WayfaringStrangers

I've pretty much stunk at blogging this month. Maybe it's because we had a very sick 6 weeks- ear infection, stomach bug (boys), summer flu (me), and Patrick got pink eye. On top of that, there's been some crankiness with Graham's molars coming in and Patrick's 1st tooth. Yes, my baby finally  got his first tooth at  nearly 11 months old- it poked through this morning! Not blogging doesn't mean there's not a lot going on. There's life. Life in ways like a boy's first time on a ferris wheel. Life like a lot of messy diapers (darn teething).  Life like the 4 of us stuffed into life jackets and onto a paddle boat for about 15 minutes. 15 minutes on a paddle boat on a lake is about all a 2.5 year old and 10 month old can take. It was fun though, and the park ranger didn't charge us the $6 since we were out such a short time. Life like an overdue date night to celebrate our 5 years of marriage. We enjoyed a free outdoor concert- the f...

I have been reading more lately, and really enjoying it! Here are some of the books I've read or are reading: See that mom on the cover? That's me! Ok, it's not, but it could be. This book was given to me by my sweet mother-in-law, on a recommendation of my sister-in-law who was reading it. Moms, especially of those with young children, read this book.  Just do it. It was like a tall glass of water on my parched soul. So many of the chapters addressed issues I struggle with- issues most moms of young children struggle with. I loved it, and want to go back and highlight encouraging passages. I really recommend it. I finally read Redeeming Love . I meant to read it a couple of years ago when I was in a Hosea Bible study (since the book is loosely written about the story of Hosea/his wife and God/Israel), but didn't get my hands on it until I saw it at my Grandma's house. It was a good novel- it had some sad and dark places- but that's the reality of sin...

These boys are growing so fast. I have to start writing down what they are up to before I forget. Graham Oh, Graham where do I start? Graham astounds me. Graham astounds me with the way he memorizes phrases from his favorite movies and quotes them randomly- just.like.his.dad. He astounds me with his little night-time prayers, rattling off everything he is thankful for. He is learning about 'favorites.' His favorite ball, his favorite book. The zinnias are blooming and we go out and admire them and we each pick our favorite. He has been interested in who is a 'boy' or 'girl.' Not anatomically, just socially; he can distinguish who's a boy or girl. Graham can't pronounce words that begin with an S+consonant. So, "spoon" is "foon," "stairs" are "fairs," "scared" is "fared." I love it. Graham is potty trained! He can make it through naptime and in the car without an accident. He only wears ...

A couple of years ago, whenever something happened in our lives, I feel like I would race to blog about it asap. I'm more relaxed these days. It didn't even occur to me to blog about our retreat until today. So, here you have it. My Dad and I organized a Young Adult Getaway for our church at the Machen Retreat Center in Virginia. As a child, we went there for many summers, helping clear the land and build the cabins. Now, it's a full-functioning camp in a rustic setting. High up in the mountains, in Highland County VA, an hour from a real town. I couldn't wait to bring my boys there! Man, Graham was in little boy heaven! Open space, sticks, rocks, room to run, campfires, a river. He had a blast! He had a few other buddies to play with as well. Patrick also enjoyed the freedom to get dirty and play. I think the boys would be happy living there. Behn and I enjoyed it too. The beauty of the area, friends and family, playing games, a million (truly!) fi...