WayfaringStrangers

It's been another busy week. And, if I'm being honest, a grumpy and stressful week. But it's now FRIDAY and the weather is perfect and it's all going to be ok. Last weekend we had a fun roadtrip to Greensboro to see Emily and Seth and their girls, and Behn's parents, too. It was fun. I love a change of scenery. Shame on me for only taking a few pics. Ugh, I have gotten so bad about it. Anyway, just for fun, I thought I'd ask Graham a few questions about life as a 4 year old. Age : 4 Favorite Color : Red and Yellow Favorite Song : He hums "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" (it really is his favorite tune) Favorite Sport : Baseball  Favorite Toy: Baseballs If Graham could plan the best day ever, he would: Eat breakfast by myself and get dressed myself, then play baseball and other sports with my 4 year old brother and I'm 12 years old. Favorite Part About School: Playing with Kylie because she's my partner Best Friend: Patrick Fav...

If you read my last post, you saw that we are busy and happy here in Maryland. We have friends and activities and family here. But this time of year, the spring, always brings out the nostalgia in me. I miss Lexington. I miss walking around the cute downtown...the coffee and shops and art studios and little street fairs and walking through the campuses of W&L and VMI. I miss the Maury River and swimming or throwing rocks in it. I miss the Chessie Trail. I miss the Appalachian Trail. And that anywhere you were, there were mountains all around. That fresh mountain air... I miss all the great parks, especially Boxerwood Garden. It's such a gem. And I miss our friends and church family. It was such an incredible experience living in Lexington for 3 years. Maybe what I really miss- and can't get back- is being 26 and having more energy and being pregnant and Graham being a baby and then Patrick being a baby. Both of our kids were bor...

It's May first and it's been a busy spring so far. So much so that I really want to make sure I write down some things about life. The only way I'm able to blog is if the boys nap/I write when they're in bed/someone else watches them. Today that "someone" is my dad, who drove up to bring me lunch and then let me leave the house (!!)  to write for an hour. A gift! First, a few things I sadly do not have photos of. One is that Behn's parents visited a few weeks ago. We enjoyed lots of BBQ, downtime, and chatting. Behn and his dad also painted the little bedroom, which will be Victoria's room. I'm annoyed with myself for forgetting to take photos. The next weekend, my Mom and I and Graham road-tripped north to my sister Hannah's baby shower! Baby boy is due in July (their first) and I had a lot of fun with my mom on the drive. Graham was a good boy, too :) Sadly, I didn't take any pics of that day, either. The bedroom is a pale yellow. ...

This post brought to you by this Friday Miracle: Our host fee for Victoria- and then some- have been funded. It was funded by family. And friends. And Behn's co-workers. And complete strangers. It was funded by people who shared our story and/or who gave a little or a lot. We also were given clothes, a mattress, gift cards and a suitcase. We are so extremely grateful for every bit. It's weird and humbling asking for money. We signed up for this, but then we asked others to help. "Hey world! An overwhelmed   mom family with 2 boys are going to do something pretty crazy and have a non-English speaking child come stay with us for 5 weeks. Want to give us your mon-ay??" We knew that it was ultimately our responsibility to cover the fees, and some of the funding did come from our personal Orphan Care fund because we wanted to include ourselves in giving to Victoria. But it was a leap of faith and prayer and here we are. God heard and answered- through many of you!...

Last fall, new neighbors moved in next door. That house had been empty for a while, and we were grateful to have a nice family moving in. Better yet, they had a child the exact same age as Graham. As new neighbors do, I chatted with the mom and we asked general questions, "How old is your son? Where did you move from? What do you do?" My new friend described her job and her long commute and then asked what I "do." My answer was, of course, "I stay at home with my kids. I tutor special needs kids or teach riding lessons a couple of times a week...but mostly I'm home." "Oh, that must be so nice. I wish I could do that" was her response. Before I go any further, I am not writing this to shame anyone for working outside the home. Lots of people need 2 incomes, and there are also a lot of hard working single moms out there. And trust me, I always keep my eyes open for work, just in case the "right" job would come along (doubt...

I just called Graham inside for his bath. The weather has been amazing today, and the boys spent every minute outside. Behn and I dug, planted, and watered. Played ball. Behn took the kids to the park while I went to teach and ride at the barn. Behn even mowed a little, with Patrick on his heels with his own mini-mower. At the end of the afternoon, we took a family walk to the creek. It was a perfect spring day. When I called Graham in moments ago, he ran to me with his boundless energy. Feet flying. Both boys are muddy, finger nails dirty, and bruises and scratches from playing outside and in the trees all day. It's childhood at it's best. The feeling of being exhausted from breathing in fresh air all day, from running as hard as you could, from climbing a tree, and the sun on your face. So grateful for these two healthy boys, their running and free play, and that we all love to be outside together. Cheers to a good night's sleep.

I have a picky eater. Maybe two picky eaters, really. I'm not sure. What I do know is that I have a picky eater AND a strong-willed child. It's a difficult combination. This taught me a lot. It's taught me to work hard at something. We celebrate each bite of a healthy food.  It's taught me that I'm not really in control of some things (after all, you cannot physically force someone to swallow food, and it is cruel to try to make that happen). And it's taught me to pick my battles. I know a lot of families have the rule, "if you don't eat what I make, you don't eat." I understand that. But I'm not willing to pick that battle, not with my strong-willed kid. Instead, I'm ok with "eat what I made OR eat this healthy alternative." This works in our family. Here's a sample meal that Graham will eat: Graham does not like meat, the only exception being bacon. He does enjoy some nuts, whole milk plain yogurt with honey, ...