The Gap...

I woke up this morning with the realization that I’ve been scared of not being busy enough during this gap phase of life I find myself living. As a result, I think I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to find things to do in an effort to try and outrun the quiet. I’m used to being busy and I like it that way. Up until a couple of weeks ago I had a full time job I adored (being a mom) and meaningful work I engaged in outside my four walls and I greatly miss both. Being downsized is hard. Waiting is hard. Starting over is hard. Justifying how you spend your time can be hard. So today I embraced exactly where I am in the gap and I didn’t worry about how much I should do or what I should get accomplished. I let myself wander without direction (See what I did there? I can’t get lost if I don’t worry about directions!) and I found one of the things I’ve been looking for (and rather despondent about not finding) — new breakfast spots! I know some of you will be lost as to why this matters but for all of my breakfast pals out there this will resonate — I haven’t been out to breakfast in over a week! I’m terrible at slowing down but I’m smart enough to know when God’s trying to get my attention. Hitting pause today and listening has been good medicine. #LeaningIntoTheGap #Redemption#BreakfastIsLife #BaconMatters #ATLOTPDayFive

Cloud Cars...

That bank that took me no time to find on Monday? It took me forty eight minutes today from the same starting point. Everything is starting to look familiar which means I was a little overconfident today and know just enough to be dangerous. Which means I got myself lost but good. I even confused Google maps and Waze and had to pull into a parking lot and turn everything off for a hard reset. Worse, I forgot the way to the cupcake store so I couldn’t even drown my sorrows. Trust me, this cute little cloud car is not your friend! These are some of the tough days I knew would come. The gap as we’ve taken to calling it. The novelty of tiny apartment living has worn off, I’m sick of exploring since I’m on the opposite side of town from our new house so it doesn’t really count, and we still have five days to go. Sitting at a traffic light after I got myself straightened out, I let out a sigh and reminded myself that this won’t last forever and in a few days I’ll get to go home. And then I had the sinking realization that this isn’t some extended vacation and I am home. On the up side the lady at the bank gave me a hug but then again people tend to do that when you’re paying them so I don’t think it counts like I needed it to.  #DayFourSucks #Homesick#MissingMyFriendsAndFamily #CloudCarsAreStupid. #ATLOTPDayFour

Mall Walkers...

I met the sweetest group of people today. I was at another mall (but in my defense I was shopping for the hubster). Granted, these folks thought I was a mall walker but still, they invited me to join their group! Truth was I was looking for a specific store and I wasn’t sure what level it was on (there were three) so I stopped to check my surroundings. Clearly I look like I could use the exercise but I wasn’t out of breath so there’s that. In other news we’re going out to dinner tonight and I’ve picked a place with both cherry cobbler and banana pudding on the menu. I also got to drive slightly over the speed limit for the first time since we landed here because there was no traffic on I 85 this afternoon. And I found the puppy adoption store. Danger! Danger!  #IDidHaveOnTennisShoes #FourDogsIsAlot#ATLOTPDayThree

Brownies...

Managed to transfer our prescriptions, chat with my folks, figure out the gate code, and navigate two interstates to find the mall but couldn’t seem to locate my latest rental car in the parking lot, prompting mall security to approach and ask if I needed help. “Do I need help?” I parroted back to the friendly guard sizing me up. “Sir, I doubt your shift is long enough to help me,” I snort laughed as we walked toward yet another row of dark SUVs, trying my key fob along the way to see if my ride would reveal itself. He laughed as I explained that I sold my van to my folks before we moved last week which means I’ve had three rentals in the last five days. In other news, I made it back to the grocery and I’m ready to make Judy Workman brownies.  #EggsAreEssential #MallsAreFun #RentalCarsStink#ATLOTPDayTwo

Atlanta--Day One...

Managed to use GPS to find the Chick-fil-A, the bank, the dry cleaner, the grocery, the storage facility, Target, and the post office. I also decided to cook dinner (for the first time) in our temporary apartment and thought everything through right up to dessert. Yes, I grabbed brownie mix and frosting but I totally spaced the fact that I have no eggs or oil. #SearchingGPSforNearestCupcakeStore #ThingsYouTakeForGranted#ATLOTPDayOne

Atlanta Bound...

Missing my newly minted college kiddo like crazy this morning but I got a great text last night (a new form of gold to this mama)! It also helps that I’m a little preoccupied today. Did I fail to mention this is happening? It’s been quite a week.  #Buehlerlife#ATLOTP828

I Was Trying...

Apparently this is my crying smile because I swear I was trying. Ugh! This has been a super hard day but I’m so excited for the kiddo. He’s so happy it’s hard not to be happy, too, so I pulled it together for our final selfie of the move-in trip. #Hoosiers2023

The Best Summer Ever...

It was supposed to be the best summer ever. The last summer our family would resemble it’s old self. A time of redoing things we loved and trying things we’d always talked about but never got around to. It was the last hurrah as they say and it was ours for the taking. Kinda...

Enter wisdom teeth and the slow down that became August. I laugh when I say that because our August has been anything but slow given we’re moving our one and only to college then packing what’s left of our life and heading 600 miles south. Trust me, the mayhem a double move and major life change brings with it can’t be measured and if it could, you really wouldn’t want to know.

It was my precious kiddo, all puffy cheeks and glassy eyes, nestled safely in the wisdom tooth removal recovery center (otherwise known as our sofa), that said it best. “It’s like God knew we only had a few more days together in this house so he quieted things down so we could all be here.”

And thus August has become a month of family game nights and movie nights and milkshakes and air mattresses in the family room and lots of ibuprofen. Of messy counters and medicine schedules and torn apart spaces and moving boxes and IKEA bags bound for IU. We’re surviving and we’ve made some wonderful memories this month (the state fair and the John Mayer concert!) and we’ve managed to check a few things off that “let’s try it” list. I’m beyond grateful for this month because I’m counting on these memories to hold me through some really difficult days that I know are rushing toward my precious little family.

Our son has five days left under this roof and while I may have a few regrets from these first 18 years of parenting, the month of August isn’t one of them.  #BuehlerLife #IUBound #ATLOTP828

Just Like That...

And just like that it’s August and the days I have left with my son living under my roof are quickly approaching single digits. I never knew I could love a job so much. I never knew I could learn so much from one person. I never knew I’d be so proud, and honored, and grateful to be called mom. I never knew I could have so many regrets and want so many do overs. I never knew a person could find so many little ways to make me smile or that we'd make a million memories. And I never knew my heart would shatter so completely when it came time to watch him fly.  #IUBound820 #BuehlerLife