So excited...again.

This has really been an amazing couple months.  Every time I turn around there is something else to be thankful for, something else plainly displaying God's absolute faithfulness.  It is, without a doubt, the start of a completely new season and I am so grateful.  

Adding to my already overflowing joy, we found out back in the beginning of April that our family will be enlarging by one...a new baby will be here in December.  

Jon and I are THRILLED and almost too excited to wait.  (But we will.)

We already have a sense of this one's spirit - and trust me, having joined me in the final push of my masters program, busy work meetings, and another pending move, I'm confident that this one will be able to find peace in the center of a hurricane.

I can't wait for Owen to have a friend, a sibling, to grow with and I'm so looking forward to experiencing the incredible joy of parenthood with another precious little one.

No worries if you can't figure our first picture of 2.O out...but trust me.  There's a baby waving at you.  And a tiny little foot sticking up. 

Panglossian

Gina has her own theme song around here.  Life of Brian - final song (I'll admit...it's the only part of the movie I know or have seen and that's just because Jon sings it ALL THE TIME).

Always look on the bright side of life.  Dodo...dodobedobedo. That's actually supposed to be a whistle - but how do you type a whistling sound?

We sing the song whenever Gina finds the silver lining to some extra ugly grey cloud.  She has a gift for that - for finding the positive in almost every situation - for rising above pettiness and grumpiness and those little irritating things that people do.  Like when people are too lazy to shovel their own parking space out right so that they have to park their giant SUV in half of OUR spot so that we have to do even more shoveling (of the now packed down ice-snow) to squeeze in.

It just doesn't sway her positive attitude.

She finds the positive in bad weather, sickness, traffic, broken computers, bad meals...the list just goes on.  Which is why it's so funny that she has a death wish for Chihuahuas.  I guess they are like her kryptonite.  But anyway.

It's extremely admirable - something I notice (the positivity - not the Chihuahua thing).  She can look at the exact same situation I am grumbling about and see it from a completely different angle.  It's almost like she picks it up and turns it over and around in her hand until she gets a better perspective on it.  

In the past, being that cynicism and sarcasm tend to skip around together holding hands, I've tended to only check out the yucky underbelly of problems and comment on the parts with no redeeming value.  But all of that is changing. 

Here's a thanks to all the optimists out there.  All those people who help the rest of us see beyond the immediate complaint to the point of thankfulness.  You are making a difference...

...but you probably already knew that.

12 Happy Months!

One year later.

I feel pressure to come up with some flowing prose or meaningful verse to express this last year.  

But how could I possibly do that.  Not when my heart is this full.

I have been crying a lot this week.  Happy tears.  I feel like they are spilling over from a very full heart.  A very full grateful heart.  So grateful.  

Thank you God for Owen.  Thank you for exploding my life one year ago today - for the expanding, the filling, the creating, the joy - absolute joy.

I can call up that first moment I saw you.  I can hear the prayer that escaped from my lips - "Oh,  my God.  Oh, my God."  That's as far as I could get - but He knew the rest.  He knew the rest was thank you thank you thank you thank you.  And a bunch of other stuff all swirling in my brain.

Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you.

I love you.

Our Dance

2009's clutter

Christmas toys

New Years Dance

Forever Love

Here's some change.

I feel like blogging.   (I also feel like pouring a whole bag of dried fruit and nuts down my throat - but I already did that once and I don't want to be greedy.)

It's probably because I'm procrastinating doing homework and readings.  Or maybe because I'm hopped up on sugar.  Or maybe both.

Life is changing.

This morning we drove to PA for a quick visit with new nephew Blake.  He is so tiny and sweet and brand, brand new.  Trish and Dan have entered the world of two kids and seem  to be handling it wonderfully.  I asked Trish what it felt like to be doing this all a second time - she said it was so different.

I had a group meeting at school today.  I'm not a groupie.  But today - I was slower to correct obnoxiously, listened a little more intently, and overall balanced varied personalities just a tad better than the bull-in-china-shop approach I usually take.  I'm pretty sure it's an answer to prayers.  Life is to short to waste it on me being me so I'm always happy to see a little less of myself show up.

