WayfaringStrangers

So, we've had some big changes occur 'round these parts. After living with us for a year and a half, Hannah moved back to my parents' house in Maryland. It's so weird to go from having her here to not having her here...but all 3 of us knew it was for the best :) We talked about it in November and all just felt it was time- time for Behn, Graham and myself to be our own family. Time for Hannah to continue her relationship with Ben, her boyfriend, and to be nearer to him, and to be able to focus on finishing school. As a sister, I especially will miss her. I always looked forward to her coming through the door at 2 p.m. MWF to keep me company, make me laugh, and help wrangle babies. We had some fun times- dinner out at Macados, playing in the river, watching chick flicks. I love the relationship she's had with Graham, and he with her. They love each other! When we all decided that this was best, we were bummed because we can't afford the rent on this house wit

A Philosophical Post for You: Today as I was driving, I was listening to NPR as usual (no tv at home, so any chance for 'news' and I'll take it). It was "Science Friday"- not my interest- but still caught my attention. They were interviewing a brilliant astrophycisist, a woman who was a professor at MIT. Her life's goal was to study the moon- it's origins, what it's made of, what's inside of it. She was enthusiastically explaining all these theories of how the moon came into being- that maybe the earth was collided into and then the moon broke off. And maybe there were once 2 moons (um, where'd the other one go??). She was overseeing a big project that sent up some kind of satellites that were gathering data to answer some of these questions. I turned off the radio after a few minutes because it was overloading my brain. Some of the thoughts going through my head were: How much do these projects cost? And how will the answers they find h

What a fun past 5 days!! It was a whirlwind, but every minute was worth it. You can tell I'm not a 'real' blogger because I totally skipped out on blogging during our trip. I was waaaay too busy enjoying family :) I'll post a recap and pics of the festivities soon. It was weird being back last night. Behn and I always enjoy coming home after a trip. There's something nice and fresh about being in our home again. Of course, there was not much food in the house but we probably ate enough in the last few days to hold us over for a while :) Anyway, lots of Christmas cleanup to do, laundry and writing a grocery list. Will post pics of the holidays soon!

Trying to kill a few more minutes before we can LEAVE FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK!! Yippee!! Random thoughts: Longest day ever. Oh the anticipation (the advent, really) of a trip to see family! We had a 3-poo day here. One from my guy and 2 from his buddy. Just love  3 poo days. Especially when one of them includes a wardrobe change. Lovely, mild weather! We romped around in the yard, went for a walk, and enjoyed the nice temps. Doesn't feel like December but that's OK with me :) Cheaper utility bill. I just pulled a dried macaroni noodle from my hair. The hair I just had cut today, for the 1st time in 3 1/2 months. Graham can take 5 steps now. He is just so proud of himself! Graham is wearing his new plaid shirt today. NOTHING like a baby boy in plaid. I think that's the reason I wanted a boy: so I could dress him in a plaid flannel shirt. And speaking of plaid, just wait until you see him in his Christmas outfit.  Lots of pictures to come. Should be packing. Can't fi

It's pretty hard to describe my 'typical' day with these two boys...but I will try! I try to stay on a general schedule, but every day is different. Some days we have playdates, some days we don't. Some days we're outside a lot, sometimes we're inside more. Some days they nap well, some days they don't. Some days I want to give up, pull my hair out, lock them in a cage (just kidding), or sell them to a circus (kidding again). Some days I delight in their giggles, kisses, and silly antics. Frankie gets here around 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. Graham is always excited to see him. They usually play for a little bit while I inhale coffee and say bye to Behn. I try to have Graham's breakfast over with before Frankie gets here, so that I can focus on giving Frankie his breakfast. Of course, when one kid is eating, the other wants to eat too. We play for a while or go for a walk, then around 10:30 I try to get one or both of them down for a nap. Then I spring into

