Tilt-A-Whirl Life

Have you ever ridden on a tilt-a-whirl at a fair or amusement park? At first glance, a tilt-a-whirl looks like a tame ride, especially in our world of crazy six-story roller coasters. Sometimes to throw you off, and make you feel secure, they make cars in innocuous shapes like teacups. However, if you’ve ever ridden one, you know that as the ride revolves, certain sections of the platform are raised and lowered causing the cars to spin randomly. You never know which way your car is going to spin. One minute you could be spinning one way, and the next minute you're spinning like crazy in a completely different direction. Unlike the predictable roller coaster, every ride is unique as you whirl chaotically.

The last few weeks and months my life has been one gigantic tilt-a-whirl ride. I feel like my world has been spinning faster and faster, and as soon as I finally adjust to a spin pattern, all of sudden I’m careening in a completely different direction at breakneck speeds.

Since everything is whirling by so quickly, here are a few bullet point highlights since my last real update on August 28th.

• I signed a contract on a house in Wilmore, KY. I am supposed to close on November 15.


• Abigail turned one, and we had an impromptu party in Wisconsin with some of my college friends.


• Abigail is still not walking, but her butt scoot is hilarious. (See video below).


• I survived my 5 year anniversary, by working myself to exhaustion finishing all of my landscaping projects.


• I frantically finished up most of the projects around the house, and officially put my Crossville home on the market last Wednesday.


• Abigail had her first horseback ride, and she loved it. Hopefully, I'll have a little horse-lover on my hands.


• My friend Jenna is living with me. She is Abigail’s nanny while I am at work. While I love Jenna and all of her help, it is taking me a bit of time to get used to sharing my home again.


• Some days I am excited about my new home. Other days I regret spending more money than I planned to spend on a larger home than really wanted.


• I got to see some of Jason’s best friends when I was in Wisconsin. I was a little apprehensive about it, but it turned out to be so good for me just to spend time with people who know and love Jason.


• We spent a whirlwind weekend and Jason’s mom house in North Carolina. Abigail was spoiled rotten by her Nana, Aunt Jessie and Cousin Tyler.


• I think I have gained about eight pounds due to stress, poor eating, and lack of exercise.


• While I was at a wedding, I caught this nasty, super-contagious flu bug, which I brought home and spread to Jenna and one of my friends. (Unfortunately the bride and groom also caught the bug.)


• I bought a new bedspread and finally moved back into the master bedroom. It is sooooo good to be back in my own bed again.


• I went my first wedding in a river, and I have to say that it was probably the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever attended.


• If you call me, Abigail might say “hi” and “bye-bye” to you. She is starting to get the hang of talking on the phone.


• I am excited about my new house being across the street from a park within walking distance of most everything in town.


• I’ve decided that rich, disrespectful, private school eighth graders and not my favorite.


• Abigail has started throwing all of the food she doesn’t want on the floor for Samson.


• Over Labor Day Weekend I went to four picnic/potlucks in three days.


• I’ve started making my bed every morning…it actually feels good and makes me more motivated to keep the rest of the house tidy.


• White Chicken Chili is one of my comfort foods.


• I’ve been keeping myself so busy lately that I haven’t been taking much time to think, process, and mourn.


• Last week, I thought my car with 180,000 miles died for good. Thankfully, $133 and new speed sensor later, I am back on the road again. However, I am still kind of shopping around for a more dependable, lower mileage car.


• I hate being in a huge office all by myself for days on end, so I have started working from home once or twice a week.


• Abigail’s favorite phrase is “Oh Yeah!” She probably says it 100 times a day.

Whew! That was a lot of random bullet points. However, I think my tilt-a-whirl life should be slowing down slightly next month. Although with my current house on the market and my impending move to Wilmore, perhaps it just a short calm before whipping me in another direction.