A City Life For Me

We were staying just over an hour from DC, so we took a quick field trip on Thursday.  It was a beautiful fall day – sunny, 70 degrees, and a little breezy.  We found parking by the Washington Monument and walked by the WWII Memorial, down the Mall, and to the Lincoln Memorial.  Then we spent an hour at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. They just loved the wall that they were allowed to walk on! Next to New York at the WWII Memorial.  Nehemiah couldn’t keep his eyes off the water fountains!    Apparently this is Nolan’s new smile. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

Elaine turns six in just eight days – she reminds us of the current countdown every morning!  We are in such a pretty part of Virginia right now that I took the chance to take some pictures of her for her sixth birthday! She’s growing up so fast…   What girl doesn’t want her picture with a horse (who kept trying to eat her pigtails, by the way…)   She kept trying to smile without showing teeth (I don’t know why!).  Caught her in a goofy smirk! This is my girl – my favorite picture.  Love her smile!   She requested to wear her Cinderella dress for some pictures, with buns in her hair.  So we did.  Just for fun.  She’s our first little princess! …And sometimes the princess shows her little siblings how to feed the horses!

Henry gets to nap right after his bath!  I was jealous! The prophet’s chamber in Berryville, VA is right across from two horses.  The kids loved walking over to see them closer!  {Yes – Nehemiah thinks Baby Henwee is more exciting than the horse.  He loves his brother!} Feeding the horse grass and apples Liberty was pretty brave! It was a beautiful fall day!  We took a blanket outside for school and let the other kiddos romp in the grass.  Looked up to see the twins like this – enjoying each other and being uber cute.  Later I discovered that they were spreading mint crème oreos all over their baby dolls’ heads. 

These guys sure get around at our “house”!

The last couple of weeks have been very challenging for me on deputation.  I am tired, I am behind in homeschooling, and we have changed locations quite a few times.  When the schedule is normal , it is difficult for me to find a consistent time for my Bible reading.  When the schedule is crazy, my Bible time is crazy, and off, and short, and pushed aside too.  As much as I want to do it, it just often doesn’t happen when we are packing to leave a hotel, attending morning chapel services in a missions conferences, or being out late with evening services.  Often when I do sit down, I get drowsy and struggle to study.  Though I am partially through a 30 day Bible Study for Busy Mamas, its been a while since I have been able to finish a lesson.  I’ve been sticking pretty close to the five Psalms and one Proverb a day plan. I noticed a theme in my Psalms over the last few days. --Ps. 86:9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee...

Some miscellaneous captures of our recent travels and activities… :: We stayed with our college friends Stephen & Andrea in SC.  Our kids had a great time together! Toby, Nolan, Penny, Sophie, Zoe, Elaine, Nehemiah, Liberty (& Henry) :: We took part in a wonderful missions conference at Westside Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia. We got to teach the Children’s Church twice! Nolan got a new suit at the thrift store!  Isn’t he handsome??? The twins loved the ladders to the water fountains! Our host family is in the swimming pool business and had a lovely pool out back.  The weather was nice enough on our last day to let the kids get a little wet!  A wonderful P.E. class for homeschool! :: School Nolan wrote his first letters – uppercase “N” (learning his name!) :: Our host church for the BWM Annual Meeting treated us to a trip to the Indianapolis Zoo.  Elaine wasn’t well and the twins needed a nap, so it was just me and Nolan (and ...

In September the kids all got promoted to new Sunday School classes.  We were actually in town for promotion Sunday…sort of.  We had just moved the day before, and so my in-laws took the kids home for a couple of nights to give us a chance to unpack a few boxes.  What a blessing!   But…it meant the kids were all absent for their first Sunday in the new classes.  Here they are with their certificates, a little late! Liberty and Nehemiah moved from the nursery to the 2’s and 3’s class Nolan moved from 2’s & 3’s to the 4’s & 5’s class Elaine moved into the Primary class {eek!  where did the time go?!?!}

Every year our mission board holds an Annual Meeting.  If you are on deputation or furlough, you are required to attend this meeting.  Sometimes it seems like a long trip for a short interview with the deputation committee, but I have always come out encouraged and geared up for another round of deputation.  This year was the same. We traveled to Indianapolis, IN where Crosspointe Baptist Church hosted the meeting.  Their church members did a fabulous job of hosting us, directing us to the right places, and feeding us.  We were blessed to stay with a family of seven who are former missionaries with BWM.  They also had a newborn boy! Things didn’t go quite as planned.  Elaine had some tummy troubles and then ended up with an ear infection.  But each time we thought we would stay home with her, she perked up and made it through the activities.  She was excited to be with some of her missionary friends again. Lord willing, this will be our la...

One of the benefits of our new “temporary” place is its location…nestled into the beautiful forest not too far from the Palisades and West Point.  The church building over which we live sits on something like 16 acres.  There is a groomed soccer field behind the building, and a small river.  The kids have loved being able to go outside and play – without too much supervision.  There is dirt, rocks, woods, sticks, and everything a kid could want.  Except friends. So…we invited our friends the Barkers up to visit.  The plan was for the guys to “camp” out back with the kids, because this is something that apparently all guys want to do.  The wives and newborns were sleeping inside!  (And Liberty joined us).  We enjoyed grilling a meal, and then playing in the river the next morning. One of our blessings from living in Brooklyn is having the Barkers for friends.  We will desperately miss them when it comes time to move into the Bronx....

Having Henry added to our family hasn’t seemed like too much of a change in routine or schedule.  The kids loving having a baby to dote on, especially Nehemiah!  We usually have a line for getting a turn to sit and hold him.  He is blessed to be part of a loving family!  Here are some pictures from the beginning days… I was happy that Liberty wanted to get involved in giving a bottle! Elaine…our “other” mother at home! Henry on my bed…in one of Grandma’s homemade butterfly blankets One of his first tub baths.  I love bath time.  It’s probably one of my favorite motherhood tasks.  But Henry has been cheated.  We are always in a rush these days and he usually gets left to last, so it turns into more of a quick dip than a nice bath.  He hasn’t yet learned to like the water like Liberty did.   Baby boy with a grown up face Many faces of Henry Tad! I love his fuzzy hair after a bath!