The Finns Go To Washington, Pt. 2

See part 1 here.

Part Two: What We Did & What We Want to Do Next Time

Saturday: We left Raleigh on the Amtrak after 9 a.m., and arrived in Washington DC before 4 p.m. We walked two blocks to our Airbnb, dropped our luggage, returned to Union Station and promptly took the train down to Metro Station. We walked for a couple of hours and saw:

The back of the White House in daylight

Washington Monument (just walked by)

World War 2 Memorial (the grown ups' favorite!)

Lincoln Memorial (the kids' favorite!)

The front of the White House lit up at night

Plus all of the gorgeous architecture around the White House and downtown

We spent no time inside, and it was FREEZING. We were quite thankful to head back to Union Station, eat dinner and go to bed.

Sunday: We went to the National Mall and spent hours in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (we even bumped into old friends from NC there!!). After Air and Space, we went to the National Gallery of Art looking for Rodin's The Thinker, thanks for Night at the Museum 2. We found it, and Fuller could not have been happier!! Sunday was a freezing cold, rainy day that was actually supposed to be a snowy day, so after spending 4+ hours between the two museums, we went back 'home' to our Airbnb. We ate cereal for dinner, put our feet up, and had a lovely visit with a friend who is a student at American University (D.S., I'm looking at you:-).

Monday: Thankfully, the rain had moved on, so even though it was cold the sun was out again. We took advantage of the sunshine, and visited the National Museum of American History, the National Archives, the outside of the US Capitol Building and Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress. We all loved seeing the Batmobile in the AmHistory Museum, but Georgia was disappointed that Elphaba's dress from Wicked wasn't on display in March (it rotates when it is on display). I cannot get over the fact that my children were able to see for themselves the original founding documents of our country, and well, I could spend HOURS in the Library of Congress (again, D.S., thank you!).

Tuesday: Before our train left mid-afternoon, we made two more stops at the National Portrait Gallery to see the Presidential Portraits and the US Navy Memorial Plaza. The Presidential portrait were delightful to see (and so varied in style and tone), and the Navy Memorial holds a special place in my heart due to my father's service in the Navy. After those visits, we loaded up at Union Station and returned to Raleigh!

Now, here's the deal. We couldn't get to everything. We couldn't even get to MOST things. I asked the children to tell me one thing they wanted to see, and we tried to accomplish that. Baxter asked for the Air and Space Museum, Georgia wanted to see Elphaba's dress, Fuller wanted to see The Thinker, and Eleanor chose Natural History. We simply didn't make it to the National Museum of Natural History. It was on our plan for Sunday, because it is right next to the other places we visited, but it was cold and wet and we were tired. Our plans with friends on Monday and our travel on Tuesday prevented us for getting there. We had also considered a trip out to Arlington, but timing didn't permit it. That made me sad, because our visit to Arlington was possibly the most moving part of our visit four years ago. We might have been able to tour the White House if we had planned our trip differently, but that is something we will have to do in the future. And, since we didn't have a car, we couldn't drive out to the Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to see more of the Air and Space Exhibit. Our goal is to return to DC every two years, so in two years we are hoping to visit Arlington, National Museum of Natural History, tour the White House and the Capitol Building, and perhaps take in the Museum of the Bible.

Thanks for reading! More posts coming soon.

The Finns Go To Washington, Pt. 1

Dear reader(s): I realize I haven't posted a blog in months. Years, in fact. Blogs are not as popular, I think, and with the ease of social media like Facebook and Instagram, it is 'simpler' to just post to one of those sites and call it good. However, I want something more detailed and lasting than those 'here for a moment, gone in a flash' options, so I am writing a few posts about our trip to DC. That will probably be all I do for awhile, but that's okay. It's a judgment free zone.

In May 2015, Nathan and I took a weekend trip to Washington DC--our very first trip there, though we had lived within 4 hours of the capital for over ten years. We fell in love with the museums, the history, the Metro, all of it, and we couldn't wait to take our kids back. When we moved from west Tennessee to upstate SC, one of 'bonuses' was putting us closer to DC! It was an exciting day when we finalized our plans and began our countdown to the time when the Finns would go to Washington.

