Silly Faces

Upstate New York

We just got back from a little roadtrip to Albany,  New York.  The kids did a really great job on the 9 hour drive and even helped feed Gracie so we didn't have to stop so much.  We broke the trip up into 2 driving days and had an enjoyable time talking about each state we drove through.  On Saturday, we were able to go to a local apple orchard there and pick apples, ride ponies, and enjoy a hay ride.  On Sunday, Colby preached at a church where his old roommate is a pastor and we sang for the service.  Good times had by all.

Gracie Photo Shoot

Home

The night before Gracie was discharged from the hospital,  Haley asked a very practical question.

"Do I say 'Welcome Home' when Gracie comes to this house tomorrow?  Or should I wait until we go back to the Locust Grove house?"

Hmmmm...For a moment it made me sad that our kids don't really know where they live, but it allowed Haley and I to have a good conversation.  After the talk,  I was reminded about a chapter in Tim Keller's book, Prodigal God (if you've not read this New York Times Bestseller author, now's the time!).  He explores the idea of home...how evasive it is and yet how we all long for it.  

On Saturday we packed up everything from the mission house in Crozet and drove back to the other house we've been using in Locust Grove.  As Colby hunts for jobs, the reality is we will be moving again some time in the next year.  Among other things, riding the rollercoaster that is called our life these past two years has truly bonded our nuclear family.   I decided to make a welcome home sign for Gracie that would make sense to her and to us...

Riverside Park has changed in the last 10 years just as much as Colby and I have!  There is now a "Sprayground" in the middle of the park making it kid friendly.  It was the perfect day there.  

  When it's still 100 degrees in Virginia in September, you NEED a
"sprayground" in the park!

This guy was having too much fun;  I had to capture it.

A Happy Ninth Anniversary

Nine years ago today Annie and I were married at Faith Baptist Church in LaCrosse, WI. Ten years ago today we began dating after I tried to convince her of it for nearly a year. So, how do you celebrate an anniversary when you have a three week old and your living in a temporary house in a town that you had never been to until a month ago? You go back to the place it all began and tell your kids stories about their mom and dad falling in love. For us, it all began at Riverside Park in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was at Riverside Park we started dating. It was at Riverside Park where we had so many wonderful walks and conversations. It was at Riverside Park where we were cited for trespassing after hours and handed down a sentence of 8 hours of community service by the judge. And, tonight, it was at Riverside Park where we danced to the music of Gracie's cries with a bouquet of weeds that Darcy so carefully and proudly picked for us while Haley hit us with sticks to stop us from kissing. It was perfect.