This evening, I sleepily give you seven quick takes.
1. We are in Asheville. It is beautiful. The cool mornings, warm days, and chilly evenings take my breath away. I'm thankful that my parents have chosen this beautiful place to call home.
2. Eli is squawking up a storm. He has found his voice and hearing that sweet voice melts me every time I hear it. I wonder what he is saying, thinking, learning...
3. A dear friend of mine has been offered a job that will bring her closer to me!!!! and will reunite her with her husband. (Obviously I am grateful that she and her husband will be back together under the same roof, but a lovely side benefit is that she will be close to me!) I'm so thankful that the Lord has provided this opportunity for her. I am so looking forward to spending time with her once she is back in the Triangle.
4. Ben, Eli and I visited the Biltmore House this afternoon. We picnicked and strolled through the beautiful grounds. While there we ran into a friend of mine from high school. Reuniting with her was so lovely. She reminded me that I missed our ten year (!) high school reunion a few weeks ago. Ten years. That is unbelievable.
5. I'm dreaming of our fall garden. Our summer garden (seen in this post) was neglected after Elijah was born. It gave us plenty of basil, a handful of jalapenos, tons of cucumbers and a few tomatoes. The squirrels attacked our tomatoes, we had a baby and well, it just all got out of hand. But, I'm looking forward to a fall garden. I need to do a bit of research to figure out what we can grow. Any ideas? I'm hoping that our early October return to Raleigh won't be too late to start this project.
6. We are going out for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. We plan to eat dinner with our new Asheville friends. Decadent, no?
7. And finally, my dearest friend, my Diana welcomed her precious baby girl into this wide world on Monday morning. I am thrilled for her, so thankful for her and so excited for her and this new baby girl. I wish I was hoping on a plane to see her sweet family. I'm so, so incredibly thankful that we are in this season of mommahood together. She is an incredible mother and I'm thankful for her friendship.
Quick, quick, quick! Now off to bed! Good night!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Twice as Nice
It was a busy day.
Ben and I'd recently purchased our first home. After hiring and a contractor to pull down a wall standing between our kitchen and dining room, we spent weeks putting the finishing touches on our home, preparing for moving day. (And when I say "we" I mean Ben. Completely and utterly Ben. 100%. I was about five months pregnant at the time and transplanting bushes and painting sheds weren't high on my list.) And moving day had finally arrived.
Moving is exciting and exhilarating but thoroughly exhausting and soul-sucking, if you ask me. Pro tip: schedule your move when you are at least five months pregnant. It makes for long, weary weeks of prepping and packing, but people come out of the woodwork to help you prepare and movet. We are incredibly blessed with dear family and a close community of people who would've stepped up, pregnancy notwithstanding and for them we are forever grateful.
My parents drove up on the Friday before moving day, picking up a lawnmower we'd put on hold at a nearby Sears and a delicious dinner. My dad and Ben spent much of that afternoon and the following morning running all over town picking up our Craigslist bargains and hauling them to the new house in the back of my parents minivan. While they were haggling and loading and unloading my mom and I did a little work of our own...but not of the moving variety.
I'd heard about the Twice as Nice consignment sale from a few friends and decided that I needed to spend the morning "working" on preparing for the arrival of our sweet boy by doing a little bit of baby shopping, instead of the final moving tasks I should've been doing. See paragraph three again for my deep gratitude to our sweet friends for making this little escape possible. My mom and I zipped over to the sale and spent a wonderful morning, relaxing and bargain hunting. What a sale! We found loads of cute clothes and books and accessories, including this cute terrycloth number, modeled here by Elijah Benjamin. The sale was well organized and the prices couldn't be beat. That hour spent marveling over the tiniest socks and onesies (nearly all of which he has outgrown) was the perfect respite in an otherwise completely hectic day.
So why this story today? The sale is back and you don't want to miss it. I plan to be there and thankfully have no plans to move that weekend. Hope to see you there!!
Ben and I'd recently purchased our first home. After hiring and a contractor to pull down a wall standing between our kitchen and dining room, we spent weeks putting the finishing touches on our home, preparing for moving day. (And when I say "we" I mean Ben. Completely and utterly Ben. 100%. I was about five months pregnant at the time and transplanting bushes and painting sheds weren't high on my list.) And moving day had finally arrived.