Part One: Overview & Travel Details
Part Two: What We Did & What We Want To Do Next Time
Part Three: Where We Ate :-)
Part Four: Tips/Suggestions/Mostly Pictures

(each of these are separate posts, so don't panic, folks!)

Part 1: Overview & Travel Details

Travel to DC: We weighed the possibility of driving into DC and parking our car at our AirBnb, but we really didn't want to have to drive much in DC. Plus, both Nathan and I had enjoyed riding the Metro, and we knew the kids would love it, so we made the decision to ride the Amtrak into the city. Due to the length of the trip, we opted to drive up to Raleigh, NC and pick up the Amtrak Silver Star from there. We stayed in a hotel in the area the night before the train left and the night it returned, but we decided that was just part of our experience. The Raleigh Amtrak station is gorgeous-- big and spacious, bright and clean, and not busy at all the morning we were there. The Silver Star took us directly into Union Station in Washington DC (total trip time, with stops, was around 5 hrs 45 minutes). Riding Amtrak into town meant we had no vehicle and were reliant on public transportation, but we just factored that in as part of the trip.

Accommodations: In DC, you have two main options for accommodations. You can stay "in city" or "out of the city", which requires a commute in (those are my terms, not anyone else's:-). Prices are lower if you stay in Virginia, but you have to account for travel times/traffic/parking or Metro rides. Different families will decide differently, but we opted to stay in an Airbnb in Washington DC. In fact, our Airbnb was just a couple of blocks from Union Station. It was filled with light, had two bedrooms and a bath and a half, plus a kitchen, dining room, and living room with plenty of space for all of us. The link above takes you to my Airbnb referral, but if you would like the link to our actual 'house', let me know. It was a perfect resting spot for our active trip. We LOVED staying so close to an active Metro Station that also had lots of meal options/shopping for us too. 

Time: We traveled to Raleigh on a Friday, rode the train on Saturday morning, then spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning exploring before riding the train back to Raleigh on Tuesday afternoon and evening. We walked around looking at monuments when we arrived on Saturday, and then spent the rest of the time Sunday, Monday and Tuesday visiting several Smithsonian Museums and other sites like the National Archives and the National Portrait Gallery.

Travel around DC: Because we did not drive to DC, we relied on the DC Metro to get around everywhere. Each person riding on the Metro over five years old* has to have a SmarTrip card, which costs $2 plus any fare you load onto it. I highly recommend the WMATA app, which helps you map your trip and see when trains are arriving/departing. It is not cheap, but if you plan for one trip 'away' and one trip 'back' you can keep costs to a minimum. It may be a wise investment to purchase a 7 Day Short Trip pass (Farecard Options) to cover the fares for up to a week's time.

Thanks for reading! I'll share more in another post. Also, follow me on Instagram @lpfinn, and click on my Washington highlights to see snippets of our travels!

*I thought children five and older had to pay to ride the Metro, but a station attendant told us that children five and under ride free. We would just push Fuller in a stroller through the gate, using my card for me. Nathan also carried him through the gate once or twice. Having a child that rides free is helpful, though, to be sure!

Georgia's first violin recital (May 2016)

Georgia began taking violin lessons in March, and in May she performed in her first violin recital! She was even the first student to play. We were so very proud of her growing musical ability and her confidence at the recital.



 
 Note: this is my attempt to embed a video from YouTube. Please let me know if you cannot see it.

"October" -- Elsa Beskow

October

Golden, you are, 

October.

Golden sovereigns on your trees.

Golden guineas on your floor,

gold coins of leaves that fall

for us to scuffle through

and rustle

and rattle

and hustle

and scrabble

and dabble

and paddle

as they fall

into an October carpet

which hides

our shoes.

A bookseller (Michelle, perhaps?) at Carmichael's Kids Bookstore in Louisville recommended this author to me, and I loved the poem for October so much that I wanted to share it here. The drawings included are delightful little sketches, too, and I hope to add more by this author to our library soon!

