I just received an email stating that my college courses start again in one month!  UGH!  It was like a taunting ha ha ha, summer is almost over!  It has gone very quickly, yet we have not done much!

Having Brittany here for the summer, I am privileged to hear about all of the things that we do "wrong"!  (You know, when you are 13 your way is the right way).    It has been enlightening and has also made me take into consideration just how different HER life is when she comes to stay with us for 6 weeks.  When she is with her mom, she is an only child.  They spend a great deal of time away from home shopping, eating out, or "running errands" as she puts it.  When she is home, she has a quiet house to read or play video games without having to share.  Then she comes here..........................................

We spend a great deal of time outdoors, but seldom leave our property.  There are often 5 days or more in a row that I don't even get into the vehicle.  It used to drive me crazy, but I have come to love it that way.  We seldom eat dinner out, and here Brittany is constantly bombarded by little brothers wanting to play.  She quickly adapts to our life style even though she points out that it is silly to make a lasagne when you can buy stouffers already made.  It is silly that we don't go out for dinner at least a couple times a week.  It is silly that we don't get into the car to drive 10 miles to get a fountain soda.  She simply can't believe that I have not been to the mall in three months!

All of her comments remind me of how I felt when we first moved here.  UGH!  I hated it!  I hated living so far away from the restaurants.  I couldn't believe that anyone would actually WANT to live this way!!  Guess I got bit by the homestead bug!!  There MUST be a homestead bug, because there is no other way to explain my change of heart from shopping city girl to happily steadfast at home mountain mama!

Anyway, so I am very proud of Brit's ability to adapt when she is used to such a different way of living.  She and I were talking the other night and we both agree that neither way is right or wrong, just different!  I hope that Brandon and Emily are adjusting just as well with their father this summer!

On a lighter note:

While shopping with a friend for the Baby Shower we are throwing, I stumbled upon a t-shirt for my wonderful husband.  It is in Mountaineer colors and boldly states, "I LOVE MY MOUNTAIN MAMMA"  How cool is that???  I couldn't resist and he proudly wore it!

Have a great week!