Dear Busy Season, I Hate Your Guts.

Well, after the thrill of a week-long vacation in the Dominican, it was back to reality. And by reality, I mean the lovely time of year we call "busy season". This is the time of year when Chris leaves for work around 6:30am and doesn't get home until after 8, lots of times closer to 9, and on the rare occasion (like Monday)--not until 10:30. That's at night. That's my bedtime. So needless to say, it's my least favorite time of the year. As if the crappy cold weather and cloudy gloomy days weren't enough...

Two years ago, our first busy season, we had just moved in to the house and there was LOTS of painting to be done, so I occupied my time without Chris by painting. Last year, our second busy season, I was planning a wedding, so needless to say I was a bit busy myself. This year, however, I have nothing big going on. Our house is finally coming together, as much as it can for now, anyways. We obviously already got married. So here is what I do: Monday is Life Group, which I love, but sometimes it's hard to go because it's a couples group, and, well, this time of year I'm not much of a couple. Tuesdays and Thursdays are BodyPump with my friend Megan from 6-7, but since I switched gyms, my membership is up the beginning of February, so I will have to find a workout at LA Fitness that I like for Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday I have good intentions of working out, but if I'm being honest, it hasn't happened that way much yet. Fridays Chris is usually home around 7, but since he works on Saturdays (from about 7-4ish) we usually just watch a movie and crash. Then Saturday nights we try to do something with friends, Sunday morning we go to church (although I think we're going to start doing every-other Saturday on weeks that I don't have to be there for GraceGivers), then we relax on Sunday and try to see more friends then. I have also told myself that this busy season I am going to work on my scrapbooking and get back into that with some of my extra time. Now, that has yet to happen, but those are my intentions. Maybe that's what I'll make Wednesdays for...

Something that we HAVE been doing during busy season is going through The Love Dare. My friend Sheena got it for me as a gift before the wedding, and Chris and I decided that with our limited time together during busy season, that we would try to maximize it by going through The Love Dare together. We started it last week, on the same day that K-Love radio started it, and today is day 9. So far we are loving it, and I can tell a huge difference in both of our attitudes, the way we treat each other, and even just the aura of busy season. It doesn't seem quite as bad when I know there's something to look forward to each day. It seems like that should be a no-brainer...that I should just look forward to Chris getting home...but let me just say that last year if Chris had gotten home at 10:30pm, I would have been mad. This year, I greeted him with understanding and kindness and made the most of the time I did get with him. And, if I may brag for just a moment, let me tell you a short story about what Chris did the night he got home at 10:30. He called me at 9:50 to tell me that he was just leaving. Once it was like 10:10 and he still wasn't home I called and asked where he was and he said he had to stop and get gas. So I told him I was going to hop in the shower so I'd be ready for bed when he got home. I had just finished up when he got home, so I was upstairs, and he took a few minutes downstairs, but then again he took the dog out, got some water, etc. I didn't think anything of it. The next morning when he was going downstairs for breakfast, I offered to get up and eat with him and he said "no you just stay in bed and sleep a little longer" (love him for that). So I did! And when I finally got downstairs a couple hours later to leave for work, what did I find on the table but a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a note :) What a wonderful way to start my day! He had gotten everything ready the night before and wanted me to be surprised, which is why he told me to stay in bed! He is definitely a keeper, and this is also one of those little ways that he's making an effort to make busy season easier for me this year. Anyways, The Love Dare ends on Valentine's Day, which will be so great...I'm really excited about it!

Speaking of special days, this weekend will mark Chris and I being together for 5 years! That's by far the longest relationship either of us have ever had, and I am happy to say that it's always getting better! I think that past 1 year, 5 years is the next big milestone. It works out because we had a birthday coupon for Chris to the Jazz Kitchen, which we love, so we made reservations for Friday night! We are both really excited! Saturday morning I'm babysitting, then we are going to church Saturday night and over to a Life Group friends' house to watch the Colts game. Then Sunday we will have the whole day with no place to be! We have some friends coming over for dinner (Emily and Rob, and Jen and Nate), and we're really excited to hang out and catch up with them! We're even making a pot pie from scratch! Yummy! :) And if this weekend isn't exciting enough, next weekend our friends Collin and Jodi are coming to visit! In case you can't tell, I (and I imagine Chris too) live for the weekends during busy season...and I am looking very forward to the next two!