Farewell, October. You were not as cool-temperatured as I might have liked, but you were, as always, my favorite month.

Georgia's baptism

Since we knew I was pregnant with each of our children, Nathan and I have prayed for their salvation.

It is the deepest desire of our hearts for our children to follow Christ.

Georgia has been asking spiritual questions for months now,

 and we have been so very blessed by our conversations with her.

In late August, with no prompting from her parents, she prayed and asked Jesus to save her, 

to draw her to himself, to give her new life in him.

Her joy and enthusiasm was immediately apparent--is still apparent--and is such a blessing to us.

After a private interview with two of our pastors, who confirmed the work of God in Georgia's life (to the best of their ability), Georgia was baptized by her father on October 9, 2016. Later in the service, as a baptized believer, she participated in communion for the first time.  What a privilege! What a blessing! We pray it will be a lasting, treasured memory for Georgia as she grows in her faith.

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Collage wall

At our home in Wake Forest, it took us forever to decide what we wanted to put on our 'big blank wall' behind our couch. We finally opted for a collage wall, and loved it so much that we quickly put it in place at our home here in Jackson. A few things have changed in our layout, and we have added items (with more room to expand:), so I thought I would explain a little more about it.

From left to right:

• Tennessee state watercolor, painted by a Union University art student
• Four postcards representing places we have lived, including two of Waycross (one a map, and one a shot of the Ware Hotel), one of Southeastern Seminary, and one of the original Southern Seminary campus in Louisville
• "Important Dates" print, which lists all of our birthdays and the wedding anniversary that started it all
• A print of Habukkuk
• North Carolina state painting with a heart over Wake Forest, and signatures on the back from dear friends of Leah's
• Hatch Show Print of Johnny Cash
• Georgia state outline with a heart over where N and L met
• Envelope w/ Johnny Cash stamp (and a postcard of FBC Durham stuck in front of it! We need to find another frame for it)
• This Is My Father's World hand lettered artwork by Kimberly Cambell

Spring highlights/lowlights

Ah well, once again I have missed several months of updates, and it would take multiple lengthy blogposts to truly catch up. Instead, let's hit some highlights and lowlights of the past few months, shall we?

Highlights:

Hamilton, the musical: I had heard about it, but had not listened much to it. It kept reappearing in my Facebook feed, and then I saw the cast performance on the Grammys. And then Nathan started listening to it on Spotify. And then on our way home from Memphis one night we downloaded the soundtrack and, well, the rest is history. It is fabulous, fun and even a bit educational! Give it a listen, you won't be disappointed. And if someone would like to buy me tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway, I would not turn them down.

Memphis, the city: For our 15th wedding anniversary we took a trip to Memphis. Honestly, it took a long time to get to the place where Memphis was "okay" for a big anniversary trip. What I really wanted was a trip overseas, but our time, money and resources are not lining up for that trip to happen any time soon, if ever. Instead of some elaborate exotic getaway, we spent three days exploring the fabulous city of Memphis--and it's only an hour away! Because N and I didn't fly anywhere, we spent more time "on the ground", eating really well, and splurging even on a night at the Peabody Hotel. It was delightful, and even better-- it's close enough for us to visit again and again.

Georgia, the big: This spring, Georgia has taken up violin lessons AND has started her first stage of braces. She loves the violin and is taking to it very quickly. To my utter amazement and pride, she performed in her first recital just two months after beginning lessons, and was even the first person to play. She has a natural confidence and ease that is a joy to see develop. Georgia also started her first phase of braces, and she has been so excited and proud of that. Instead of seeing them as an obstacle, she is embracing them.