[I have one more story - though I can't tell it just yet.  But it's not about babies - I already told one of those.]  

Jon and I have noticed something.  It's not just the leaves that are switching out their green cloaks for something more festive, life is changing, something's afoot.

I've been thinking a lot the past few days about the plans God has in His mind for the world, and for me.  Frankly - blown away that He has plans for me.  And thankful - very thankful.

I'm gearing up and getting excited!

Love, Love, Love, Love, Love

Nine years ago I said, "I do" and life changed.

I am constantly thanking God for that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jon,

We're in this together, that's for sure.  You are the one I want helping me up the hills and down the valleys, always there to make sure my foot lands firm.  

I love this life we have together.  I love it so much more now than nine years ago.

But more than I love our life, 

I love you. 

Rock and Roll

Owen started rolling over last Tuesday.  It took a little motivation and a big streeetttccchh and - flop! - he was on his tummy.  

I've been experiencing a little self expansion lately, so I like to think I know what he's going through.  Starting school again and moving our little family to Baltimore has been a completely new experience for me.  And, something like Owen's recent foray into the new world of self-adjustment, it took a little motivation (by Jon), a little stretching of my faith, and - plop! - I find myself a week away from midterms.  

I'm glad that I don't have to know it all or see it all.  Obedience and trust.  Lately, I've been able to clearly see the perfection in how God weaves situations together - nothing is too trivial for His attention and I find complete peace knowing that He is the 'formwork' beneath everything I do, and more broadly - everything our family does.  

Complete peace.  Giving me plenty of time to enjoy my rock and roll star baby.

Tribute Week - Highpoint 5

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

5) The place itself.  (And the cool pool.) 

I'm not going to lie.  Having access to a private pool was beyond awesome.  The fact that I happen to be married to the attractive pool caretaker only made it better.  

How many evenings did I glide through the water - listening to the silence around me - and thanking God for divinely orchestrating our lives.  (Which He does, and for which I will always, even in a pool-less house, thank Him for)

Living at Highpoint, apart from the wonderful people, view, trails, cats, etc, etc, etc...was really like living in my dream house.  Jon knows my penchant for old houses, full of history - and does this place have a story to tell.  It is a gorgeous home and I loved that Joya allowed us to use her space and bring friends over for baby showers, birthday parties, game nights, overnight stays, and dinners.  She always says that this place is something that should be shared - and share it she does.  

What a beautiful gift it has been to live with her in this magnificent place.  

What a beautiful gift. 

Tribute Week - Highpoint 4

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

4) The Critters

We have three cats.

  

Casanova chose Jon.  As a bitty new kitten he chewed through a screen door and found Jon at his computer.  He has to be one of the nicest, most laid back, agreeable cats ever.  He is love in fuzzy cat form.  Exceptional.  And super, amazingly clean.  The cat is vain.  Vain.  His white fur is immaculate - even though he spends most of his day lounging around outside.   

We got Zoe as a companion to Cass.  I wanted a Calico after being smitten with our neighbor's cat as a child.  My sister and I picked her out at the shelter because she was so cute and feisty.  Later that evening she, in an effort to prove just how feisty she really was, bit down on my foot, hard.  So we named her Zoe:  life.  And she had abundant life.  Until she got older.  Now she just wants to sleep and eat.  If she could sleep eat she would.  

Some fool in a pet store told us that going from two to three cats was a breeze.  And that day they had an adoption drive and there was this adorable little tortoise shell that purred so loud it sounded like an engine.  One thing led to another and Inga came home to us and was renamed Mirabella - Bella for short.  She is a fire plug.  No doubt about it - this cat is a cat.  But she is a beauty and her bright yellow eyes and soft, soft hair can sometimes fool you into thinking that maybe a little cuddle wouldn't be so bad.   Which is when she reminds you that cuddling happens on her terms.  