I posted his birth story...it's a few posts below (lots going on lately). It should have published today, because I wrote it yesterday but published it today. Oh well, silly Blogger. Anyway, I just can't say enough about our little Graham. As a 1-year old, here's what's up with him: -He is standing without holding on to anything! He'll stand for several seconds, all beaming and proud of himself, but no steps yet! -He's become a bit of a picky eater. Will literally hold food in his mouth for up to half hour so I can't give him another bite. LOVES avacado, cheerios, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate (bad idea to let him ever taste it), mac 'n cheese, bananas, goldfish, yogurt, and sometimes peas. It's hard to get him to eat fruit and veggies, therefore, he's been a little constipated. He also has begun having some whole milk, and is accepting the bottle pretty well. But much prefers me, of course :) -Says 'ball' in reference to the ball,

These past few months have been full of extreme sanctification for me. Lots of battles going on in my heart. I think I just reached the peak. I just turned down an amazing job offer. It was in foster care. I would have been able to 'use' my college degree (the one I'm still paying for every month). It was my ideal 'dream job,' the one I told people I wanted when I was studying social work. It paid more than Behn and I have ever made. And they picked me. They wanted me to work for them, to help kids in foster care. It hurts so much to say no to this. I even cried. But it was the right decision. I didn't feel 100% at peace with it. It was a long commute, and having to put my boy in daycare would be hard. I know moms work careers all the time, and maybe I will too someday. I even hope so. But not now. I can't put Graham in a daycare of someone I don't even know. And drive 2 hours in the car everyday. Things are so tight financially and we are frustrated and

For Behn's account of Graham's birth, click here . I cannot believe this year has come and gone. I always wanted to be a mom, and was thrilled when God allowed me to become pregnant. And now my little baby can stand, has 4 sharp teeth, and loves to play with a ball. He still kind of looks and acts like a baby, but even those days are vanishing. A year ago today, I was 39 weeks, 1 day pregnant. I was ready to have him. I hadn't been having contractions (that I knew of) and had no idea when he'd come. I got up and went to work. I worked nearly every day of my pregnancy, as I'd had no complications. I was SO tired of working, but didn't have a physical reason not to, so I plugged away. That day they were calling for snow in the evening. I sent Behn this text, "It's supposed to snow- I hope I don't go into labor. I heard weather can cause labor to start." I wonder why I didn't want to go into labor? I think I actually did, but I was just scare

Good weekend so far! Emily (my sister) and Seth (Behn's brother), who are married (for any readers who don't know about that), moved from cold Fort Drum, NY to Greensboro, NC this weekend!! Woohoo! They are only 3 hours from us now- this is awesome! Behn's parents and Em & Seth all met here on Friday night and then yesterday Behn, his Dad, and Em and Seth made it to NC to move them in. (Is this confusing?? Seems a little confusing). Anyway, Mom T stayed with me to help/play with Graham and we've had a nice quiet time together. Just look at my baby all dressed for church and standing on his own: I decorated the house for Christmas a couple of weeks ago. I didn't do as much this year. Little fingers can reach many places, and also I felt like it can be a lot to clean up after the holidays, so I kept it a little simpler. It still has a nice touch though. Our little tree (out of reach): The mantle. I LOVE our fireplace: Got these stockings on clearance last year af

...stomach bug! What a stinky (literally) weekend. Behn came home really, really sick from work on Friday morning. He was in bed (and bathroom) with a stomach virus all day. I kept the babies downstairs and prayed the rest of us wouldn't get it. Friday night, since Behn was sleeping, I put Graham to bed and then Hannah and I went out with some friends for dessert. This mama NEEDED a girl's night!! When we got back, Hannah and I watched a movie, talked and then called it a night around 12:30 (VERY late for me). I went to check in G before turning in, and he was peacefully sleeping...in a puddle of puke! Poor, stinky boy! Behn helped me change the sheets and wash him, and then he slept with us the rest of the night, so I could monitor his stomach. He seemed fine, but in the morning threw up again. Anyways, long story short, I thought he was doing better, but last night and this morning, he has experienced the "other" portion of the illness. Needless to say, I'm not

