Home Again, Home Again, Tra, la, la!

We are home and it rocks. The beach rocked too. It was foggy the first 2 days we were there but it didn't matter. The day we were checking out it was sunny and 80 degrees. So we stayed until lunchtime and played at the beach and swam in the pool. It was hard to leave when the weather was finally perfect, but now I'm glad to be home getting things done, and knowing that we still have a week of Spring Break left. While we were gone, our old house showed 3 times so pray for someone to make an offer. Good things are happening there (we hope!).

I haven't downloaded all our pictures yet, but here's one of the kids and my dad the day we arrived. You can tell the sun was setting. They loved seeing him and they both wanted him to sit by them and hold their hands everytime we went out. Thanks, Granpa John for a great trip!
More beach goodness later!

"Are We Going to the Beach?"

This question has been asked probably 10 times this afternoon. I'm packing, she's excited. (H) is excited too, every morning he wakes up and says "beach today?".

Spring Break officially starts in 15 minutes (5pm...very odd), and we're taking a much needed break for a few days to go see my Dad in Florida. ^J^ has finished all his mid-term assignments and I know he feels great. I love that sense of accomplishment when you turn in something you've been working on for days and you get to just leave it all behind for a while. There are things he needs to do during Break, but for now, we're ready to feel the sand between our toes and watch the kids run with abandon.

Be back soon.

To Do:

1.) Freeze Meatloaf I made Sunday, 1st meatloaf I've ever made. Very Yummy. Recipe here.

2.) Schedule dentist appts.

3.) Clean out buckets kids found under the back porch stairs to prepare them for the beach.

4.) Pack for the beach.

5.) Do Bible study lesson, by 8am tomorrow.

6.) Organize meals for seminary family who just had an adorable new baby. Welcome Lilly!

7.) Fill out financial aid forms for next year.

8.) Send info to bank re: Mortgage.

9.) Finish stuffing envolopes for my new-ish job.

10.) Pack for the beach, we leave tomorrow. Guess I should stop writing now. More tomorrow...hopefully...If I'm packed.

A Bit of Sunshine

It's truly amazing how sun and warmth can change your outlook. Like many places, we had beautiful weather this weekend and spent most of our waking moments outside. Saturday we went thrifting and played at the kids' favorite park. Then we remembered how fresh air acts as a powerful drug because the kids took 3.5 hour naps! Whoohoo!

Sunday we went to a place called Natural Bridge to hike.
^J^ decided hiking wasn't nearly exciting enough so he climbed anything he could find.
The way the rocks were eroded made for really good hand-holds and ledges.
All of us had to climb over boulders along the path and the most exciting part was walking over the natural bridge.
There was a 30 foot drop on one side and a 50 foot drop on the other. Yikes!
There were caves everywhere too. Very cool!

Today we're suffering from post daylight savings syndrome. It's crazy how that one little hour can affect sleep so much! *A* didn't get up until after 9:30! Oh and with all this outside time, we've already had to break out the band-aids! Spring is on it's way!

No Time

It was another whirlwind weekend complete with our 5th snow of the season, and we recovered Sunday by staying in and nursing a fire all day. These photos are from last week when it was slightly warm and we're looking forward to being able to go outside and play again soon. It's supposed to warm up this week thank goodness. Ok, apparently naps are now over. I'm being tugged in two different directions so I'd better run.

Come and See!

We are having Come and See weekend right now for prospective seminary students. It's been fun seeing all the excited and sometimes bewildered faces and remembering how we felt last year during our visit to Sewanee. We were scheduled to come to Come and See last year, but we all had the flu so we had to cancel. I now know how people here must have felt, we are sponsoring a family and they're not here yet and I'm sad. I can't wait to talk to them, and show them around, and answer any questions they may have.
We ended up coming to visit a few weeks later and loved it from the moment we arrived. I've already met some people who know this is the place for them. Sewanee just has that way about it; it's welcoming and warm and beautiful, even if it is a dreary rainy winter day.

Lent

Hope you all had a wonderful Fat Tuesday and that you lived it up as one should! We went to an annual pancake supper on the mountain which was like a taste of home. Our home parish always had a pancake dinner on Shrove Tuesday and I was worried we would have to make our own flapjacks to keep the tradition going, but apparently this is a big annual event for one of the local parishes. There were tons of people there and cheesy entertainment which the kids loved.

I left early to go to Group Spiritual Direction, a bi-monthly spouses' event. It's one of those things that you have to force yourself to go to because you have to get out of the warm house and drive yourslef there; but once I'm there, and at the end, I'm so glad I went. Of course, the topic last night was Lent, but typically there is a slightly different perspective. We talked about Lent as a pilgrimage. It was very enlightening, and it made me re-think Lent for myself this year from a time of giving something up to a time of letting things go. I'm hoping to keep a calm, stress-free perspective for the next 40 days.

We're attending Ash Wednesday services with the kids today at the big chapel on campus. *A*'s been asking a lot about Jesus dying lately. The seminary chapel has a large crucifix and she's been very curious about it since we came to Sewanee. Lately though with her being at that 4 year-old-always-questioning stage, she'll randomly ask me "Why did God die Mommy?", you know like while we're walking through Kroger. Then in the car yesterday, she told me "But Jesus came back, right?" So this Lent should be an interesting time. I'd love to hear any reader's perspectives on raising kids in the church and responses to these big questions...don't those little people just make life so much more interesting?