Field Trip

Preschool has brought us all kinds of fun new things this fall, including a big boy who has begun to blossom socially and a little boy with an ever increasing vocabulary. Today brought us another fun new thing:  pumpkin patch field trip! Brennan's class headed out this morning (including parents and younger siblings) for some fun with a hayride, choosing a pumpkin to take home, and some play time. Brennan had a blast! I learned very quickly why Owen's two-year-old class opts not to do a field trip to the pumpkin patch:  it was exhausting just keeping track of him, let alone a whole class of active toddlers! Overall, it was a good morning and Brennan is super excited to carve his pumpkin this weekend!

 Getting ready for the hayride to start

Brennan picked out his pumpkin right away and immediately started asking to make it into a jack-o-lantern!

Owen's pumpkin is nearly as big as he is!

 Brennan enjoyed exploring the Hay Maze

 

 Our preschool brought two classes today. Brennan's class is in the front row.

Autumn in North Carolina

We just got back yesterday from a few wonderful days in Cashiers, North Carolina, visiting with dear friends from Orlando days. A couple other families joined us as well, so it brought the kid total to 10! Wild, crazy, and great fun. High up in the mountains, the autumn color was fantastic. We visited a couple waterfalls and spent loads of time outside, soaking up the fresh fall air and enjoying some very much desired cooler weather. It was such a precious time to visit with dear friends who have served Christ on the other side of the world for the past six years, as well as to make some new friends with the other families who came to join in the fun and catching up.

 A group shot of most of us. Somehow, no one managed to fall in the river!

 Daddy and the boys near Waterfall #1 (whose name I can't remember!)

 Brennan checking out the view from behind Dry Falls--yes, there is a wonderful path that allows visitors to walk behind the waterfall!

 Owen was a little overwhelmed by the sheer force of the waterfall. He much preferred to be carried when we walked behind the falls.

 A favorite activity for the kids was tying things to yarn and dangling them off the loft area in the house we stayed at. It kept them occupied for some pretty long stretches!

There was a fantastic green space a short walk away from the house. The kids loved playing in and near the creek and building a castle/fort there. On our last day, Brennan spent most of his time picking flowers for me.

Remembering

For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

~Psalm 139:13-16

I face today with mixed emotions. Today was to have been THE day, the day we welcomed baby #3. Alas, God had other plans and called her home after she had only been part of our lives for a brief few weeks. Ella, our sweet angel baby who waits for us in heaven.

We think of her daily and miss her terribly. Today would be so easy to get caught up in what might have been, to allow grief and longing to swallow us. But today is a perfect time to focus thoughts on what lies ahead for us as believers.

The promise of heaven is so incredible. And it's one I didn't give more than a passing thought prior to Ella's death. Now, it's a promise I think of daily. I love to think about the people that Ella gets to meet. It brings me comfort to think that the very first Person she saw when she opened her eyes for the first time was Jesus. The very Voice that called her into being was the same Voice that welcomed her home just a short time after her creation. The Arms that made her are the same Arms that are holding her now. As much as I long for her and wish that she would have lived, I am fully aware of my imperfections as a parent. And now, she gets to be raised by the perfect Parent, the One who wrote the book on parenting! She is living in perfection, untainted by sin and this fallen world. When I think about heaven, I can't possibly wish her back from there. Heaven is her home, and it's our ultimate home as believers; we are "sojourner[s] on the earth" (Psalm 119:19). Days like this make me a bit homesick.

I'm so very, very grateful for the gift of Ella. Her life and death left us utterly changed. Part of me will always wish that God had chosen a different ending to this story. Losing a child, walking this road of miscarriage, is not one I ever would have chosen. But yet in the midst of the overwhelming grief and heartache, God met us in incredible ways. I continue to take comfort in knowing that God knows what it's like to lose a child. He proved Himself faithful over and over again in the days and weeks following Ella's death. I believe He'll meet us today as we remember our baby girl and remember all that lies ahead for us.

We expect a bright tomorrow; all will be well
Faith can sing through days of sorrow, all is well
On our Father's love relying
Jesus every need supplying
Yes in living or in dying
All must be well

~"All Must Be Well" 

Hog Heaven

Today was the Ride for Life, an event The Family Foundation set up to make a public show of support for the unborn.  We had pro-life bikers from around the Commonwealth come to Richmond to ride up to the Capitol and back to the staging area at a local church called The ROC.  I thought Brennan and Owen might enjoy seeing all the bikes.  Click on the link above to watch video of them arriving at the Capitol.  These photos were all taken at the ROC, before the ride up to the Capitol.

Lots of nice bikes.  Lots of Harleys and a few of the three wheel Cam-Ams.

 

One nice lady let the boys sit on her Cam-Am.  Owen looks so tiny on it.

Brennan brought his own bike so he could join the fun.  Sadly, the City of Richmond Police Department did not allow him to join the procession up to the Capitol, so he had to be content to ride circles around me during the pre-ride speeches.  He did get one of the blue flags to hold though, so he had his own little one-man Ride for Life in the ROC parking lot.

First Day, Part 2

Owen got to experience his first day at preschool yesterday. Due to a small mix-up in the schedule, he'll be going back tomorrow to get on his regular day of Friday mornings. Two mornings all to myself this week...what a treat! We are so glad that Owen gets to experience preschool one morning a week. Hard to believe that both boys have begun the journey of schooling!

First Day, Part 1

Brennan attended his first day of preschool this morning. He was pretty excited, especially since we've really been talking it up to him. But seeing his room a couple days ago really helped him feel pretty comfortable with this big new step. When I dropped him off, he went right in his room without looking back, intent on getting in on the fun right away! Picking him up, he told me that he had a great day and his favorite part was sitting on the carpet (circle time). He's definitely eager to go back again on Monday!