Baxter, the brilliant: Baxter struggled a little bit at the beginning of our time at Faith Tutorial this year, pushing his boundaries and testing the teacher multiple times a week. To be blunt--and this does not excuse his disobedience--he was bored with a lot of the work. Change occurred with him in two major ways. We shifted our focus more from punishing his acting out to praising his good behavior, and I began working with his review work more directly. That second part shows my inexperience as a teacher:-), but I didn't review with him much early in the year because he knew EVERYTHING. Once I started reviewing even the stuff he "already knew", Baxter began acing all of his phonics quizzes and little tests, and that changed everything. He loved to brag on his scores of 100, and it bugged him if he didn't make it. Baxter's a competitive boy, and once he knew what was within his grasp, he went after it like a champ.

Eleanor, the reader: That Eleanor is five years old now, and wants to read like her siblings. We have been slowly working through Hooked on Phonics (just like I did with her siblings!), and she is catching on very quickly. Stop the clocks, people. I need my girl to stay little.

Fuller, the superhero: Fuller turned three in April and his birthday was filled with superhero surprises. Hulk is still his absolute favorite, so when his Aunt Ruth sent him a Fuller-sized stuffed Hulk and an Avengers sleeping bag, his life was made. He has been sleeping with both ever since! (I had to insist on removing the sleeping bag, because it was making his bed so hot). Next up for this guy: potty-training. Pray for us.

Gallbladder, the saga: Nathan had his gallbladder removed in April. The surgery went very smoothly, his recovery was easy, and he has felt marked improvement ever since. However....

Lowlights

Gallbladder, the saga: Before we knew that Nathan had gallbladder issues, he spent several months battling severe pain, indigestion, stomach discomfort and many other symptoms. Praise the Lord, the doctor listened to Nathan's complaints and quickly scheduled tests to determine the root of the problem, but he still spent weeks in pain. It was a physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining time for everyone in the family. I am thrilled to be on the 'other side' of this story, and I pray our time in those trenches of regular, severe pain give us more sympathy and empathy for those with chronic pain, illness and disease.

Cancer, the killer: We lost two friends to cancer this spring. Both were women who loved Jesus, who now see Him face to face and worship at His feet and feel no more pain and suffering. But these women leave behind husbands and children who love and miss them, and friends who ache and struggle. It's hard. There is more that I could write, but suffice it to say: we long for a better world, one without disease and illness, death and brokenness, pain and suffering. Maranatha.



There is so much more I could say and write, but perhaps if I leave that off I will actually write another blog post. Ha! Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment about your spring highlights (or lowlights too).

Just another manic Monday (also, I hate February)

It's a rainy, nasty, dreary Monday here in Jackson, and I have had just about enough of February already.  Granted, I am thankful that we don't have snow or ice that other parts of the country have right now, but still, February, it's been nice, but bye-bye.

February is hard.

February is cold.

February is fickle (cold one day, warm another day).

February can't decide how many days it has.

February doesn't like the sun.

Yes, February has Valentine's Day, but give me spring over chocolate and flowers...

actually, give me spring, chocolate, and flowers! That's perfection.

To combat the February-ness of today, I decided to post about those things that help me through manic Mondays. And Tuesdays. And other days that end in "y", especially in February.

Coffee, preferably in a big mug and with endless refills

May I recommend Back Alley Roasters? We love this small company that is run by friends

Stress Away in the diffuser

(I'm not a crazy oil lady, but the Stress Away is my new favorite. So wonderful in my house. And hey, Young Living kits are 10% off this month. Let me know if you want more details)

A cracklin' fire

On gloomy rainy days, a fire in our fireplace is essential.

It warms both the body and the soul.

Fun music

When the kids are trapped inside and attacking each other, it's time for a dance party.

Awesome Mix, Vol. 1, from Guardians of the Galaxy is always a hit, as are songs byTaylor Swift, Black-Eyed Peas, and Fun. A current favorite in the house is also "Cheerleader" by OMI (thanks, Anita, for introducing us to that). 

If it's about ME needing cheering up, then I turn on Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, or if I'm working/cleaning, Bon Jovi, as loud as possible. Yes, they are totally different genres, but oh well:-)

Books

Nothing soothes a rainy day like a good book. I highly recommend a diverting mystery or spy novel, as February really cannot handle heavy tomes of theology and philosophy. February needs to be distracted, so I would suggest a Daniel Silva spy novel, or a James Patterson mystery, or re-reading Harry Potter for the umpteenth time.

