It’s completely gray outside today. It has been raining all night. Well, I think it has. Every time I woke up during the night, I think I heard it raining. Even with the blinds open, it is dark in the living room. Gloomy, gloomy.

Yesterday was nice, though. Chris had someone work for him yesterday, so he had an extra day off. We went to get his and Elijah’s hair cut. Elijah looks so cute. I was going to grow his hair out, but it was driving me nuts. I had to cut it. I might try to let it grow out again this fall, but, for the summer, I think I’ll keep it short. Chris only has about four weeks of having hair left. When he goes to Fort Jackson, they will shave it all off, just like they do in regular basic training. I have a feeling he may stay bald after that. Poor little Owen was the butt of several bald jokes at the barber shop. I never knew how cruel a barber shop could be to a baldie.

After our haircutting adventure, we went to Knoxville and did a little shopping, and then ate at Famous Daves. I love BBQ. It was really good. I got four new shirts for me at Old Navy, and they were all on sale. I also got the kids both a pair of flip flops. Elijah loved his. He has never had any before, and he kept putting them on to walk around the house with a big grin. I also got some good deals on a few clothes for the kids at Once Upon a Child. I love that place with a passion. At Sam’s, we got a few things, including a memory foam pillow for me. It is so squishy-soft! I love it.

Today, amid the rain, we are going to a birthday party for two little girls from church. That should be fun. Chris is working today, so we may go by my parents’ and grandparents’ house afterward, since we’re going to be up that way, anyway. It is so nice having a short break from school. I had forgotten what it felt like to not have deadlines looming. I remember, when I was working full-time at Food City when I was sixteen, I was also a high school senior. I always thought what a luxury it would be to get off work and just go home and do whatever. Instead, I had to go home and do my schoolwork. Sometimes, I did my schoolwork on my lunch break at work. It was such a heavy load. When I finally graduated, it was like having a heavy burden lifted. While I’m still enjoying college so much right now that I haven’t felt at all like it is a burden, I do appreciate a short break. However, I imagine Chris will feel like he has had a burden the size of a small planet lifted from his shoulders when he takes his last test on Tuesday. He has had a workload that is far beyond what most people could handle. People ask me how he can work such long hours at his job and still put in such long hours for school, in addition to his familial duties and the jobs he does for the church, and I have a very short answer. He rarely sleeps. I will be glad when he gets a break. It’s a little sad when you consider the Army…getting up at 4:30 a.m. for PT, running all the time, and sitting in long classes for Chaplain related studies…a break.

Well, my blogging time is up. I need to get some presents wrapped, and get us all ready to go to the party. Be good, people!