Thanksgiving 2009

As we did last year, we traveled to Michigan this Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with Bill's family. It was good to be able to spend time with everyone, and always nice to have and extra pair of hands to help with Walton! The Lord has blessed us with so much, and we are thankful!

Join the Conspiracy!

This year we are joining Advent Conspiracy as a family and as a church. This is a really neat movement that started a few years ago and has such a great message! Check out the video and the website at http://www.adventconspiracy.com/!

Debrief on the Retreat with Calvary

We had a great time at the retreat with Calvary Church's college group this past weekend! Bill was the speaker, and did a great job! The retreat center was really nice, and it was fun getting to know the group that our friends, the Luciano's, work with. Of course, it is always fun spending time with the Luciano's, and we even left a day early to spend time with them at their house in NYC before the retreat. Another treat was catching up with Chris & Kelly (Chris led worship), and hearing about what they are doing now, since the last time we saw them in Dallas they were not yet married! They are a sweet couple with tender hearts for the Lord. Walton had a great time, too - enjoying all the attention from the college girls! He is such a good baby for travelling, and always sleeps well despite the changes in location. That is such a blessing, and I am hoping that our newest little one will be the same way. Thanks for your prayers about this - hopefully some of the students were challenged and will make some lasting changes!

Missions and Friends

Our church held its first annual Mission's Conference October 2 -4. It was a lot of work and planning, but all in all it came off without a hitch. We plan to do this every year, and it was initiated with the hopes of spreading awareness of and excitement for international missions. We had a pretty good turnout, but we hope to get even more young people and families involved in the following years. Easily the highlight of the conference was being able to have our dear friends, Chad and Julie, be a part of the event. It was an exhausting time for them, but they were really able to share their passion for missions and their call to Spain with our church, and it was such a blessing for the congregation to be able to meet them and interact with them. On a personal level, Chad and Julie stayed at our house, and it was so good to be able to laugh and cry and talk with them - reconnect with these dear friends that we hadn't seen since we left Dallas. So grateful that the Lord let us spend that time with them. Walton was quite smitten with Julie, too, and spent much time in her lap or being carried by her :) We are excited to see all that the Lord has planned for them in Spain!

Walton is getting a .......

....little brother! We found out last Wednesday that we are having a little boy - so exciting! Truthfully, though I would have been thrilled with a girl, I was kind of hoping for a boy. The idea of having another little boy so close to Walton in age just sounded fun. I can just picture them playing together and being little best friends. Yes, our house is going to be a total circus, but I think that will be fun. Everything looked well in the ultrasound, too, so that is a blessing. The little fella is already kicking a lot - so much so that Bill can even feel it when he puts his hand on my stomach. I wonder if that is early warning of the personality that he will have....oh dear :) Now if Bill and I can just find a name that we can both agree on! Thanks so much for continued prayers for baby and me!

First Apple Picking of the Season

Looking for a Good Read

Fall is in the air. There are whispers of it throughout the day, and stronger voices of it in our coolish, more readily darkening evenings. Leaves are starting to loosen, apples are ready to pick...and I need a good book! A good book just goes with fall - like a pumpkin spice latte, apple butter, or a bonfire. I went to the library today, and just couldn't find anything and didn't know where to start. I need help (I'm sure some of you are thinking that applies on many levels, but let's just keep this superficial, 'k'?). So....suggestions, please? I'm most interested in good fiction, but I am open to non-fic. Anything! Please just give me something to curl up on the couch with as I drink my tea.

Thanks!

Weekend in the Adirondacks

We thought this kind of looked like a Jeep comercial :)

The view from our balcony.

At the top of Whiteface mountain.

Walking through the tunnel to the castle at the top of Whiteface. Walton loved this!

One of the perks of being parents: dressing up your kids for your amusement!

What a mountain climber!

This has been such a busy summer, so despite our desire to take a vacation, it hasn't happened. Thankfully, we were able to take a little "getaway" last weekend to the Adirondacks, specifically, Lake Placid. This is a beautiful little ski resort town, that is nestled among the mountains and borders two lakes. For a little trivia, it has twice hosted the winter olympics, including the historical (so Bill tells me) "Miracle" when the U.S. hockey team beat the heavily favored Russian team. We stayed in a nice resort at the top of a hill. From our balcony we could look down on the town and lake, and see the mist hanging in the mountains. Lovely. We drove to the top of one of the peaks and hiked around, walked through the downtown and looked at the shops, and ate some of the best fish and chips that we have EVER had. Wish I had those now, actually. Though brief, it was a nice litte respite in our busy summer. Now we want to go back and see it during the winter!

