Top 5

March 24 marked five years in Virginia. Boy, are we ever blessed to call Virginia home. And for this girl whose Minnesota roots run deep, there is deep contentment to have this "home away from home". In honor of our five-year anniversary of life here, we decided to compile our "Top 5" list of events and things we love about Richmond.

Top 5 Things We Love about Richmond:
1.  Maymont Park--we love visiting this 100-acre park. There is plenty of space for running around and picnics. We love walking through the Italian and Japanese gardens. Exploring the children's farm and wildlife exhibits are always winners, especially trying to spot the bears who love to hide up in the trees in their enclosure!
2.  Local food--oh, how we love to visit local Richmond places like MeKong Vietnamese cuisine, Bottom's Up Pizza, Buzz and Ned's Barbeque, Sweet Frog frozen yogurt. The list could go on and on!
3.  Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens--we typically head here only about twice a year. Once on Independence Day when the offer free admission and once for Light Up the Gardens where Christmas lights abound. It's really a beautiful place that we love walking around and exploring.
4.   We love being close enough to Washington, D.C., so we can take day trips up there. We've done that several times and have really enjoyed exploring a number of different museums.
5.  This one might seem a little silly, but we've both really appreciated a general sanity and courtesy among the drivers here, particularly right after moving here from a place that didn't really demonstrate either of those qualities! We've begun to take it for granted, but it really is nice and appreciated!

Top 5 Important Events:
1.  Owen's birth. Boy are we ever grateful for this little guy!
2.  Finding our house. After years of living with shared walls, we jumped at the chance to live in a free-standing home. Only after signing the lease did we see how God orchestrated events for His purposes:  our landlords have become dear friends and they are the ones that invited us to our church nearly two years ago.
3.  Our church, Third at Pump Road. We have been attending there for about 1.5 years and have been so very, very blessed by the church and the relationships we've built there.
4.  Our friendships. Through our church, we've developed some wonderful friendships and are so grateful for these friends that God brought into our lives. They have loved us and cared for us well, especially in the absence of extended family nearby.
5.  We've been so grateful to do annual summer vacations with some very dear friends, the Bredbenners, the Hasses, and the Vallees. It's such a joy to live within only a couple hours of these friends and get to see them on a somewhat regular basis. John has known the guys for nearly half his life and the wives have been warmly welcomed into the circle as it has expanded. We love these friends so much!
6.  A bonus event:  Ella. Yes, it's strange to include the loss of a child in a list of important events, but her brief little life and death opened up the reality of heaven as our eternal home in a way that neither of us experienced ever before. And for awakening a discomfort with the world and granting us a longing for our true home, we are truly grateful.