Graham officially has his first word! It's not 'mama' or 'dada' like I thought it would be. He does say 'dada' but not in context of Behn, at least not yet. Anyway, Graham has loved playing with balls for months now. He know how to roll them and chase them. It's one of his top choice items for play (that and measuring spoons). Over Thanksgiving weekend, we all noted how Graham now says 'bah' in context to the ball! My smart boy! He'll seriously say 'bah?' when he can't find it or if he sees it. He's also smart enough to go find the ball if I say 'where's the ball? Go find it.' Wow! Graham understands the word 'where.' He knows it means to look for something. Often before Behn comes home, I'll say, 'Graham, where's Daddy?' and he looks at the window, at the door, all around the room, looking for him. So sweet. I can't believe how quickly he's growing up. He's still not walking, bu

This is Graham's last first holiday- soon he'll be 1 year old! Last year we stayed up in Lex because I was really pregnant, but this year we got to go to the Cathey (my parents) house in Maryland. Unfortunately, we failed at getting a family picture! The family included Mom and Dad, my brothers Aaron, Tim and Stephen, Hannah and her boyfriend Ben, Grandma and Grandpa, and some church friends. Here are some shots of the day: Graham snacking on some Thanksgiving green beans. Pretty much right after this pic was taken, Graham started whining and wanted out of his highchair. He crawled around while we ate. I'm hoping next year is a little more peaceful and he cooperates. I know he's been overwhelmed with all the goings-on the past few days, which has made him more clingy than usual. Attempt at a family picture. Graham is mid-clap. Best shot we could get. Thanksgiving hockey. Forget football! (note the baby playing as well) I've been learning so much about thanksgivi

Sometimes when Graham wakes up and it's not quite morning, we let him sleep with us the last hour or so. It's proving to be a not-good habit because sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to be in mommy and daddy's bed, which I'm not wild about. I need my space, you know? But anyway, this morning he woke up a few minutes before 7 and it was starting to get light, so I was suprised when he fell back asleep in our bed. And as I was looking at him, thinking about how cozy it all is, and how much I LOVE him I found myself hurting so much for sweet babies and children around the world who don't have this. Don't have parents to cuddle with on Saturday mornings, don't have mamas and daddies who pray with them and read to them before bed. Don't have warm clothes and a safe place to sleep and their tummies are hungry. Oh, my heart aches for them! Praying that the Lord will put these children in families, and hopefully waiting for the day when

Hugging Daddy bye-bye before he leaves for work. Waaaahh! It's the last month of Graham being under a year old! How did this happen??? At 11 Months: He weighs 21 lbs (we took him to the doc because of a bad cold and he got weighed He is starting to stand without holding on to anything...but only for a few seconds and then PLOP! If you say, 'where's Daddy?' when Daddy is out of the room, he looks around all concerned and then squeals in delight when Daddy enters the room. Makes lots more sounds. Yesterday he said 'mama' when prompted! Still doesn't sleep well. Hardly naps and is still up at night, especially lately with a tooth coming in and a really bad cold. He wakes up coughing or congested. It's been a hard month. Has one tooth on top! Still waiting on the one next to it and the two below. Is always clapping, bouncing, and doing other cutesy interactive things :) Has become more of a picky eater with solid foods, but still eats ok. I think beginning

I DID IT!!! Yep, I ran all 6 miles :) And there were some BIG hills, people. Don't forget we live in western Virginia. Like, as in mountains. Though I didn't run up a mountain, there were lots of hills on the course. Did you know this race is the oldest road race in VA? I think this was its 52nd year. There were probably 50 people running it. The race started at 8:30 a.m. and I told Behn to meet me at the finish line around 10, because I figured it'd take me that long. It was 30 degrees outside. Once my lungs figured out they needed to breathe in cold air, the temperature was actually nice. I didn't get hot, but felt comfortable. I stayed in the back, knowing I'd be a slower runner. I had the iPod, but figured out pretty early on that the girl in front of me was running my pace, so I struck up a conversation and we ended up talking the whole time. She was a great new friend and we encouraged each other throughout the run. We ended up finishing at the same time: 66 m