These are some of my ideas. How are you surviving this manic February/I mean Monday?

January notes

*The Finnlings' new favorite snack (and honestly, Nathan and I like it too) is this  fruit tape from Annie's brand. It's better than any Fruit Roll Up you've had, I promise. My grocery store doesn't carry it (Kroger), but my not-a-super-Target has it in their snack food aisle. Yum.

*The Farmer Restaurant in Memphis is quite possibly the most amazing food I have had since we moved to West TN. We spent part of a day in Memphis on the weekend of our anniversary--it involved shopping at Teavana, Whole Foods, and Anthropologie, and having dinner at this delicious restaurant. It will NOT be our last time there, and it honestly served for inspiration for our spring getaway trip to Memphis (more on that later, maybe:-).

*Sometimes, as a grownup, as a parent, when you do not have your children with you, it is fun to simply walk around a grocery store together. Hence, our visit to Whole Foods mentioned above. Yes, it is also where we spend our "whole paycheck", but still. I have rarely been disappointed by a visit there, or by something I purchased there.

*I have never owned a long cardigan, mostly because I have never seen one that I liked. I am not at all up to date on fashion, so they may not be in style that much anymore, but I found one that I love and I am wondering why it took me so long! It looks great over a variety of things, and the one I bought is super soft and comfy too. Go get yourself a long cardigan.

*Alan Rickman's death was so terribly sad.  I loved him first as Colonel Brandon, I will be honest, but his portrayal of Severus Snape through eight Harry Potter movies was brilliant. 

*We joined a wonderful church here in Jackson in late December (First Baptist Jackson TN ), and in January the kids started attending Awanas. We have never been involved in a church with Awanas before, so I must say it is a bit daunting for the parents! However, the Finnlings ADORE it. They have so much fun, they look forward to it weekly, and they count their Awanas bucks almost daily. I'm grateful for a ministry that seeks to pour biblical truth into my kids' hearts.

*Last tidbit: if you are desperate to watch a television show that you can't pick up with your antenna, purchasing it through Amazon Prime Video is cheaper than iTunes. Ask me how I know (Team Flash!).

Favorites/ Highlights of 2015

Just for fun, I thought I would post a few of my favorite discoveries of 2015. 

Color:

Seasalt -- Sherwin-Williams paint color

This is my favorite color of the year, as evidenced by the fact that my entire house (minus the kitchen) is painted this color. Fair warning: it probably won't show up gray on your wall, but more green-blue-gray. I love it:-)

Music:

Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors -- They aren't a new band, but I have fallen in love with them this year. Their folksy Americana sound (please, do not mock me, as I am not a music critic) has been the sound track of my year. My husband gave me a perfect Christmas gift by enrolling me in Drew Holcomb's Magnolia Record Club (see: record player below)

Psalm 23 by Shane & Shane https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxLlpViTcic -- I first heard this song at the SBC, and it quickly became "my song", which sounds like I am in junior high. It can be found on Shane & Shane's new release, Psalms 2. Listen to it. It's lovely.

Books:

I read over thirty books last year (list coming soon!), but my favorite was All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. It is a captivating novel set at the end of WW2. It looks like a dense book, but the chapters are short, so it is completely manageable. 

Television and movies:

The Flash-- Nathan and I started to watch this show in December. It's a good-heartened, fun, enjoyable superhero show. It is not dark like many other shows, the lead is winsome and engaging (and can sing and dance!), the cast is diverse, and did I mention Jesse L Martin? We love it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens -- it was all we had hoped for, and definitely worth seeing in the movie theater! It is, above all, a lot of fun, and a good continuation of the original series.

The Martian -- we saw this movie on a whim and found it delightful.  It holds your attention from the beginning, is genuinely funny, and has a happy end (spoiler!)

