free time.

hi, free time. i remember you. you always seem so sweet, so coveted. until i actually have you. then you come and i just wish there was a toddler talking to me and a bambino crawling on me. after running around the university of southern mississippi twice, taking a long shower, and now sitting at my computer, i have passed only about half of the time that i'm allotted this morning/afternoon as bry is off taking pictures for the wedding party. blog i shall.

thursday: bry & i traveled to new orleans for a college friend's wedding. we went out for the evening to a charming restaurant in the french quarter with the bridal party, visited several bars with amazing music, and concluded with bourbon street. to boot, bourbon cowboy. as in, a bar on bourbon street with a mechanical bull. on all fronts, nola delivered. there is charm on every winding street, every side street, and each & every building. our run the next day took us past espn's coverage of the bowl games (sorry bry, but jesse palmer is even more handsome in person...), through the sprawling french market, next to a street brass band complete with 10 dancing children with mad, mad dance moves (fallon would've fit RIGHT in). we ended the day with po boy's and a road trip up to hattiesburg, mississippi.

and here we are. here i am.

my run today had me thinking a lot about our upcoming year. thing is, i'm a lot better at planning & anticipating the immediate future than the whole year. i think this is one reason that bry & i make such a great team. anyhoo, here's what i know...

i'm excited to get home and get another day to be the best mom i can be. there is a certain "mom guilt" that comes when you're away and you get a minute to look back and remember times that you should've been more patient. times when you should've kept your cool a little better. times i wish i could do over, but i'm grateful i'll get another chance.

i'm excited for my bible study to start back up. plug back in with my amazing group of friends, sisters, accountability partners.

i'm excited to get my work schedule back to normal, our sitter was traveling and then attending an intensive class. next week, we resume normalcy and i get solid hours of work in. i love me some routine.

i'm excited for God to reveal what He has planned for our family: growth-wise, work-wise, faith-wise.

tomorrow, we return and "free time" will become an illusion once again. i can't wait.