Haven't felt like blogging much lately. It's been a rough week for me. Nothing terrible has happened, but I'm not feeling good. As much as I want this blog to be upbeat, sometimes it's just too dishonest to pretend like it's all fun and games and hikes and smiles. But for an update: In about 2 hours, supposedly I'll be running a 10k (6 mile race). Ha, I said supposedly because it's 30 degrees outside and oh, that's right, I can't run 6 miles :) I tried to train for the race with the double jogging stroller, and got up to about 3 miles. So I know I'll be ok for 3 miles and then we'll see. Turns out, I HATED using the jogging stroller. The stroller itself was great- easy to push (as easy as it can be pushing 50 lbs of baby bum). The thing is, running to me is a chance for freedom...it's time for me to be alone to pray and feel healthy and good and refreshed and enjoy music. SO not possible when I have to make it a chore to put jackets on b

Today is Orphan Sunday. We haven't been to church yet this morning, but I don't think our church is doing anything for Orphan Sunday...bummer. I just found out about Orphan Sunday a week ago, and wish I had known earlier because I definitely would have tried to do something at church to bring awareness to the worldwide orphan crisis in our local body of Christ. Anway, last night Behn and I watched this film from Cry of the Orphan. It wass really great; well-written and I especially loved that: 1. They talked about kids in the U.S. Foster Care System, as well as orphans around the globe. 2. They said that God doesn't call everyone to adopt, but that He does call every Christian to care for orphans in some way. 3. They profiled 2 teenagers who made a huge difference by bringing awareness about orphans to their schools- how awesome is that? Good little film, and maybe next year I can show it to more people in my community. Behn and I are continuing to pray as to how to respon

Ok Patient Parents and Grandparents, I'm finally posting pics of our little pumpkin!! The costume was a gift from Graham's Uncle Stephen. Stephen called me one day and said he would like to buy G his halloween costume and what would I like him to be? How sweet is that? So my mom and Stephen went to Target and picked out this: It was so cute on Graham! He even left the hat on. He was a sweet, cuddly little pumpkin. (Albeit, not very photogenic. As SOON as he sees the camera come out, he refuses to look at it. He's all smiles and interaction except for photo shoots. Sigh.) Graham and Frankie went trick-or-treating downtown together. Of course they had to go together, that's what best buds do! The Pumpkin and I. I feel bad I got no pics of Behn with G. Graham and Frankie went out with me and Frankie's mom, but Behn was working. When Behn came home from work we took Graham out to a friend's house but it was dark and we didn't get any photos. Anyway, it was a

Not every weekend is as relaxing and nice as this one was. Usually Behn has more studying to do and sometimes I have to work. But this weekend was just right- laid back with few plans. It was so refreshing! Behn gave the jack-o-lantern 1 tooth one top, just like G has :) Grateful for a weekend of simple memories with my guys.

This is what we awoke to today: How unusual to have snow so early! Of course, now it's all melted and it's sunny out. Much more like October is 'supposed' to be. But it was pretty while it lasted, the powdered sugar dusting on bright autumn leaves. Graham was intrigued. We stayed cozy for a while, skyped with Emily and Seth, and then went to Lexington for doughnuts at a new place that just opened. They were good! It was a nice morning. Remember a long, long time ago, before Graham came along, I started making posts about our home? I finally took pictures of our guest room and thought I'd post them. A guest room is a luxury but it has come in so handy, especially during the time G was born. I like this little room. It's sweet and sunny. I bought the duvet cover a while ago...it was on sale at Kohls. I bought it online and liked it when it came in the mail, but since then I realize that it's really not my 'style.' I prefer a country look. I sort of w

