WayfaringStrangers

At 5 weeks old, I am beginning to see more and more personality from my little son. So far, Graham is laid back (like his dad), curious, and easily content. He is more social each day. He enjoys hanging out in his swing watching me cook. His eyes now follow me as I walk around doing little chores. He will turn his head when he hears Behn's voice. And I think he's really figuring our how to smile...each day it's a little more distinct. Last night, he even grinned for Aunt Hannah. He's a cuddler, loves to feel near to his mama and daddy, but at the same time usually doesn't mind being put down. He brings us so much joy!

I usually just use this blog to record life events, usually happy ones. I sort of ignore (or internalize) any unhappiness in life. You all don't want to hear about that stuff anyway, right? I don't want to put a damper on the joy of 3 healthy babies being born to our family in the past month. But this week, the danger of Seth's deployment became so much more real to our family, and I can't seem to shake it. And that's a good thing, because it would be wrong for me to be sad and scared for a minute and then pretend everything is ok. As long as Seth, and any troops, are in danger, I want to relentlessly pray against evil. On Wednesday Emily told us there had been some action in the east and to pray. Later that day, we found out the horrible news that 3 soldiers in Seth's company had died. Emily was very upset, understandably, and all of the sudden it seemed to me, in my weak, doubting mind, like everything was out of control. There was a harrowing hour or so where...

I've been avoiding blogging...I really want Behn to write his thoughts and perspective on the birth of our son, Graham Lee, born 12/15/10. But hardworking Behn has been really busy getting back to work after 2 weeks off and then getting started on the 2nd semester of his Master's Degree. So I thought I'd do a recap of our very eventful year. The winter months of 2010 were fairly uneventful. There was lots of snow. Friends visiting. Cabin fever. I think God used this time to especially work in my heart. I re-read "Stepping Heavenward," one of my favorite books, and spent a lot of time listening to and praising Him through hymns. Spring arrived! We started getting outside more. Over spring break/Easter, we enjoyed a trip to San Diego to visit Lydia, James and Ruby (and I got to see my friend Amber, as well!). In April, we discovered (such a joy!) that God had allowed us to become parents, something we had been praying for. Baby was due in December and we were thril...

I'm 10 days from my due date and Behn and I are excitedly waiting for our baby to make his arrival! I'm not the most patient person in general, so it's hard for me not to know when he will be born. But God's timing is perfect! Today was nice. Behn and I went grocery shopping, then did some cleaning (nesting?). I spent the afternoon with my friend Kate and we baked lots of delicious Christmas cookies. Right now we have a fire going, the tree is lit up and pretty, and I feel very content and blessed.

Being that I am less than a month from my due date(!), Behn and I decided not to travel anywhere for Thanksgiving this year. Instead Behn, Hannah and I had a family meeting to discuss the menu and the three of us made our own little Thanksgiving dinner here in Lexington. I'm pretty proud of us- Thanksgiving dinner can seem a daunting task, but everything turned out pretty good. Really, if the worst thing that happens is that the marshmallows on the sweet potato casserole get burned, that's pretty successful, right? We missed being with our other family members, and especially thought of Seth in Afghanistan and Emily missing him. We did have two friends over. Hannah's friend Tony flew in from Minnesota and Behn invited a co-worker over. The menu: turkey, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, salad, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pies. Pretty darn traditional and delicious! Breakfast Sweet Rolls: Putting the turkey in the turkey bag (Yes, used ...

Due to the fact that I am now in my last month (theoretically, at least) of pregnancy, Behn and I decided to go on one "last" date. Sure, they'll be dates in the future, Lord willing, but from now on things are changing. We'll either have to find a sitter (live-in Aunt Hannah will be great for that!) or bring baby along. So we went out and enjoyed a worry-free evening in Waynesboro, enjoying each other's company, thinking of so many blessings, dreaming about Baby Boy, and hashing about life. It was so fun! We went to Outback Steakhouse, Target (yes,this qualifies as a major part of a good date for us), Starbucks, and then to a movie. We spent much of today finishing organizing the baby's room, making space in our room for his bassinet and changing station, and painting a nightstand for him. We are getting ready. I still want us to pack our hospital bags before the end of the day- you can never be too prepared!

About a year ago I made a short post on this blog about how much I miss the Philadelphia Sports teams. Since we've made the move down here to beautiful Virginia, the Flyers have reached the Stanley Cup final, and the Phillies have reached the World Series (again) and NLCS. Thanks to technology I can keep up with what is happening with my teams. I've gone to the bars a few times to watch games too. But today was different. Today, it was as if Philadelphia sports reciprocated my feelings and paid me a visit. Two days ago my co-worker showed me the front page of the News Gazette. Charlie Manuel was to visit Buena Vista, his hometown, and was to be accompanied by former Eagle and NBC sportscaster Vai Sikahema. They were both to speak at Southern Virginia University on Friday, right in town. This was something that I simply couldn't miss. I texted almost everyone I knew of the news. Today I made sure to bring my red Phillies tee to work, as well as some Charlie Manuel photos for...