I have to start by sharing a random anecdote from last night (I know how much you all love those haha). Peter and I have this bit where, before we go to sleep, he likes to have any excuse to cuddle me and I like to (playfully) push him away. When I push him away, Peter's go-to excuse is "But I love you!" That phrase and the way he says it will forever be engraved upon my brain lol. So last night, I finally rebutted him by saying, "I don't need you to touch me to know that you love me!" He was completely stumped! Then there was a flash of lightning through our skylight. We looked at each other, and I actually said, "Oh no," before he wrapped his arms around me and said, "I can keep you safe!!" We couldn't stop laughing after that. Lol good times in the Berntsen home.
I have very mixed feelings about the summer drawing to a close. On the one hand, I'm sad that I won't be able to randomly go to Six Flags like I did last week or enjoy the view from my in-laws' new sailboat without freezing. I'm sad that summer fruits will soon go out of season and that eating outside won't happen as frequently. However, I'm also excited for the fall, for more reasons than the simple fact that it's my favorite season. I didn't get to go apple-picking last year, so I'm excited to do that this year. I also didn't get to go through a corn maze last year...that will ALSO be happening this year. I'm excited for the Downton Abbey movie to come out and for the fall foliage to reign. Most of all, I'm excited to see where my tutoring business goes. I officially started it back in May, but I really didn't know much of what I was doing. My Instagram posts were random, my Facebook page barely had anything, and my website wasn't on par with other websites I've seen within my field. Now, though, I've been getting a following on Instagram, I finally figured out how to list my different services on my Facebook page, and I'm extremely proud of how my website looks. All that's left to do is some serious advertising!
There are a few other things I'd like to do this fall. I'd like to invest a lot more time and energy into my current friendships, both with those physically close to me and those further away. One thing that surprised me about marriage is just how hectic life got all of a sudden! There are twice as many people vying for my time and attention now, so as busy as I am with students, I'm also busy socially. Thank goodness I have free time throughout the week between students or my more introverted heart wouldn't be able to handle it! I really want to rekindle friendships that I've had for years while also fueling friendships that have only recently begun.
I'd also like to take a weekend trip with Peter to Rhode Island, either at the end of September or the beginning of October, once all of the summer traffic has dwindled. Being married doesn't actually mean that Peter and I get more quality time than we used to, so between work, youth group, game nights, and all of our socializing, we actually haven't been getting as much quality time as we would like. I think getting away for a weekend will be perfect, and I've heard really nice things about Rhode Island (Newport in particular).
Finally, I'd like to spend more time connecting with God. Next month, I plan to join a women's Bible study and I'll be starting an Equip course offered by my pastor and one of our elders that will take place before our normal church service because I want to deepen my faith and experience some spiritual growth. I've been a little stagnant in that department lately, and I think it's because I just haven't been spending much time with God. I'd really like to make that a crucial part of my morning routine, since that's the start of my day and since it's when I tend to have the most free time. And I want to experience growth because I'm not currently the best version of myself...I don't know if I'll ever be her, but I want to continue to strive to be her, and I know I can only do that by His grace.
Summer, you've been amazing. Fall, I'm ready for ya!
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