I've never put a picture up or used the name of the other child I watch on the blog- I wasn't sure if his parents wanted me to. But over the weekend Graham got to go to his first birthday party and I took lots of pics and got permission from Frankie's mom to post them (yup, Baby F is Frankie). It was really sweet going to Frankie's 1st birthday party- after all, he and I have a pretty strong bond and Graham really loves his best bud. Frankie's party was at a farm! How fun is that?? We had a really hard time getting them both to look/smile. On a hayride. They both loved it! So much to see.. Picking a pumpkin Looking at Baby Goats with Daddy It was a fun fall day. Graham really does love Frankie. Every morning when Frankie gets here, Graham is all squeals and giggles. They play together, fight, wake each other up, and get into trouble together. Basically, they're like brothers. Sweet little boys that keep me on my toes. Speaking of which, I should go now bec

This week has been just amazing Autumn weather. First warm and sunny, then rainy, and now cool and bright. Everytime I see the array of colors on the hills and mountains, so close you could almost touch them, I think, "We'll never live anywhere as beautiful as here." It really is amazing how creative God is. He could've just made the trees drop their leaves green, but instead we (and He) get to enjoy the unfolding of the season and splendor of creation. I'm also enjoying watching the flocks of birds passing through. While we are spending lots of time outside, Graham is also enjoying playing inside. He loves our keyboard. I think he's musical. Look how tall he is! He also loves the new rocking horse from Nana and PopPop. So fun! He and Baby F have been fighting over it, it's just so popular. This morning I had been out of the house for a while and Behn was on daddy duty. As I walked up to the house, I saw Graham's little face light up through the wind

Graham is now 10 months old!! A currently very cranky 10-month old at that. Where did my happy little boy go? He'll be back, he's just growing teeth right now :) At 10 month Graham: Says 'dadada,' 'na', 'ga,' 'ba,' 'ka', 'ma.' etc. These noises spontaneously errupted about 2 weeks ago. Claps his hands Waves goodbye (when he feels like it) Plays "So big!" (when he feels like it) Cut his first tooth! It's a big one on the top and is barely poking out, but is causing all kinds of misery, nasty diapers, and clingyness. The other top one and 2 bottom ones are also right under the gum. ouch! Loves his blue blanket. Cute to see how he snuggles with it. He's a sweetie and I know this (cutting teeth) is just a phase. I'm looking forward to these teeth being in and him going back to being his easy-going self. We spent the weekend at my parent's house in MD. It was fun, as always. We missed seeing Grandma and Grandp

There are some days that I feel that longing to feel another little child kicking me inside. Or days that I wish we could begin filling out the mountain of paperwork involved in an adoption. And then God reminds me (very clearly) that I need to be faithful with what He has given me- a sweet little boy who needs love, attention, and for his heart to be pointed to Christ. I've also been given the responsibility to care for another little one for 45 hours a week. I need to not only care for his physical needs but also teach him to share and make him laugh and also point his little heart to Christ. These are huge responsibilities! They are enough for now. And sometimes I wonder why I never was able to get a job in foster care/adoption, like my heart desired. Seton Villa was the closest I got, and it was wonderful but short-lived. Graduating college in a recession was part of that, and moving was part of that and having Graham was part of that. So I ask myself, how can I advocate for th

It's so peaceful, at the moment. Just got the 2 stinkers down for a nap, and am enjoying the quiet sound of the rain. Graham has been challenging lately. He has 4(!!!) teeth coming in, all at once. I guess because he is teething late, they are all trying to pop out at once. The 2 on the top are pretty close now. He's been miserable much of the time. He's ok when he's occupied with playmates (grandparents, daddy, aunt Hannah, Baby F, or other friends), but when he sees that I'm nearby he's very clingy and fussy. Poor kid! The nights have been awful, but we Tylenol'd up the past 2 nights and that helped. Running has been going well! I've taken the boys in the double stroller 3x and went once on my own. It feels so good and I know I'm getting stronger. If the rain stops later, I'm going to aim for a 3-mile run. Only 3 1/2 weeks left (I think) until I'll need to be up to 6. Still praying for family members who are having health problems...especia