Moving is exciting and exhilarating but thoroughly exhausting and soul-sucking, if you ask me. Pro tip: schedule your move when you are at least five months pregnant. It makes for long, weary weeks of prepping and packing, but people come out of the woodwork to help you prepare and movet. We are incredibly blessed with dear family and a close community of people who would've stepped up, pregnancy notwithstanding and for them we are forever grateful.
My parents drove up on the Friday before moving day, picking up a lawnmower we'd put on hold at a nearby Sears and a delicious dinner. My dad and Ben spent much of that afternoon and the following morning running all over town picking up our Craigslist bargains and hauling them to the new house in the back of my parents minivan. While they were haggling and loading and unloading my mom and I did a little work of our own...but not of the moving variety.
I'd heard about the Twice as Nice consignment sale from a few friends and decided that I needed to spend the morning "working" on preparing for the arrival of our sweet boy by doing a little bit of baby shopping, instead of the final moving tasks I should've been doing. See paragraph three again for my deep gratitude to our sweet friends for making this little escape possible. My mom and I zipped over to the sale and spent a wonderful morning, relaxing and bargain hunting. What a sale! We found loads of cute clothes and books and accessories, including this cute terrycloth number, modeled here by Elijah Benjamin. The sale was well organized and the prices couldn't be beat. That hour spent marveling over the tiniest socks and onesies (nearly all of which he has outgrown) was the perfect respite in an otherwise completely hectic day.
Twice as Nice Kids Consignment Sale
October 9-13, 2012
MacGregor Village Shopping Center
107 Edinburgh South Drive, Suite 151
Cary, NC 27511
Consignor/Volunteer spots still available!
www.twiceasnice4tots.com
October 9-13, 2012
MacGregor Village Shopping Center
107 Edinburgh South Drive, Suite 151
Cary, NC 27511
Consignor/Volunteer spots still available!
www.twiceasnice4tots.com
While all opinions are my own, this post qualifies me to be entered in a drawing for a gift card to the Twice as Nice sale.
Friday, September 21, 2012
{this moment}
A Friday ritual started by SouleMama.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple,
special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and
remember.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Reading Material
I have had a long and deeply abiding love of reading. Some of my earliest and fondest memories center around reading. I come by it naturally; I was born into a family of readers. I once heard a joke about the using books, lined doubly or even triply along the walls, instead of insultation. I remember thinking, and I must have been only seven or eight at the time, that our house very much fit that bill. We were never in want for books and my parents, though lovers of the library, hardly ever denied the purchase of a new book.
While I'm sure that I loved books and reading, it wasn't until I read Anne of Green Gables that I became completely enchanted with reading. Lucy Maud Montgomery's series was the first in which I lost myself, immersing myself completely in Anne's world. I have vivid memories of reading the books with my mom, curled up beside her, listening to her weave the tale of Anne and Diana and their life in Prince Edward Island. We came across the word "fortnight" and it was a completely unfamiliar to us. We, of course, looked it up and learned that it meant two weeks (but how much lovelier of a phrase!). My dearest friend Sarah and I even dressed as Anne and Diana for Halloween one year. I wish I had a picture to share because we really made quite the convincing pair. I do remember feeling slightly crestfallen that no one recognized us. How could the entire neighborhood be completely unfamiliar with Anne and Diana?
Having weeks of vacation (and a very lovely porch equipped with a hammock!) stretching before me, I took very seriously the choosing of books for this journey. Of course, a good bit of my reading time has been spent reading Barnyard Dance! and Goodnight Moon but I have managed to sneak in some of my own books as well. Just as I was preparing for this trip I read this post on Desiring God's blog. It encourages readers to take seriously the choice of reading material. He points out that we have limited time and that we should maximize that time to read books that will encourage and uplift us. While I am a firm believer that fiction makes our lives better and that a well written novel can change our lives, I also believe that a great deal of my reading time should be spent with books that challenge me and grow me. So with that said, here's what I've been reading at the beach:
While I'm sure that I loved books and reading, it wasn't until I read Anne of Green Gables that I became completely enchanted with reading. Lucy Maud Montgomery's series was the first in which I lost myself, immersing myself completely in Anne's world. I have vivid memories of reading the books with my mom, curled up beside her, listening to her weave the tale of Anne and Diana and their life in Prince Edward Island. We came across the word "fortnight" and it was a completely unfamiliar to us. We, of course, looked it up and learned that it meant two weeks (but how much lovelier of a phrase!). My dearest friend Sarah and I even dressed as Anne and Diana for Halloween one year. I wish I had a picture to share because we really made quite the convincing pair. I do remember feeling slightly crestfallen that no one recognized us. How could the entire neighborhood be completely unfamiliar with Anne and Diana?