Other:

Hot tea -- Nathan developed chronic heart burn this fall, and one of the homeopathic remedies he uses is a glass of hot tea every night with a drop of peppermint oil. It has become our evening tradition to put the kids down and promptly brew the tea. We like a variety of tea flavors and types, and look forward to trying more in 2016!

FAITH Tutorial http://faithtutorial.com/ -- This homeschool tutorial offered here in Jackson has been such a blessing to our family. It allows G and B two mornings a week to sit under someone else's teaching. It gives me a structure and lesson plans to follow. It helps Georgia drill her math by reinforcing it with someone else's teaching style. We love the friendships we have been forming through this tutorial as well!

Record player -- Nathan gave me a record player for my birthday. I love it so very much, and am completely hooked on vinyl! I grew up listening to records, and even logged many hours listening to recordings of classical music in college, so it feels like coming home. 

What were some of your favorites from 2015?

Challenge: Do One "Un-do-able" Thing

Life of a mom, of a parent, seems often like a life on repeat.

For instance, today, I loaded and ran the dishwasher. Unloaded. Reloaded, and now it's ready to run again. Nathan and I folded a couple of loads of laundry, yet there are still more clothes sitting in my dryer, waiting to be folded. And even more in our dirty clothes hampers. Let's not even talk about getting them put away. And bathing the kids. Didn't I just do that? Oh wait, probably not, 

because I am notorious for how infrequently my kids get baths or showers.

Ha!

Anyway, our lives are often filled with habits, chores, work that we repeat over and over again. We pick up toys only to have them strewn all over the floor again two minutes later. We make our bed only to have our kids pile on it. We wash our car, only to drive through mud puddles. Etc. etc. It can make our day to day life feel boring or worse--like we aren't making traction or getting anywhere.

I came across this article about the one thing that keeps this blogger sane, and I found it encouraging and inspiring. She goes into greater and better detail than I can, but her encouragement is to do

one thing a day that cannot be un-done. Something that will not be changed or made obsolete by eating or changing clothes or children waking from naps.

Since reading that post, I have been brainstorming about tasks that cannot be undone. Here is my beginning list, and I would love to hear your suggestions! (In my mind, it is okay if they are tasks you will repeat. They just cannot be things that can be un-done, i.e., making lunch for your family, which is gone as soon as they eat it:-)

Read a chapter in a book (there is always more to read, yes, but it cannot be un-done)

Create something (sew, knit, cross-stitch, bake a special goody)

Color in a coloring book

Write a card to a friend

Call your mother or grandmother or best friend

Plant a garden

Drink a cup of hot tea

Take a walk around the neighborhood

Weed out old clothes or shoes

Have coffee with a friend

Write a blogpost :-)

Read your Bible and meditate on it

Snap a picture of your kids, your dog, your house, yourself

What little things have you done today that can never be undone? How are you investing your time?

Creamed Ham and Cornbread

When it comes to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, the Finnlings are unimpressed, 

but they will all eat ham (frankly, we are pork lovers in this house).

So this year, for Thanksgiving, I bought a Honey Baked Ham.

It is pricey, and yet, so very worth it! :-)

After eating the ham for a couple of days, I froze the leftover ham in 1 cup portions.

This is a recipe my mother used to make with our leftover ham,

and it has become a Finn Family Favorite.

My kiddos love it--which completely surprises and thrills me.

Try it out and let me know if you like it too!

Creamed Ham and Cornbread 

Ingredients:

2 Tbs butter

2 Tbs flour

2/3 cup warm milk

1/3 cup chicken broth

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste (optional)

1 cup diced ham

*optional: two hard boiled eggs, diced

Directions:

Melt butter in saucepan over medium low heat and add flour. Whisk for a couple of minutes until smooth. Slowly stir in milk and broth. Cook over medium heat, whisking continually, until the sauce thickens. Add ham and diced eggs if using. Stir together well and serve over cornbread.

Note: if you like lots of sauce, you may want to double the sauce recipe:-)

Cornbread**

Ingredients:

1 cup corn meal

1 cup all purpose flour (I use soft white wheat)

2-3 Tbs sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine corn meal, flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk, egg and oil, and stir until smooth--do not over mix! Pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes clean. 