We had a great weekend and we're so thankful. I try to keep the blog pretty upbeat and unemotional. But gosh, today I have 2 close family members having medical procedures being done. And just in general, there are a lot of trials going on in our families currently. Praying on their behalf, that God's glory will be shown and we'll all trust in His goodness and sovereignty. I love this verse, often only used around Christmas: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to whom His favor rests." -Luke 2:14 So we do pray for peace for our loved ones and give God the glory!

We had some special visitors here this weekend... Grandmom and Grandpop Trader! My silly boy Oh man, we had the best day on Saturday! Since Behn's parents were visiting, we had free babysitters! Behn and I took advantage of this wonderful arrangement and spent the beautiful afternoon hiking Bluff Mountain. It could not have been more lovely and refreshing. There's something about mountains. I almost didn't want to come down. It was so golden and peaceful up there...perfect breeze..blue skies...colors on the trees...and so very quiet. I just love God so much for making such sanctuaries as this. What a masterful Creator! And then in the evening we went to our first movie since G was born. We saw The Help at Hull's Drive-In. It was really fun just to get away for a few hours. I felt like we were a giddy dating couple again! Thanks for all your love, Mom and Dad T!

Let's be honest, food is necessary but expensive . Here are my favorite ways to save some bucks: 1. Go vegetarian when possible. Rice and beans can be dressed up in so many delicious ways! Vegetable stew with beef gravy is just as good as beef stew. 2. Coupons. Obviously. Some stores even offer digital coupons you can download onto your store discount card. And along with that, look for sales and buy the store brand instead of name brand. 3. Take cash only. It's way less tempting to throw extra stuff in your cart when you think about how humiliating it'll be at check-out when you don't have enough money... 4. Make you own bread. Ok, this isn't a huge money saver once you buy the flour, yeast, butter, sugar, etc. But it tastes (and smells) WAY better. And it's EASY! 5. Eat up your leftovers. And if you buy an odd ingredient for a meal and don't use all of it, find another recipe to utilize that ingredient. 6. Take 2 little boys with you to the store. Because

As I sit here blogging, Graham is next to me enjoying a Graham cracker :) There's a 10K (6 mile) race coming up in November- the Lexington to Buena Vista 10K- the oldest footrace in Virginia. I remember seeing people running it last year when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant and wishing I could run with them. I really miss running! I just don't have time for it anymore, not with 2 babies to watch all day everyday, plus all my evenings full with either mine or Behn's obligations. Back in May/June I started getting up early to run and worked my way back to 4 miles, but then the weather got hot and I got more busy and that was that. A while ago, a friend offered to let me borrow her double jogging stroller. I didn't take her up on it at the time, but when I was reminded about the upcoming 10K I thought it would be fun to start running again now that the weather is cool. Behn and I picked up the stroller last night, it looks kinda like this: So, once the flat tires are filled a

I've obviously been blogging more lately. Taking a Facebook break makes me do that. And I like it. There have been some dark days here lately. Literally. It's been so cloudy/rainy for weeks! The dark weather seems to affect my mood. I feel like I've been in a battle, a battle between MY will and GOD'S will. A battle of trust, control, loneliness, and learning to give thanks. You know, just some hard-core sanctification. It's not easy, but I know HE will prevail! I've had more time to read the past few months. I love reading and tend to forget to prioritize it. But not having tv and being a stay-at-home mama gives me a little more time to read. God is using this book to change me: It's One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I found her blog awhile ago, it's A Holy Experience. At first, I didn't like her website. It was, well, too holy. Too reverent. I wanted entertainment! Oh mercy, I was wrong! This woman is so talented at writing and photography. Our