WayfaringStrangers

Last weekend, we slipped off to Virginia. We were overdue for a Lexington visit, so away we went. Autumn leaves were in peak season. As we drove through the hills and mountains, the sun hit the curves in the landscape and torched the vibrant colors. It was breathtaking. I wish I'd pulled over for some pictures. Behn and I lived in Lexington for 3 years, and have since lived in Maryland 3 years. It's odd sometimes, how memories I hold so dear can seem to fade...and then we go back and it's a rush because I remember it all. I have been feeling all the feels. Lexington bricks: So, the weekend: We decided to stay in a (cheap) hotel this time. When we got to Lex, we settled in and grabbed pizza at a place downtown. Then we let the boys romp around Hopkins Green and through the campuses (Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute). We kept hearing helicopters, and when we realized they were landing on the marching grounds at VMI, we scooted o...

Yup. I'm pregnant. 13 weeks now, to be more exact. Which means that even though I'm feeling much better, I really wish I was taking a nap. But I digress.... We are really happy, of course, and feeling so blessed to be doing this again. We believe life is God's to give. This is a new gift. Graham especially, is over the moon, and constantly touches my belly and sings to "Bumblebee." I'm pretty excited about the age gaps we have between G and P and this new baby. I believe they will really get to experience the whole "new baby" thing. And now, answers to questions: Q. Did you try for a girl? Is it a girl? A. We tried for a baby. It might be a boy. It might be a girl. I have no preference, although others do (Graham and Behn want a girl). We are thinking about not finding out the sex until birth- Team Green! Keep everyone in suspense! Q. When are you due? A. April. So excited for a spring baby! Q. How are you feeling? A. Pretty good! ...

Over the past many months, I have read some books. I'm overdue for one of these posts. First off, a few books that I read last year. That's how long it's been since I've posted about books! Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline I really enjoyed this fictional novel that follows 2 storylines: Molly, a youth in foster care, current time, and Niamh, an orphaned Irish immigrant beginning in 1929. The stories, of course, become intertwined. Because of my interest in orphan and foster care, I found it to be a fascinating book.  Surprised By Motherhood  by Lisa-Jo Baker My sister-in-law sent this to me and I gobbled it up. I hadn't heard of Lisa-Jo before but now she's one of my favorite writers. She's so real and down to earth, with a solid spiritual base. I also liked the international flair (she's from South Africa, though lives in Maryland now). The Christ-centered book was a drink of water when I was feeling parched. More recently, ...

I'm sitting here with writer's block, thinking about how we are easing into autumn. I really just want to take a nap, but I feel like the blog has become sadly neglected. I love writing. I love going back and looking at the words and pictures I wrote 1, 2, 3, or more years ago. I love watching us grow. And so, even though blogs in general seem to have fallen out of style in place of Instagram, I am here. We enjoyed lots of family time at my sister Olivia's wedding. I have no pictures (pitiful, I know), but it was beautiful. It was really fun having some family in town. Patrick had a birthday this month. The little monkey received no less than 4 new garbage trucks from loving family and friends, which he has been enjoying. Patrick is definitely being a 3 year old...I have to take a lot of deep breaths to get through the day. He's a smart cookie, but all the challenges of a 3 year old are wearing me down. We'll get through it, though! We are so grateful fo...

A little guy I love started PreK 4 last week. We decided to enroll him at the school he went to last year, since we had a good experience. Why mess with what works? He walked confidently into his classroom and seems to be doing well. He even stays for lunch! I drop him off and then get to spend several hours at home with Patrick. We've been taking walks, playing, and I've been trying to get more done around the house. Then, we go pick Graham up and we're all happy to see each other. Making school decisions has been more stressful than I thought it would be. I wish  I were a person or that we were a family who had always known what we will do school-wise. i.e. "We will definitely homeschool!" or "Our kids will go to public school" or "We'll commit to Christian/private school for our kids." As it is, I can see us doing any of those educational scenarios.  When I was pregnant and Graham was a baby, all those decisions were so far away. ...

I've been thinking much about Grandpa. When we got the call that he had unexpectedly passed away, we were in the beginning of our host month and getting through the challenges that came with that. Thankfully, our great host organization sent a chaperone to come be with V for the weekend of the funeral so we could participate in everything. I'm so glad we could focus on that day with family, saying goodbye. I'm glad that years ago, my grandparents moved to be near us as we grew up. I'm glad that when I graduated from college, I lived with them for a year. I'm glad that the past 2+ years we have lived near Grandma and Grandpa and been able to spend time with them. I'm especially glad that the boys knew their GP. I'm glad we named Patrick Wilford after Grandpa (Wilford was his first name). I'm glad I shared my love of gardening with Grandpa. He always shared tips and had good advice. I'm glad I asked Grandpa to share stories ...

After the busyness of July, August has been a fairly quiet month. I was sick with a cold for a week, and since then we've been working on house and garden projects and trying to soak up the rest of the summer. It's amazing how quickly I can go from overwhelmed and too busy to bored and listless at home. Such is life. I've been mindful to do things with the boys that I could not do when V was visiting. Even visiting the library was too much for me to handle with 3 kids (and one I could not communicate with and explain the rules to). So, we've been visiting the library, went to a movie, and enjoyed going to the pool one day. I'm just trying to spend time with the boys and do fun little things. It almost always keeps our spirits up when we have a little activity. Behn and I also had friends over the other night, and really enjoyed good company. This week I'm back to tutoring, so the evenings are full. Graham's been playing with his marble run blocks and Le...