WayfaringStrangers

Except for the whirring of a fan, I can't hear much right now. For the first time since early morning, the house is quiet. Behn is laying with Graham. He should be asleep soon. I smell like barn and boys and dirty house and sweat. I'm grateful, because really that's all LIFE. But I'm eager for a fresh clean-up. There's steak marinating and broccoli to be cooked. Behn and I are going to try to have a meal where we can hear each other talk, eat with forks, and laugh. It's a date night in, and these two tired parents need it. Behn mentioned how nice it would be to buy some peanut M&M's and see a movie together. We only go to the movies about once a year. Yes, it would be nice. We'll settle for an episode of The Office or, ironically, Parenthood. We're too tired to survive a night at the movies anyway, who are we kidding. The day passed slowly, with me working all morning (barn) and then Behn and I trying, trying to do some little projects. C...

Ever since I was about 10, I loved horses and riding. I rode all throughout my childhood and teenager years and quite a bit in college. Then I got married and real life began and we were broke and we moved and had babies. Horses had to go on the back burner. I've missed it ever since, but other than the occasional riding lesson, I just didn't have time or money to ride. It felt like something was missing. Until now. I still don't have money to pay for riding, but I have been able to get my foot in the door at a great barn about 20 minutes away. I started by volunteering with the 4H club, then took a riding lesson one day and then got hired as a riding teacher. It's been so great to get back in the saddle and I have the opportunity to ride some really great horses and ponies. I also have a bunch of new riding students and have loved teaching again. I wish I could be over there more, but 2x a week is all I can do at present. The family who own the barn are really kind...

Lately, life has gotten busy. Maybe too busy. Suddenly I'm working (ABA tutoring kids with Autism + new job at a riding barn!) a lot more. I like to stay busy and I like making a teensy bit of money. But life does feel a bit rushed. We will settle into a routine and see how it goes. In all of this rush I keep finding Christians where I didn't expect them. I love it. God just keeps on putting encouraging, loving people of His in my path. I'm finding myself having conversations with new people in my life and we're talking about church and (home)schooling and family. Pretty neat. That's all I have to say, really. Just surprised and thankful.

I still miss Lexington. I try not to write about it too much; I don't want to whine and beat a dead horse. I miss the small town feel and the mountains and my friends and the river. I miss it all. It felt right. I hope someday we move back. But you know what I LOVE about living here? Being near my family. You just can't put a price on that. I have my grandparents, parents, and 2 of my brothers here. We have had the most special summer. I really bonded with my Mom with season. She works in a school and has 2 months off in the summer and she spent so much time with myself and the boys. We worked on house projects, enjoyed meals together, and she helped out a lot with the kids while I worked. Not to mention the awesome girls' trip she took us on! Pretty great lady :) This is me working on one of the projects Mom and I did together. Couldn't have done anything without her! Mom made the kids a pirate ship! I mean, come on- pretty cool, right!? We also...

Ya'll. We made it to 3.5. Two was hard. The first half of three was harder. And then it was like a cloud was lifted...a goldmine was discovered...a rainbow in the sky...you get the idea. Three and a half is pretty awesome. It's not perfect, no. He still won't eat chicken. But it's so much fun! His imagination has taken off. He's a pirate, he's a baseball player, he's a monster. He says the cutest things: "God made me; God loves me," "Come on, Patrick, let's hide from Pirates," "I need 3 chocolates because I am 3," "Oh, this breeze feels great! "  And there's lots more where that came from. He is learning empathy. I moved my struggling daisies to a new location and Patrick promptly stomped on them. I was sad, and Graham came up to me and gave me a hug (unprompted), "It's ok, Mama. The daisies will be ok." He loves the garden and enjoys watching it grow with us. He asks a...

It's mid-summer, so I think it's time for an update on the garden. It's been a lot of fun. A bunch of work, too, but I really enjoy the work. Behn is a great helper and we both love being out in the yard making it pretty. This year, I'd say the vegetable garden is more of a "hobby garden." It's the best one I have ever had, but it's not really producing enough to impact our groceries. It's fun and we have enjoyed some fresh food, but we're not exactly farmers yet ;-) Still, it's been a lot of work to dig up the dirt and turn it into an area that will grow vegetables and flowers, so I'm proud of us. We have big plans to expand it next year. Things I've learned: I need more than 4 measly green bean plants if I want a real harvest. I also need to make sure I string them up more efficiently next year. It's a good idea to start new squash plants in June. That way they can replace the ones that will inevitably get eaten by bore...

It's been a wonderful July. Crazy that we are almost at the end of the month. A couple of weeks ago, we spent the morning at our friend (and my brother's girlfriend) Autumn's house. The boys LOVE Autumn (me too!) They had a bunch of fun. Patrick got to ride on the 4-wheeler with Uncle Aaron. It's his dream come true!    The boys got to play in the pool. Uncle Aaron threw Graham really high! Got a huge bunch of blueberries from the Mennonites. They are safely tucked away in the freezer and ready to be made into all sorts of lovely treats. The butterflies love the zinnias. We have had some much needed  rain. Going to the beach last week was so fun. I want to take the kids next. So there you have it, a little peek into our life.