Heartstrings

We humans are quite amazing. Very complex, yet very simple at the same time.  We are so uniquely woven into these intellectual beings that has reason, emotion, spirituality, humor...

I always find it interesting how we all can view situations, a conversation, or even a show on tv as so very different from the others point of view. I never understood how people could cry at a commercial or laugh at certain types of jokes. We are all so very unique in this way, and it is quite amazing, really. 

Well, for those of you that know me, or have been getting to know me through this blog, I am quirky and loud. I love to make people laugh and yes, many times it is at my own expense. :)  I am not a big crier. There are certain things (and certain times of the month, eh hem) that of course tug at my heartstrings more than others. I am not very sappy, but I do tear up at a good movie sometimes. But I am not one to just cry throughout my day over various things. I have known some that are like this, and I just don't understand. It doesn't mean I don't appreciate it, because I most certainly do, but my tear ducks just aren't connected in as many ways as others I guess. But there is one thing that always gets me...those stinkin' commercials about the puppy dogs that need homes, or the facebook posts about a dog that was left stranded and was found without food, water or shelter and needs a home. BREAK.MY.PUPPY-LOVIN.HEART.

So stop it. I mean, don't stop, but stop it. All those posts, those stories and commercials about these dogs that need a good home...don't stop because we definitely need to get the word out that these animals are being mistreated and they need help, but stop doing this to ME! KGK has to turn any commercial that has a sad puppy to another channel because I will FREAK the HECK OUT. We can't go into pet stores, and I have had to stop looking at the local rescue organizations for animals because I want to adopt every single one of them. I mean, come on, why on earth would anyone want to leave this poor little guy behind..?????

He is one of the best things in the world that has come into my life.

Love this little guy!


~AMK

The Riveting Mundane

Oh the mundane. Filled with all the daily commotion and routine. It is funny...when I try to think of things to write on this little blog, I feel like I need to come up with something so special and creative so I can remember all the great things in my life for years down the road. Well, honestly, for all of us, most days are just filled with normal day happenings.

So why write about it?

Well, our normal day things change over time. Right now, my days are filled with getting up, going to work, coming home, doing homework, making dinner (most nights), and spending time with KGK and Buddy. Sounds pretty boring, but really all is great. It is nice to be busy with these things. It is fulfilling to have a job I love, a dog I couldn't imagine my life without, and a husband who is the best gift ever bestowed upon me. I am very blessed, and I love my simple little life.

Do I wish I had more adventures?

Sure, but sometimes life doesn't guarantee that those adventures won't be harder than they are fun. So sometimes these days and weeks of mundane are not so bad sounding or so boring to read. But rather they are worth writing about, worth remembering, worth treasuring.

So why don't I write more?

Fear, I guess. And time.  Fear that what I write won't be catchy enough or exciting enough for my limited following. The lack of time to do fun or catchy things or the fact that I didn't cook a share-worthy meal in few days, ok a week, ok a couple weeks.

But what writings am I most drawn to?

The mundane. The ones that I can most relate to. The posts and articles that I can read, and then think, "man, that is so me right now."

Is it fun to read exciting stories about lives that seem so different than mine too?

Of course. Those are the stories that help expand who I am. Make me realize that other people's stories are mundane in their own ways, and we all just share little pieces of the internet to share how we view the world through our own eyes. May seem boring to us at the time, but to others, it may be riveting. You just have to work at it.

Have I felt bored with my life lately?

Not at all.  My life feels very exciting, actually. I guess I just think the mundane isn't worth writing about or I don't make the time to document for myself. I really should be better about that.


Do you ever feel your life is too mundane that it isn't worth sharing? Because you shouldn't. :)

~AMK

My future kids will eat dirt, and I'm ok with it.

This past weekend, KGK and I went camping with his Dad and a friend of ours Heidi. KGK loves cold weather camping. And when I say love, I mean, he is disappointed when it gets too warm. TOO WARM. He wants it to stay below 50 degrees during the day and down in the 20's at night. And if it snows--bonus. Yeah, I don't understand it either. I like warm. No, correction: I LOVE warm. Warm is a wonderful thing. Why would you want to be cold when you can be warm? I married a wonderfully strange man:)

Well, the weekend was actually a tolerable cold. It was chilly, but it was easily remedied by a large fire, hot coffee and plenty of layers. Whenever we have one of these chilly trips, KGK and I have a deal. I will go camping in the cold as long as I do not have to move from my parked spot by the fire. I do not have to gather firewood, do extensive cooking or do anything that will require me to leave my warm spot by the fire. I get to be lazy. He thinks this is great because I will at least go, even if it means I won't venture far from the radius of the flames.

Don't be mistaken though, I am an avid camper. I love all that is involved with camping. I am not typically a lazy camper. The preparations of packing just the right clothing and equipment to make the trip just right is fun to me. I love going out and gathering firewood, using my hatchet to split the larger pieces into kindling for the best fire starting, and setting up the tent so that your stuff is in just the right spot in case you need to grab anything during the middle of the night and you don't want to emerge far out of the cocoon of the mummy sleeping bag. All of it. It is fantastic. I like being a part of it all. But when it comes to the cold, warm wins. :)

Now that I am married, and getting a little older, my mind now dreams of trips KGK and I will take with our kids one day. They will get to experience the great outdoors just like KGK and I like to experience it.

I didn't do any camping growing up except for once in a great while when we would setup the tent in the backyard. But to me, that's semi-fake-camping. True fake camping is setting up your tent indoors (yup, been there, done that too).  Those are not real camping.  My parents weren't big on real camping. My dad would take us on all types of hikes and do a lot of projects outdoors. So I definitely got a LOT of fresh air as a kid, but we just didn't do the roughin' it camping. This is something I am excited to do with my kids. I want them to know what it is like to turn off all cell phones, tablets, computer, video games, and just be outside. Enjoy the day and be creative--talk by the campfire and play 20 questions while you cook hot dogs over an open flame on a stick that you twiddled down yourself. I want them to accidentally eat dirt from their hot dog they drop on the ground and have a couple days where they have to go to the bathroom outside. Yes, I really want these things. They should know what it is to be roughin' it! They will know a comfortable life, I am sure, but I want them to know the glory of being outside. Of relaxing and just taking in the quiet and adventures and possibilities that come from being in the woods. I can't wait to share this one day with them.  Oh, and I want them to go camping with their Auntie Heidi too. Heidi and I have been camping together for years now. They need to go camping with her. She always goes on fun little adventures, and they will love that too.

I am so glad that I started participating in that outdoors club in college...it is now so worth being able to love the outdoors even more than when I was a kid. Thank you college clubs:)

It is funny, I always want to take pictures of our outdoor excursions, and I have had people ask me why I don't have more pictures on fb from these trips. Honestly, I think about taking pictures when I am out there. I want to document all of it. Every minute. But, being outside, in the woods, by the fire, huddled with my camping coffee mug, and breathing in the fresh air, I want nothing to do with electronics. And, why leave the fire to go get your camera that you stowed away in your bag, which is in the tent, when you could be soaking up all the warmth from the fire?

Each trip, the ones where it is chilly, and I don't leave my post by the fire (I told you I love warmth).  After these trips, I come back with a glow about me. Not a glow like, wow, the woods did me so good that I am beaming with happiness. Well, maybe some of that, but really, I actually get pink, like sunburned from being by the fire. It is glorious.

Camping takes a lot of prep and a bit of roughin-it spirit, but it is so worth the mounds of laundry after and the disaster of your home with all your gear to put away from that short weekend trip into the woods. You should try it if you haven't ever done it. What's stopping you?

Happy Camping!

~AMK