The cats all love Highpoint.  Cass and Bella love the outdoors.  They are safe here - it is isolated from cars, no other pets wandering around, just sun and bugs and lizards to chase and snap the tails off of.  

They adore Joya.  They spend more time with her than with us.  They eat with her, sleep with her, take walks with her.  Seriously - when Bijou was alive a little line would form - Joya, Bijou, Cass, and Bella - all in a row - taking a walk around the neighbor's house.  They even wait for Joya at the bottom of the driveway when she goes for a walk on the canal.  

Cass and Bella are home here.  We can't bear to take them away from all this cat bounty to a city apartment where they would be stuck inside all day.  And Joya has lovingly accepted them into her life - so they will stay here with her.  And we will take Zoe.  

But they are a part of our family too - so we'll visit.  And if Joya ever needs us to, we would, of course, take them back.  

Our Cass

And Bella

I'm only a little jealous that they get to stay and I don't. 

Tribute Week - Highpoint 3

Slight aside:  Raining, raining, raining, raining, raining.  It's weeks like these when you wonder why our founding fathers decided to build DC on a swamp.

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

3) The Joy of Joya

Joya started off as our landlady and ended up family.  In all seriousness, she is one of the most thoughtful, generous, loving people that we have met and probably the reason I will most miss living here. 

We have formed a little tribe here: Joya, the kittens, Bijou (while she was still with us), Owen, Jon and me.  We look out for each other, have meals together, go to the store for each other, talk and laugh together.  

Joya was so excited for us when Owen was born.  She made a sign to welcome him home and had it waiting for us on the front door.  I left that sign up for three months because it made me so happy.  

Owen loves Joya.  He gives her the biggest wide-open-mouth smiles.  She, in turn, sings "hush little baby" to him and makes him laugh.  

We have absolutely adored Joya.  We've loved listening to stories of her past, we've loved sharing meals with her, we've loved meeting her family, being able to help when she's sick, seeing her everyday...we've loved being accepted as a part of her family.  We've looked out for each other and I will miss that so much.  Thinking of leaving Joya is the one thing that starts those tears dropping.  

But, as we've told her, we might be moving out, but she can't get rid of us.  We'll be back for visits.  And then we'll chat and she'll watch Owen grow and it will be like old times.

Maybe I'll even get her to teach me to knit like I've been wanting for 5 years now.

Tribute Week - Highpoint 2

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

2) Highpoint's View

Seriously.

Photo courtesy of Describe photography.

Every day we wake up and see this.  It's a south facing view down the Potomac River toward Washington DC.  It is stunning in the spring, summer, fall, or winter.  

Talk about a view that nourishes and inspires the soul.  When Jon and I drove up the driveway for the very first time and saw the river I thought for sure that we were in the wrong place.   Now, each morning, on the way down, I pause for a second when the river comes into view - just to appreciate the day and the beauty that I could easily take for granted.

Almost 2,000 morning since we move in, I can't get tired of this view, and probably never would. 

And this is just one of the scenes from our unique perch.

How awesome is that?

Tribute Week - Highpoint

The boy is asleep, Jon's playing hockey, and the house is finally quiet - minus the ever present hum of the dehumidifier.  Summery weather plus basement apartment equals soggy living quarters.  After five summers of this though, it's become a homey sound, kind of a soothing white noise.  

This week I'm writing five short tributes to endearing aspects of this damp, quirky, charming little apartment that we've called home.  Five little things that we will miss so much.  Next week I'll do a series of things that we are so looking forward to in Baltimore - so stay tuned!

1) The trails.  

We are fortune to be located steps away from two amazing trails - and just a short hop to several more hiking and jogging paths.  

The C&O Canal towpath is right outside our door.  It is an absolutely stunning trail that runs from Georgetown, 184 miles north into Ohio.  I have been on that trail literally hundreds of times.  I trained for the Chicago marathon on it - a few times Jon drove me up north (very) early in the morning and dropped me off to run the 13 or 15 miles home.  I've seen more deer, beavers, birds, turtles, fish, snakes, geese, etc on the trail than anywhere else around here.  I've waddled along it while very pregnant last winter and taken Owen for walks along it every week.  

