Howdy,
There’s been a lot going on since I last blogged. It’s been all good things. I’ve had time to exercise, read, spend time with my family, and build stuff! The variety has been great for my sabbatical and have allowed to me to relax in many different ways. Everyone loves lists so that’s what I’m going to do!
- Last week I got to build a couple of things for our house. First, I built the toy box below for Tatum’s playroom. She loves to organize her toys, books, and puzzles so I think it’ll be perfect for her. It was incredibly relaxing building this. My dad came over to help and I got to spend some quality time with him while building. It doesn’t get any better than that!
- Also, last week I got to play golf a couple of times with my father-in-law. This was also some good quality time with him. The time was quality, the golf wasn’t. It was fun to get to spend some time outside in the beautiful weather and try to hit a golf ball.
- On Saturday and Sunday, Todd and I got to help a family put down some new floors and fix up and paint a bathroom. This was also a lot of fun to interact with the family while we got to help them out a little bit. Pictures are below.
- One of the best things about the sabbatical is that I have had time to exercise consistently. This has been much needed and great for my overall attitude. I love to exercise, but just like a lot of people, sometimes it’s just hard to find time! It’s been nice to get up and get to exercise and not have to rush or have other things on your mind that keep you from getting a good workout.
- I have been reading “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge over the past week or so. I read it once about 10 years ago, but it is a book that I think I need to re-read every year. God continues to reveal areas of my heart that can have more focus and He continues to clarify what it means to have a warrior heart.
- We took a mini vacation from Monday to Wednesday to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. This experience was valuable on many levels. First, I love car rides with Charlee. Car rides are the easiest place for us to find quality time together because both of the kids sleep most of the way. Next, I spent the majority of the next day hanging out with Tatum at the indoor waterpark at the Great Wolf Lodge. She thought it was the greatest place on Earth. She drug me down every waterslide, sprayed me with every water gun, jumped over every wave in the wave pool, and had just a few scoops of ice cream (don’t tell mommy!). I love watching her play and learn to interact with other kids. She is learning what it means to love other people in the form of letting them go first, not cut in line, and being happy for other people. Our son, Cope, was also a trooper, he watched Tatum and all the other kids play in the water and was happy the whole time. Watching all of these areas, tugs at your heartstrings as a father and makes you want to slow down time!
Overall, I believe I have found my rhythm in my sabbatical. I believe I have found relaxation and rejuvenation. It’s been great to spend time with my family, enjoy some projects, exercise, and reading.
-Addison