The hills are aliiiiiiiive!

Today is the big day!  Molly and I are going to see "The Sound of Music" in Raleigh at 2pm today.  I'm so excited and so is Molly.  We love, love, love that musical and she is so excited to see it.  I can't wait to enjoy the show with her--but I'm a little nervous about driving into downtown Raleigh--navigating one way streets and finding parking by myself.  I always get so nervous in those parking garages for some reason--will I find a spot?  Will I be able to get in without scraping the top of my car?  Will some psycho grab me (or Molly???) because we know all crazy psychos live in the garages (at least according to a lot of scary movies!)  I know it's silly, but I indeed do get mildly concerned about parking garages. I'm just not used to them at all--everything is flat on the ground here.  Even though it's probably scarier to drive and park in the Wal-mart (where the muggings are free with visit!), I still get a little freaked about it. 

I turned in my exam last night at around 8pm.  It wasn't officially due until midnight (and then our professor said we could turn it in before 9am (because he probably wouldn't check his email until then).  I received his "received notice" in my inbox at 6:58am this morning (so I'm pretty glad that I turned it in last night!) I worked every night this week since it posted, so I'm really hoping that I did well.  Graduate school is different than undergrad.  It requires a lot of discipline to work gradually on projects rather than waiting until the very last minute/day that an assignment is due.  I think it's especially difficult trying to go back to school and work.  I found myself envious of the graduate students in my class this summer (which was face to face while the remainder of this program is offered online) who only go to school.  How nice to have only one thing to do!  I look forward to next year when I have this behind me and can just relax a little once in a while.  

I'm going to work on Tuesday this week to get my office hours in (and eat with friends that night!  whoo hoo!) and then on Wednesday, Chris and I are taking a last minute vacation to Tennessee until Saturday.  I am so looking forward to getting away--I can't remember the last time we went somewhere for any amount of days by ourselves.  Usually it's with the kids or just a night.  I'm not exactly sure what we'll be doing, but I'm sure it will be a good time! :)  Sometimes I feel really guilty for getting away without my girls (and of course I go through all of the "what if something happens to me/kids/house/dog while I'm gone?"s)  However, I know that by showing my girls that Daddy and I have a good relationship--which at times is exclusive of them, I'm showing them what it means to have a good relationship with their future spouses.  I want my girls to marry boys who are going to treat them well, but if I fail to give them any way of seeing this, then whose fault is that?  Certainly I can't trust the media to teach them!  It has to come from the home.  As the girls get older, I want Chris to do things for them that we would like their spouses to do for them (open doors, take heavy bags, get up and allow them a seat, be kind to old people, etc).  Chris does these things for me not because I ask him to, but because he's a nice guy.  I feel that the girls need to get used to being treated well to help them look for boys that will treat them well.  

I know some of you are saying, "What?!?  They are only 2 and 5!  Too young to be thinking about marriage and spouses!!!"  However, I would venture to say that these are their most impressionable years, why shouldn't we model things that are good for our children?  We teach them manners and good behaviors.  We teach them about Jesus--and that's way bigger than finding a spouse!  Kids can't see Jesus, but they can understand.  Certainly they understand a lot more than what we give them credit for--how many times have you been shocked by something your child remember seeing on tv or on the radio?       

AND it's good for Chris and I to remember that we married each other because we loved each other--pre-small people who live with us.  Chris and I still love each other very much, but sometimes I feel like it's more of a tag-team relationship because we're going between work, church, and kids and not time for the two of us.  We do have kind friends and family who take care of the girls for us to have a night out every once in a while, (which is great so please don't stop!!! haha) but we need this time together.  I think it's nice to remember that we are "Chris and Amanda"--not "Molly and Lily's parents."

We've been married for 7 years (can you believe it?!) and it's time for us to celebrate us.