Night at the Races

Thanks to a well-placed friend in the Henrico Police Department, my friend Pete and I got to go to last weekend's NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway (for the low, low price of ... nothing).  It was the final "regular season" race before the Chase for the Cup begins and my first time going to a NASCAR race of any kind. 

 We also got complimentary pit passes so we were able to walk along pit row.  

 

Victory lane.  Approximately 7 hours after this shot was taken Clint Bowyer was giving his post-victory interviews (but not with his car, which ran out of gas right after he sealed the victory).  

 About to start.  The pace car is just about to pull off the track.  Dale Jr. was on the pole, with Jeff Gordon next to him (he came back from a lap down to take 2nd place and secure a spot in the Chase).  Denny Hamlin (fourth car back on the left) led most of the race but a late tactical error late cost him a chance to win for the third straight time.

Just above the black and white checkered thing is the back of Mitt Romney. 

Getting Oriented

This morning was Preschool Orientation for both boys. Brennan will be attending three mornings a week and Owen will attend one morning a week. We are so excited for them to begin this preschool experience (and yes, I'm thrilled to have one morning a week sans kiddos!). At orientation, they got to meet their teachers and explore their rooms. I was hard pressed to get them to actually leave, but Brennan was a bit more appeased when I told him he would be coming back on Friday for his first actual day of preschool. What a big, exciting year ahead for these boys!

Posing outside his classroom by his coat hook

Birthday Weekend

Friday was my birthday, and John gave me the best gift ever:  a 25-hour kid-free date! He had arranged for a couple friends to take care of Brennan and Owen for us so that we could have our first overnight with the kids since before Brennan was born. We spent Friday night at a hotel in Fredricksburg and then spent Saturday exploring DC, trying to fit in as much as we could that would not really be interesting to the boys. We took in the National Archive Museum and the Library of Congress (which really made me want to watch the movie "National Treasure" again. We split up for a little while so John could take in the National Gallery of Art and I could wander around the National Museum of the American Indian. We capped off our trip with a quick visit to the National Portrait Gallery and made our traditional post-DC stop to IKEA for some Swedish Meatballs. It was a busy, full day but so wonderful to get away for a while, sans kiddos.

 The elaborate ceiling of the Library of Congress

 

The interior of the main gallery of the Library of Congress

 

 

The backside of the Capitol building

 

One of the brief moments of respite

Lately

In the midst of summer craziness, blogging has fallen by the wayside. But...in an attempt to catch up, here is a quick peak at what we've been up to lately.

The first weekend in August, we enjoyed our annual long weekend with dear friends in Newport News. Nine adults and seven kids make for a good bit of chaos, but tons of fun as well. We certainly look forward to this weekend every summer and this year was no different!

 The annual photo shoot

 

Of course, it can't be all serious all the time with this crew!

 

 I think that's almost a smile on Brennan's face!

We've also been capturing these last few weeks of summer by spending as much time outside as we can. It includes lots of bike rides, trips to the park and the Children's Museum (they have a couple fantastic outdoor water play areas), and fun in our own backyard.

Brennan the mechanic!

Fun with water

The side benefit to the sprinkler that I bought to help with keeping the garden alive is the fun it gives these water-loving boys!

Trains

In order to celebrate Brennan being potty trained (yes, folks, after a VERY long journey, he is finally completely daytime potty trained!), we spent yesterday morning at the Crewe Railroad Museum. There were several retired train cars we could explore and a nice inside display complete with an impressive model train display. The boys really enjoyed it and it was a great way to celebrate this big milestone in Brennan's life!

 

Swimming

We've thought for a while that it would be wise to put Brennan in swimming lessons. Since we don't have a membership to a pool or really do anything pool related outside of their little wading pool, we didn't really put a whole lot of thought into it. Until...Living Social put out a deal we couldn't pass up. We took the plunge and signed him up. It took a little while for his enthusiasm to perk up (and a little bribery to get him to actually participate in the class), but now he seems to be really enjoying it. We're glad for this opportunity for him to be exposed to a new skill, one that will hopefully serve him well.

Firstfruits

Ah, the beginnings of fresh produce from our garden! Granted, we've already had a healthy helping of cherry tomatoes and green beans, but now we're starting to really get the produce going. It's been fun again this year to see what things we can get to grow and what we may need to really rethink for next year. The boys have also really enjoyed seeing what comes out of the garden. Unfortunately, some sort of four-legged creature has also decided our garden is exciting and has been feasting on my big tomatoes (We may not get any this year because they keep getting eaten whether they are ripe or not. Bummer). But...all things considered, we are pretty pleased with how everything has been going so far. Can't wait for more fun stuff!

4th of July at Lewis Ginter

This morning we took advantage of free admission on the 4th to visit Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.  This was our third time in the last four years making this our special 4th of July outing.  We always enjoy our visits.  Here are some highlights and a little retrospective on our previous visits ... there's a theme!

 We arrived shortly after opening to get into the very popular butterfly exhibit before the lines got too long (wise move, as we saw later).  This "oriole" butterfly (not its real name, but it sure looks like an oriole) tried to hitch a ride to freedom on Brennan's hat!

 The rose garden is always a highlight.  The heat had done a number on many of them this year, but there were still quite a few exemplary specimens.

 

With temps in the mid-90s the water play area was very popular.  Unlike last year, Owen was pretty tentative about getting in and frolicking.

 The ubiquitous kids-in-a-tree shot!  What can I say?  I am a creature of habit, and I love boys in trees!

 Momma and Brennan.

 Big man!

 Very tempting to climb into the fountain.  The kids had a water play area -- what about us adults?

 The boys on the butterfly bench, 2012.

 The boys on the butterfly bench, 2011.

  The boy on the butterfly bench, 2009 (B.O. -- before Owen).