I salute DESTIN, FL

We ventured to Destin, Florida on vacation and had a great time.  Here are some of the things that I learned while on vacation...

1.  While on the dolphin boat tour, I did not get sea sick.  This was very much a relief as, one day, I want to be a part of the Sea Shepherd's which is an anti-whaling group featured in the show "Whale Wars."  However, this probably won't happen since it is in Antarctica, but a girl can dream...   

2.  Although Leah is growing up, she is still unable to eat a giant stack of pancakes from iHop.  She gave it a good try, and then we accidentally left our to-go box at the restaurant...

3.  I can wear shorts that don't go all the way to my knees or mid-calf, and SURVIVE!!!

4.  Brad is as big of a kid as the actual kids when he's in the ocean!

5.  Lily May is getting pretty good at this vacation thing, other than her great escape and run while we were in TN for the night.  She was a perfect little Pug while we were in Destin!

6.  I think that I might like wearing a sundress!  I felt like a girl!  Woo hoo!  Now if I could just learn to sit like one :)

7.  My Logan has NO FEAR of the water

8.  ESPN radio is the devil...plain and simple...I have no picture for this because it was just that bad!

9.  No matter how much sunscreen I slap on Brad's back, he always ends up burned!

10.  I could get REAL used to Brad entertaining the kids while I sit with my feet propped up and read!

11.  GOD has given us an amazing beautiful world to enjoy!

12.  Logan likes to have his shirt unbuttoned so he can show off his "chest hair!"  

13.  I am a pretty awesome sand castle builder...well, I have awesome intentions!

14.  My kids like to have their picture taken with Charlie the bird :)

15.  It's really hot when you play putt-putt golf, no matter how early you go...but for four of us to play golf, that early in the day, was a grand total of SEVEN DOLLARS!!!  Well worth the sweat ;)

16.  We really like to say Whataburger

17.  I have a pretty fantastic family!!!

18.  Just because a random, nice lady offers to take your picture on the beach, with your back to her, doesn't mean she's going to run away with your camera!

19.  I take a lot of self photos of me and Brad

20.  And finally...I learned that the Johnston's are pretty awesome while on vacation!  We might have our moments, but overall, we have a great time together!!!  We are obsessed with Animal Planet shows.  We like to eat.  We like to be goofy.  We like to laugh.  We like to sleep (well, me and Brad like to sleep).  The kids like to stay in the pool all day long.  The Johnston's had a great vacation!!!  

I salute you DESTIN, FLORIDA for your sandy white beaches, your pretty clear water (except for the seaweed), your lack of shark sightings while we were there, for your nice little Marina area that I loved, and for your souvenir t-shirts that I bought.  I salute you for your cleanliness and your dolphins swimming in the water while we were on our boat tour.  Thank you DESTIN!

  

My Introvert

It amazes me that two children can have the same parents but have totally different personalities.  My Leah is totally an introvert...I really realized it this past week, even though I have known before that.  And Logan, well, he's definitely NOT an introvert :)

Ever since Leah was little, she has been on the quiet & shy side.  Never one to quickly warm up to strangers.   Ever since she was little, I have always felt like I have had to defend that fact.  People acted as if there were something wrong with her, that she was unsocial, etc, because of it.  I have finally gotten tired of that and have decided to write a blog about it.

My Leah is a great kid, she does well in school, she has friends, she can sing good, and she loves her family and animals.  Is she super outgoing?  No.  Is she open to talking about sensitive matters?  No.  She doesn't like to be put on the spot, she doesn't like to be the center of attention when we are out, she isn't one that is going to voluntarily give you information unless you ask for it.  She is an observer, she doesn't really relate to people who are overly friendly or very outgoing.  I think that she sometimes gets overwhelmed or intimidated by them.

This past week of Bible School has really showed me how much of an introvert she really is...and you know what, THAT'S FINE!  During one of our car rides to the store, Logan was talking about the people in his Bible School class.  Leah asked him what their names were and he didn't know...(although he did know what color shirts they had on - LOL).  She said that she knew everybody's name in her class.   I told her that was because she was a lot like me and her Dad in the fact that she's quiet and likes to observe and take it all in instead of being right in the midst of everything like Logan does.   I have tried to talk to her this week, about different things, but she totally shuts down.  Does it bother me?  Yes!  I WANT to have a great and open relationship with her, I want her to be able to talk to me if she needs to.  However, I am learning that I have to respect the fact that conversations like that make her uncomfortable and she acts standoffish as a way of coping with the uncomfortable feeling.  I get it.  I have been there.  In a sense, I am still there.

I know that most of you know me and know that I love to talk...that is true.  I do!  I am very social, with most people.  However, even now, at 34, I am easily intimidated by people, especially if I don't know them well, or think that I don't have a lot of intelligent things to contribute to the conversation.  I have never met Brad's coworkers because the thought of it totally intimidates me.  Leah has a lot of me and Brad in her.  Brad is the same way.  Is there anything wrong with it?  Not at all.  Not everyone is super outgoing and social.  My problem is that I am tired of people acting like it is a bad thing that my child is the way she is.  She's not going to be the child in class who raises her hand all the time.  I have observed her in some situations where she's really wanted to do something but is too intimidated by more aggressive and out going children and she's not spoken up for herself.   I have wondered, however, how such a quiet and shy child can sing a solo in the talent show at school and have come to the conclusion that she's comfortable there.  She's comfortable among her peers and her music teacher.  As long as she's in her comfort zone, she's good.

All children are different, my two are super different, but they are both equally special, equally intelligent, and equally loved.  I just wish that other people in the world realized that having a personality like Leah's doesn't make her any different than anyone else, nor does it make me a bad mom.  I know that, in time, she will grow up and come out of it a little bit...until then, I hope to be more understanding of the personality that she has and respect who she is.  My introvert and my extrovert...My Leah and my Logan.  I love them both so much!!!