Pics of Our Summer

Helping Mommy in the kitchen
Sliding down the gift friends from church gave us - he loves this!

Swimming in the hippo pool that Grandad and Mimi bought for him when they visited.



At the Rochester Museum of Play.





At the top of the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada.

In the gardens at Anthony Road winery along Seneca Lake.




The first haircut.

Hanging out with a friend from our discipleship group.

Happy Birthday, Walton!

April 27th was Walton's one-year birthday; is he really one already? I look at some of the "baby" pictures of Walton, and he doesn't even seem like the same child anymore! He looks so much more like a little boy than a baby. And talk about active - this little fella is into everything! He is speed crawling and climbing into and onto anything he sees. He can be up the stairs in a flash. Keeping up with him is definitely a workout now! For his birthday we went to the National Museum of Play in Rochester. This is the coolest museum, even if you don't have a kid - everything is 'hands on'. They have a butterfly exhibit that the three of us especially enjoyed. It is a large conservatory with jungle plants and waterfalls inside, specially adjusted to tropical climate. Thousands of different butterflies and moths fly around and land on the flowers and floor - even on you. Beautiful instrumental music plays over the speakers, giving it a fairy-like feel. Walton was mesmerized by the butterflies that flitted right in front of him - many with folded wings as large as my hand! After our adventure at the museum, we went home for a birthday meal of spaghetti and meatballs (he loves that!) and birthday cake. It took Walton a few moments to figure out what to do with his cake, but once he did, it became a full-body experience!

Easter Pics

Not a Picky Eater!

True to both parents, Walton loves to eat, and is not a picky eater. We have yet to discover a food that he doesn't like! He has tried some of my Thai food, Indian food (loves curry!), steak and asparagus. He makes a meal out of Italian bread, cheese and olives. Soups and pancakes, eggs and paninis - so far, he chomps them all! A recently acquired fav food? Fresh orange slices!

We're Doing Ok

We really are! As most of you know, a little over a week ago we found out that I had miscarried. It was a hard day. Walking into the hospital thinking that we were pregnant, and walking out knowing that we were not. Looking at that ultrasound sceen and not seeing a little one moving like we had hoped we would see. Oh, that hurt. Last Sunday was difficult too, because we had to tell everyone at church that we had lost the baby. But, as emotionally draining as that day was, there was healing in sharing the news with people, healing in the telling of it. So, it's been about a week and a half since the miscarriage, and we're doing ok. Of course, we're still sad about it, and I'll have a good cry about it every now and then, but we're not discouraged, depressed or despairing. One of the hardest things has just been having to change my thinking. I'll catch myself thinking about how to decorate the nursery for Walton and the new baby, and then realize that I won't have to do that now. And, of course, the simple fact that what we were looking forward to in October isn't going to be happening now. It is amazing how many women have gone through this, and it has certainly helped me to be able to empathize with others, and to know how to pray about this issue. One of our friends (thanks, Chad!) reminded us of this verse in Romans 8, verse 18, "For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us." Paul doesn't minimize what we are going through, but just reminds us that the glory to be revealed will be so much more amazing than our grief. Hallelujah for that! Thanks so much for your continued prayers!

Still Doesn't Feel Like Home....

