, I'm sure that these, too, are days that I will miss.