WayfaringStrangers

It's a perfect day to sit down for a minute and write. We are grateful to be warm and cozy (and with electricity) during the Blizzard of 2016. The boys are making a blanket fort and I have this Chicken Enchilada Soup simmering in the crock pot while the snow continues to fall outside. Graham is enjoying the snow- sledding, trying to build a snow tunnel, making snow angels- while Patrick has not changed from his pj's and is completely happy inside the house. Behn and I have taken turns outside with Graham and the cold air is refreshing. We have yet to see a snow plow today, so we may be here for a while...I think we are up to 15 inches! We have already had hot chocolate, watched The Snowman,  and played Chutes and Ladders. Happy snow day. [We will see if I'm singing the same tune when we are still snowed in 5 days later]. I'm now 27 weeks (6 months) pregnant, and feeling it. Baby boy kicks and moves all the time and it's hard to believe that h...

Yesterday's post was a bit heavy, but I'm glad I wrote it out anyway. But I figured it would be nice to post some recent pictures of life lately. It finally snowed. Behn bought and installed cabinet knobs. They are as wonderful as I knew they would be. It makes such a difference when you can easily open a cabinet one-handed (the other hand is nearly always holding a kid or utensil). I wanted drawer pulls on the drawers, but we ordered a pack of 25 knobs and didn't want to waste any. So, knobs on the drawers it is, and they are just fine. We visited Lexington last weekend. Wonderful, sweet Lexington. Baby cousins. Really, Rosie is the only true baby in the picture. The boys were both sweet (um, also a little rough) with her and Patrick kept squealing "babeee!" This kid and his bed head.... Patrick's hair is really growing in too. Much more fine than Graham's. He is getting big; they both are... Thrift store frame a...

*Edited to add: It didn't snow. I didn't see a flake. What a letdown. I don't know how the forecast can go from 4-8 inches to NO snow. Oh well. * Finally we're going to get a little snowfall here in Southern Maryland. In approximately 3 hours. Yes, I'm obviously very excited for this! The snow does postpone some plans, namely house hunting. I've been looking forward to house hunting so  much that I was briefly a little bitter about the forecast, but I'm over it. We'll go on Saturday, Lord willing. I am a little bummed that our realtor told us that several of the houses we wanted to look at are under contract. It's ok though. God will open the right door (haha, get it?) for us. Some thoughts on this house process: I pray that when Behn and I walk into the right house, we'll just know. That we won't hesitate, that it will feel ordained for us. I hope we find a house that we can grow into a little bit, but not too much. I don't want a hu...

I'm back! I definitely took a respite from blogging in December. I just didn't feel up to it, and I don't want the blog to become a chore. To be honest, I sort of trudged through December in general. There were some wonderful moments and highlights, but so often I felt tired and overwhelmed. I sort of didn't feel like doing the Christmas hoopla this year. I missed our decorations packed away in storage, and many days I found myself too much in a tired fog to think about advent devotionals or gifts. I still haven't sent the Christmas cards out (this is happening TOMORROW.) There were good memories though. Cousins in Christmas pj's. Family meals. Christmas music. My mom making the house beautiful. Undeserved gifts from those who love me. My cute boys in matching red pj's at the Christmas Eve service, where I stood with the choir and lip-synced because I had pretty much lost my voice during a cold. It was fun to have my brother Tim home and visitors coming ...

Puma Gear from Uncle Luke, Aunt Jess, and Lilyana:  Concentrating very hard...on a sing-a-long movie: I wish I had fun updates for you! Other than the big baby announcement, this blog has been kinda boring lately. I think that's because winter has been, well, kind of boring. The ins and outs of our days aren't too post-worthy. We haven't had guests and we haven't really gone anywhere. I have lots going on in my mind and heart and have sat down to write up posts about that, but always cancel them. I don't want this blog to be an online personal diary, at least not often. It's started out as a family blog to keep friends and family informed on our lives, and I think it's best that way. At least for now :) It's snowing again today! Of course all the snow is coming at the end of the winter, but it's too lovely to be upset over a little extra cold. Also, this time has been more fun because Graham is not sick, so seeing the wonder in his eyes ...

We are way overdue for some pictures. First off, Frankie and Graham in a box. I like to keep them contained. Just kidding ;-) As if a cardboard box could contain them.  This is how Graham spent the one snow day of the year. Poor boy. I loved the cuddles though!  What I do not love is my couch. It's been my heart's desire for a new couch for some time. Trying to be patient about it!  Winter wonderland:  The next day the snow was melting fast, so even though G was still running a little fever, I gave him Tylenol and bundled him up. He was happy to be outside, he'd been pointing to the door all day. Smurf:  My child is really, really cute in person. But if you so dare to pull out a camera, he puts ALL his effort into looking away from it. He's a STINKER!! Not photogenic at all. But I caught a smile... " Mmmm, kind of tasty." Don't eat the yellow snow, Graham.  Toddler footprints in the snow. That's just sweet. I'm...

It finally  snowed! All winter we've been waiting. We've been envious when the storms pass just north of us. And yesterday it was our turn. Perfect white flakes adorning the sky, fluttering to branches and grass, and landing gracefully. It snowed all afternoon and into the night. It was a perfect wet snow, so that it frosted the limbs of the trees and revealed their every detail. This morning when I woke up and looked at the bright sun on the white earth, the word that came to mind was 'enchanting.' Graham, however, did not get to enjoy this only snow. He came down with a high fever on Saturday night. Behn and I had duties at church on Sunday and Tylenol'd Graham, hoping it was a teething fever (he did indeed cut a tooth this weekend.) But it was not a teething fever and we knew it. He was miserable yesterday, insisting on being held and cuddled (no problem there. Love cuddling my boy). The fever raged on whenever the medicine wore out. Last night was awful. T...