If you visit DC it should definitely be a stop on the tour.  Drive up to walk along the trail near Great Falls - or just pick it up in Georgetown and walk until  you can't see the city (not far - about 500 feet should do it!).  

Another favorite trail - seen on many, many bike rides and training runs, is the Capital Crescent trail.  It branches off the C&O canal about a mile from our house and is a beautiful paved path that heads up into Maryland.  I promised myself that next time I'm training for a long run we will come back here and do the C&O, Capital Crescent, Rock Creek Park loop again.  Breathtaking - and not just because of the running.

Some of my favorite C&O pictures (I have enough to fill a whole album)

Two steps the other direction out our door is the Potomac Heritage Trail.  It's a 11 mile stretch of hiking trail that we are pretty much smack in the middle of.  Jon and I have hiked south all the way to Roosevelt Island, and just a little bit northward - it's one regret I have - not finishing the north leg.  It's a pretty rugged trail but has some incredible views of the river and the winding little streams that feed it.  

Here is a view of the north hike...

And the south one.

There are a whole series of little trails that run through parks along the river.  They have made for some wonderful trips with friends.  Here is a group of us a Turkey Run park.  

I thought of putting a little poem here but I realize that my words couldn't capture how my life has been enriched by the opportunity to wander through such vivid landscapes.  So, so many silent and spoken prayers have gone up that it's become second nature to converse with God the moment my foot leaves pavement.  How could I not feel a little twinge at leaving that?  

Anyone know a good trail mover?

Weekend Update

This weekend Jon and I visited the PA side of the family and got hit with a double whammy of parties. On Sunday my mom, sister, and sister-in-law took me to Cafe Chocolate in Lititz. We had taken Trish there for her baby shower last year. It's awesome.

All four of us got the house salad (with oranges, artichoke hearts, and walnuts with a dark chocolate raspberry viniagrette) so that we'd have room for this...

Yeah...that's only a dark chocolate fondu. See how the white bowl of chocolate seems to glow with all the chocolatey goodness?

Trish and I shared a pot of organic chocolate-mint tea. It was nice and minty with a hint of chocolate smell - really nice.

Afterwards we went back to my sister's house where the guys were supposed to be babysitting. It was a surprise baby shower!!!!!!!!

What do you get when you add.....

With this....

And this... (notice the hockey player...baby's first collectable Flyers figure)

One wonderful, overwhemling family baby shower. It was quite a day.

All the little green lights are blinking

Things to be thankful for on November 3rd, 2008.

First: the weather is beautiful, the leaves are stunning, and the air is so crisp you could bite it.

Second: the time change went off without a hitch. Thanks to Anna for reminding me to change my clock. Thanks again to Anna for calling me at 4:30 am to tell me that the clocks go back an hour, not forward an hour like she had said the night before.

Third: Jon is home. After the men's Quarry seminar in Dallas he came back a new, stronger, more complex man that I can't wait to find out more about. AND - he fixed the internet in about 30 seconds after I fought with it all weekend and never got it to work. Now the modem is up and running - the green blinky lights are on and I am back in blogging business! (I love having him home.)

Forth: Jon in general. If you need a refresher go here. Let me just add though that he COMPLETELY surprised me (Jon's family will know that's somewhat of a feat) this weekend by planning and scheduling a spa day for me. I've never done that before and left feeling super relaxed and like a queen. (I know you all probably think this blog is a mushy love-fest but he is just too incredible NOT to be thankful for.)

Fifth: the little guy is growing like a weed. We'll post the 27 week pic soon - but trust me, he's big. And I think he loves the Bradley method classes I started yesterday - LOTS of kicking involved.

Sixth: a weekend of cleaning, classes, friends, family, love, laughs, relaxing, being busy, cooking, and just being that got me ready for another week.