**recipe taken from Aunt Jemima's Yellow Corn Meal package

One last note-- we have also served this Creamed Ham over my homemade biscuits and it was heavenly. Be flexible, try it different ways, and let me know if you love it! 

November Notes

I love reading blogs that several different people write entitled "What I Learned in _________". I intend, most months, to complete a summary of the month and link it to the appropriate blog roundup and share it with everyone so they can be enlightened by my thoughts.  And yet, I have published all of one or maybe two of these actual posts. Whoops. I'm so far behind on blogging, it's just not even funny. In an attempt to catch up, here are my November Notes. Nothing fancy, just some randomness from my head:-)

*Planning to keep up your homeschool work when you're traveling is always a good idea...except for my part, it never gets done. We have made two different week-long trips this fall, and both times I packed schoolwork for the kids, and both times we did....maybe two worksheets total. So, here's the new plan: my kids are young, and their workload is such that they can easily make it up, so until that changes, time out of town is NOT school time UNLESS it is filled with field trips (and I am down with that, by the way. Zoos and museums are even more fun out of town!).

*Nathan and I started watching The Blacklist on Netflix. And oh my gracious, we were hooked. I have never been a James Spader fan until now, but as Raymond Reddington he is genius. However, about halfway through the second season, I really grew uncomfortable with the characters and the direction of the show (it's hard to find a good guy, and from what I understand, it only gets worse). My kind husband sensed my foreboding and suggested one night that we switch to something else. Bless him.  Enter....

*The Flash. It's so much fun, so lighthearted and not too frightening or gory and not filled with the typical CW "petty problems of pretty people. For a comic book show, it's uplifting and funny and light hearted. My husband knows me well, and he knows that I want at least one person to really be the good guy, and for there to be corny jokes, but without it making fun of stupid people or being truly painful to watch (I'm looking at you, Michael Scott).  So The Flash is our fun fix right now, no regrets at all.

*Speaking of a fun fix--Grantchester on Amazon Prime is wonderful. It's a period crime solving drama involved a young priest in England in the 1950s! Whoo- hoo! Now, this priest is flawed and makes some rather dramatic mistakes, but he feels the weight of those mistakes and grieves them. I loved the series, and wish it was more than 6 episodes (these British tv shows with their abbreviated runs!). I am reading the short stories that the series was based on, and the series is better!

*I HAVE been reading books this month, but I have nothing to show for it--i.e., nothing that I have finished. It might be because I am trying very hard to finish the expansive Warmth of Other Suns which I started in the spring. It is SO good and so so so long. Maybe I'll finish it by the end of the year?

*Fall is always busy for us. Add in a move, a new job, new responsibilities, and let's just say the fall is crazy. We traveled the week before Thanksgiving, our family came into town FOR Thanksgiving, and the week after Thanksgiving we had three Christmas parties. What does that mean? It means this week until Christmas is relatively quiet and peaceful and for that we are truly grateful. We have very few plans, and I do not mind that one little bit. Peace on earth, and good will toward men.

*Last--we finally bought tickets to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens the night before it opens ;-) We are now debating what time we should get in line beforehand. Ha!

Baxter turns seven -- September 28, 2015

Wasn't Baxter JUST born? How did he suddenly turn 7 years old?

This boy:

energetic, joke-teller, sensitive, snuggle-loving,

wrestler, sword-fighter, Master Builder extraordinaire,

light sleeper and early riser, chocoholic,

blue-eyed wonder of a child

We have lost more sleep because of B than any of our other children.

Yet when his sleep is interrupted, Mommy and Daddy can easily soothe and settle him. 

It is a precious thing to comfort a child--especially one getting so big!

We pray that the intensity with which he experiences life will become 

an intensity lived for Jesus. 

Celebrating his seventh birthday was loads of fun! Presents included books (he LOVES to read now!), Lego sets, breakfast with daddy, and double chocolate cake.

You are loved, Baxter!! Happy Birthday!