Having weeks of vacation (and a very lovely porch equipped with a hammock!) stretching before me, I took very seriously the choosing of books for this journey. Of course, a good bit of my reading time has been spent reading Barnyard Dance! and Goodnight Moon but I have managed to sneak in some of my own books as well. Just as I was preparing for this trip I read this post on Desiring God's blog. It encourages readers to take seriously the choice of reading material. He points out that we have limited time and that we should maximize that time to read books that will encourage and uplift us. While I am a firm believer that fiction makes our lives better and that a well written novel can change our lives, I also believe that a great deal of my reading time should be spent with books that challenge me and grow me. So with that said, here's what I've been reading at the beach:
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy & Kathy Keller
Radical by David Platt
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
I recommend them all!
The Mean of Marriage has provided Ben and me with hours of conversation as we seek to deepen and grow our relationship with one another. I've learned a great deal from Tim Keller through his books and sermons (available on iTunes) and am thankful that he and his wife chose to write on this subject. I know that it is impacting our marriage.
Radical carries the subtitle "Taking back your faith from the American Dream." This is one of the most convicting books I've read in a long time and will most likely be the subject of another post. My dear friend has just finished this book and Sarah, Diana of many years ago, is also reading it. This book is challenging me on the deepest levels.
Havel Kimmel is phenomenal and A Girl Named Zippy is nothing less than perfection. She tells stories from her childhood in a way that is both hilarious and heartbreaking. I have read this book every summer for the last four years or so and I'm pretty sure I've read it a couple additional times as well. I just cannot get enough of this one or the one that follows: She Got Up Off the Couch.
I started reading blogs about six years ago and somehow stumbled upon Orangette. I don't remember how I found her blog, but I've been a faithful reader ever since. I've long wanted to read her book, A Homemade Life, but it just hasn't happened until now. Her stories were lovely and I'm looking forward to trying a recipe or two from her book.
So there you have it. Good books are truly a gift and one I'm grateful for daily. Try any of these and I feel confident you'll find yourself thankful for the gift of words as well. But you don't have to take my word for it...
Monday, September 17, 2012
This Adventure
We are on an adventure. Having a new baby makes every day feel somewhat adventuresome, but that aside, we are on an honest to goodness real adventure. We left our home in Raleigh over three weeks ago and plan to return two weeks from now. I'm pretty sure five weeks away from home plus a newborn definitely equals adventure.
We spent the first week in Asheville, North Carolina, my hometown. Being home was heavenly. I was reminded once more of the pull that the mountains have on me. This has inspired many lengthy conversations and the devising of plans for us to someday return to the mountains for good. Oh how I hope that to be true. Ben spent the majority of the week studying for his final exam (and we now know the result of those efforts!) while Elijah and I spent our time walking around the lake with my parents, meeting new friends, and enjoying being pampered by my momma, all while enjoying Asheville's beautiful and humidity-free weather. After Ben's final exam, we hit the road, traveling to Ben's hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. We spent an enjoyable long weekend introducing our sweet boy to his family and friends, all the while watching as Hurricane Issac barreled his way directly to our final destination: a sweet, homely beach house on the coast of Alabama.
Though Issac did rip up about 60 feet of the beach house's dock, the house sustained no damage and so we were undeterred. Ben, Elijah and I continued southward and landed ourselves here nearly two weeks ago. After all the travel, it has been so very lovely to alight somewhere for a couple of weeks. We've unpacked our bags, stocked up on groceries, picked up fresh produce and seafood at roadside stands and have spent our time getting to know each other as a family of three. We've been beyond blessed this summer to have Ben at home and to have the gracious help of family and friends. But these sweet weeks have been the first time when it's just been the three of us together, without a CPA exam lurking over our shoulders. We've been able to relax into this space and move at a leisurely pace. Anyone who has spent any time at all with a baby knows that time moves in fits and starts. It's both the quickest and slowest kind of time. We've been enjoying those fits and starts nearly exclusively on a wide, wrap around, screened-in porch overlooking the water. We watch the boats on the bay, scan the water for jumping mullet, swing in the hammock, listen as Ben plays the guitar, sing along since there's no one around to hear my efforts, and talk, talk, talk. We're having hard, but good and fruitful conversations around here. Conversations that I pray strengthen our marriage and deepen it as we prepare for a season of transition ahead and as we grow into these new roles as parents.