Ok, I know that it takes a while, and it hasn't even been a year yet, but it just surprises me sometimes at how it still doesn't feel like home here in NY. Don't get me wrong, it's familiar now. I know streets and directions and recognize landmarks. I can match faces with names, and am no longer the "new person". My books all have a place, and familiy pictures decorate our walls. But it just doesn't feel like home. There's no sigh of contentment when, after being gone somewhere, I walk back into our place. I live here, but there is no emotion connected with it. How different from our place in Dallas. I can close my eyes, and retrace every detail of that house, see it in my mind as clearly as if I am looking at it right now. I can see the fresh green of our little bedroom, and the way the ivy vines framed the windows, and how beautiful it was to wake up with the sun beaming through them, and to hear the birds singing in the trees outside. I loved the warm brown walls in the study lined with books, and the secret nook in the center for Bill's desk. I can almost feel the wooden bench on the deck in the backyard, where I spent countless hours reading or napping, or sitting and finding stars at night, peeking through the branches of the giant pecan trees. I can even hear in my mind the sound of the garage door opening when our neighbor went to get his Harley for a Saturday morning ride. That is still home to me. I miss it. Right now, I miss it a lot. I miss Dallas. I miss sweet friends. I miss warmer weather and sunshine. I miss walking by the lake with Bill. I miss getting coffee and strolling through the Arboretum. I miss all the different ethnic restaurants so easily at hand. I miss our old neighborhood, and discussing with Bill about which house we would live in if we could. I miss leaning across the fence and talking with our neighbors, and having a bite of the delicious something she just took out of the oven. I miss sampling all the fresh produce at the Farmer's Market and feeling like I'm in a different country. I even miss some of my students from school! I know that it was time for us to move on, and I really do feel like the Lord has a plan for us here in NY, so I'm not regretting that we came here, or even wishing that I could go back. I'm just saying....that I miss it,.... and I miss the feeling of home. And I don't know why it doesn't feel more like it here yet.

Open window day!

Though today started out glum and grey, the sun broke through the clouds later in the morning, bringing with it lovely weather. It was so sunny and warm, and being the way I am about fresh air, I thought this a perfect opportunity to "air out" the house. I opened the window in Walton's room, one in our bedroom, the one in the study, and two in the living room. Fresh. Crisp. Clean. The breeze circulated throughout the house and soon the stuffy, stale feel was gone. It felt good to breathe in our house. Hooray for open windows, and weather nice enough for open windows!

I just checked the forecast for this week, and happened to notice today's high: 34 degrees. Funny how things work out: in TX I would have turned up the heat and added another layer; in NY, I open the windows. Guess it's all relative.

January Pictures

A contemplative moment. Helping to Clean Up.

Aboard the Dragon Ship at the Museum of Play.

Astride Mother Goose at the Museum of Play.

A Taste for Books

Bill and I, being the book-lovers that we are, are thrilled to see that Walton is developing a "taste" for books at an early age. He now pulls himself to the bookshelf and takes out a book of his choice. Some of his recent picks: By Paddle Wheel and Pack Train, James Herriot's Dog Stories, Dearest Dorothy Are We There Yet, and Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Book of Etiquette.

House-Hunting, Crawling Out of Diapers, and Tanning Beds

Yes, we are actually looking for a house. Funny thing about living in New York compared to Dallas: in Dallas, it was by far cheaper to rent an apartment than to buy a house. You could rent something pretty nice, too. Not so, here. There are very few nice places to rent, and it is not cheap! Although our place is working for now, we have discovered that it is actually equal to or less to buy a house, and would be a wiser use of our money. So, we are on the hunt. We don't have to move out of here until June 1, so we have time to look around and consider. It is a big undertaking, though, so please pray for us as we look for a place. It is both exciting and frustrating at the same time.

Walton is almost nine months old, and he is such fun right now. He isn't crawling on his knees yet, but is extremely mobile using the 'soldier crawl', pulling himself toward, over and into anything that catches his interest. Which is usually something that shouldn't! He's keeping us busy, and Bill and I are endlessly entertained by his antics and his personality! Earlier this morning I put him in an empty diaper box, as the pic shows, and he loved it! And speaking of diapers, we have to keep an eye on him if that is all he is wearing. Since he pulls himself along the carpet, the tabs of his diaper often get snagged on it, and he will completely drag himself out of his diaper! I have developed a soft spot for baby toshies, however, so I always enjoy the little peek! :)

I am missing the sun. I can take lots of snow (which we have), and I can take lots of cold (which we also have). I do not do well, though, with lots of sunless days (which we have experienced many of). I like the sun. I like the cheery way it waves through the windows and the warmth of its rays on my face. I like the way it makes my cheeks rosy so I don't look like a vampire. In short, I like sun. So, a few days ago, I was telling Bill that although I have never considered a tanning bed before, it is beginning to tempt me now. The thought of having a few minutes of sun - however fake - and warmth on my body sounds so inviting! If the next time you see me I am a burnished copper color, you'll know what happened!

And lastly, a little eye candy :)


Baby in a box

With a few tries, Walton can hold his own bottle

The boy in the Alaska pajamas ....

..or at least the pants!

Walton likes to play with the curtain - it must make him feel mysterious!

Holidays '08