A Breath of Fresh Air

Finally, after a ridiculously long stretch of cruel and frigid temperatures, it reached 50 degrees in Chattanooga, TN!  Believe me, we took full advantage of this weather.  We walked across the Walnut Street Bridge, stopped at a local bakery, enjoyed a homemade soft pretzel, walked along the Tennessee River and then headed back to the north shore.  A cup of coffee outside of Greenlife Grocery was the perfect way to end our day out of the house.  This kind of a day sounds down-right romantic, but I'll be honest. This was less of a "wouldn't this be fun?" trip and more of one of those do-or-die kind of outings.  

Seriously.  

I was going so stir-crazy that I wasn't sure if I'd survive another day.  I know, I sound like I'm being dramatic, but 1) In the words of one of my sisters, I come from a long line of over-reactors, and 2) I really don't care.  When I decided to be a stay-at-home mom, I wasn't really prepared for how incredibly true the "stay at home" part would be.  Leaving the house with an infant is a lot harder than it sounds.  Between the diapers, wipes, strollers, extra outfit, burp cloths, hooter hider and, in this weather, blankets, the process of leaving the house without Christopher's help isn't easy. If you throw the need to shower in the mix, some days leaving the house just isn't an option at all. Trust me, there is NOTHING that I love more than being with my little girl.  I would gladly sign up for a life-long case of cabin fever if it meant that I could be with her every day, but this winter has turned into a whole lot of togetherness, and let's be honest - too much of a good thing can be... too much. So when I checked today's forecast and then confirmed that Christopher didn't have a job to do this afternoon, I shouted "FREEDOM!" and pulled out the jogging stroller.  Pathetic, I know.  I really don't care.  

Now that we are back home, all worn out and all together, I feel like a different person.  I feel refreshed and like myself again.  Who knew that a little fresh air would be all it took? Today was just what our family needed. I have hope now that Spring might really be right around the corner, and that maybe- just maybe- along with all of the azaleas and camellias, sanity will soon be in full bloom. 

Here is one of the pictures from our day...