This adventure has been such a gift. It has been a safe, quiet pause in our life after a challenging summer. I am so glad for the timing of this space and look forward to returning to Raleigh in the fall, my favorite of all the seasons. Until then, you will most likely find me on the porch.
We spent the first week in Asheville, North Carolina, my hometown. Being home was heavenly. I was reminded once more of the pull that the mountains have on me. This has inspired many lengthy conversations and the devising of plans for us to someday return to the mountains for good. Oh how I hope that to be true. Ben spent the majority of the week studying for his final exam (and we now know the result of those efforts!) while Elijah and I spent our time walking around the lake with my parents, meeting new friends, and enjoying being pampered by my momma, all while enjoying Asheville's beautiful and humidity-free weather. After Ben's final exam, we hit the road, traveling to Ben's hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. We spent an enjoyable long weekend introducing our sweet boy to his family and friends, all the while watching as Hurricane Issac barreled his way directly to our final destination: a sweet, homely beach house on the coast of Alabama.
Though Issac did rip up about 60 feet of the beach house's dock, the house sustained no damage and so we were undeterred. Ben, Elijah and I continued southward and landed ourselves here nearly two weeks ago. After all the travel, it has been so very lovely to alight somewhere for a couple of weeks. We've unpacked our bags, stocked up on groceries, picked up fresh produce and seafood at roadside stands and have spent our time getting to know each other as a family of three. We've been beyond blessed this summer to have Ben at home and to have the gracious help of family and friends. But these sweet weeks have been the first time when it's just been the three of us together, without a CPA exam lurking over our shoulders. We've been able to relax into this space and move at a leisurely pace. Anyone who has spent any time at all with a baby knows that time moves in fits and starts. It's both the quickest and slowest kind of time. We've been enjoying those fits and starts nearly exclusively on a wide, wrap around, screened-in porch overlooking the water. We watch the boats on the bay, scan the water for jumping mullet, swing in the hammock, listen as Ben plays the guitar, sing along since there's no one around to hear my efforts, and talk, talk, talk. We're having hard, but good and fruitful conversations around here. Conversations that I pray strengthen our marriage and deepen it as we prepare for a season of transition ahead and as we grow into these new roles as parents.
This adventure has been such a gift. It has been a safe, quiet pause in our life after a challenging summer. I am so glad for the timing of this space and look forward to returning to Raleigh in the fall, my favorite of all the seasons. Until then, you will most likely find me on the porch.
Friday, September 14, 2012
{this moment}
A Friday ritual started by SouleMama.
A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple,
special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and
remember.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
A Season of Testing
This summer has been unlike any other for a variety of reasons. (That is perhaps the understatement of the year.) One such reason is that Ben spent the summer studying for the CPA exams. He put in 8-10 hour days every day this summer, save the first week in July and that time off was well spent falling in love with baby Elijah. I have known that my husband was a diligent worker, but seeing him labor day after day gave me a new respect for this man I married. I'm so proud and so excited to report that we learned yesterday that he passed his fourth and final exam! He is now a certified public accountant. Over a year's worth of incredibly hard work has paid off. We are off on a celebratory adventure, one I hope to tell you about soon. Until then, here's a picture of my favorite CPA and our favorite deduction.
I'm deDUCKtible
Monday, September 10, 2012
These 10 Weeks
Ten weeks ago tomorrow our sweet son was born. These 10 weeks have been the hardest, most intense, most beautiful weeks of my life. I can't wait to the story of these weeks with you. I've missed being in this place, sharing moments and pieces of my days with you. I didn't intend to leave this space quiet for so long, but I think, I *think* we might be getting our feet under us once more and my hope is to be here more often. But then again, having a newborn changes everything so we'll just see about that. I look forward to putting my words here and will enjoy the time spent collecting them when I'm not.
Here's to seeing more of you...soon, I hope.
Here's to seeing more of you...soon, I hope.
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