Merry Christmas!

Dear family and friends,

Merry Christmas!  All is calm-ish and bright here in Northern Virginia.  For the first time in years, we haven’t had any major changes come into our life.  After the big move/job change/birth of Amy in 2014, we are all thankful for the calmer year.  

This year has been filled with park days, splash pads, walks, bike rides and trips to the library.  We are settling into our new home and have spent much of this year organizing and painting.  Heber and I celebrated our 10^th wedding anniversary with a trip to Outer Banks.  The highlight of the year was heading out to Utah to visit family and friends over Easter. 

Heber continues to his work in digital forensics trying to help catch the bad guys. One day he and his coworkers were working on a project together and another coworker stopped by and asked “Hey, did any of you help catch a bank robber today? Because, I did!”  He is a wonderful and supportive dad who wrestles with the kids and reads them stories at night.  He joined Toastmasters International, a public speaking group.  He often comes home with a ribbon for best speech of the night.

 Gentri kept the house together and everyone alive, which is a feat worth touting!  She was able to visit her dream bead store, Ornamentea, in Raleigh, NC during a quick weekend trip.  She visited Chicago.  Over the summer, she took a flameworking course that led to some beautiful new beads and knobs.  She learned how to fuse metal and added a new small torch and rock tumbler to her studio.  She continued to serve with the Activity Day Girls (8-9 year olds) at church and spearheaded a three day summer camp.

Leo turned four and is still our joyful and enthusiastic guy who loves the color blue.  He spent the first part of the year attending a joy school (with mom helping to teach) and then started at a traditional preschool in the fall.   He is most excited about space and planets and can identify each one and share details about moons and atmospheres (can you tell how proud we are).  He loves to wear shorts, wrestle and play with cars. 

Amy, at nearly two, is our determined and spirited red head.   She loves to run and to dress herself.  She loves her mom and is her constant shadow.  She talks all day long and we are starting to actually understand some of it.  Our girl is fearless and especially likes to play at the park.  She decides that she is going to do something and goes right for it even if it’s the big slide at 16 months old.  Baby dolls are her favorite.

We are so thankful for you all in our lives. We hope that 2016 is a wonderful year.  We wish you the happiest of holiday season!

Love,

Gentri, Heber, Leo and Amy Green (or as Leo says, G-R-two Es-and an N)

Cocoa

I am a bonafide hot cocoa snob.  None of the merely slightly creamy drinks will do.  I don't even think that Starbuck's hot chocolate is that good (gasp).  I blame this snobbiness on the Cocoa Cafe, this Salt Lake establishment will forever be my favorite place, even after it very unexpectedly closed down a few years ago.

My sister and I discovered it one late night and I frequented as often as a two hour drive would allow.  There was just something magical about it all, comfortable, homey setting, sweet mugs and little spoons and then the most delicious (life changing) hot cocoa I had ever tasted.

When Heber and I were newly married, we would find ourselves there warming up over cocoa.  We'd meet our families there and play games and enjoy pastries.  It was lovely and perfect.

I never really felt like I could replicate it.  Right before Leo was born, we discovered a gelato place in Eastern Market on Capitol Hill that made a cocoa similar.  It was delicious but the modern decor left a lot to be desired.  They did tell us though that what I should be looking for is an Italian Hot Chocolate recipe, hello pinterest.

I discovered the following recipe and have made it a couple of times this fall already.  Here's a link to the original post.

Thick Spiced Italian Hot Chocolate

Sprinkle the top of the whipped cream covered hot chocolate with desired toppings, such as: Chocolate shavings, caramel and coarse salt, crushed candy cane, etc.

Serves: Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 T. Cocoa Powder
• 2½ T. Sugar
• ¾ T. Cornstarch
• ½ t. Cinnamon
• 1 tiny pinch Cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch salt
• 1½ C. Milk
• ½ t. Vanilla
• Whipped Cream, to top

Instructions

1. Place the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt in a small saucepan and whisk together well.
2. Add the vanilla and ¼ C. of the milk to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined and smooth(make sure to whisk around the sides of the pan to get all of the dry mixture incorporated).
3. Add the remaining milk and whisk in well.
4. Place the saucepan on medium heat and whisk constantly, for about 3-4 minutes or until mixture starts to boil and thicken.
5. Remove from heat and pour into two mugs.
6. Top with whipped cream and other desired toppings.

So, it may not be the Cocoa Cafe, but we've been enjoying cocoa by the lights of the Christmas Tree and the garland hung with all of our beautiful glass ornaments (because we are to the toddler phase where no glass could be on the tree but I still wanted to see it).  You should whip some up and enjoy it this season too!

Not the Same

One of my good friends is preparing for a move this next month.  I'm going to miss her so much.  When she announced that they were taking this three year assignment, I had a rush of emotions.  Obviously I was sad that she was moving but the real feeling was, "oh my gosh, you have no idea what you are in for."  I wanted to say that it is the hardest thing you will ever do, picking up a life and starting somewhere new.  I yearned to say how it would take a long time to stop missing the last place, the people you cared about there and your life.  To tell her how challenging it is to set everything up again, to find doctors, preschools, heck, even a good grocery store.

I wanted to say that it was completely uncomfortable in every way for a year, or maybe more.  I was talking to a friend about this and she said that the discomfort means that you're growing and increasing capability.  That's a really positive way to look at it, I wish I was always so positive.  The growing pains are real.  You'll question why you are doing this, even if you had strong promptings that it was right.  You'll have to put yourself out there over and over again, talk to strangers, join groups.  There won't be anyone that really knows you for a long time so you have to get better at telling your story and reaching out.

The kids will stop sleeping, or maybe never learn how to sleep for a long time.  They'll ask to see people that you can't see and go to places that they can't go and it will be sad.

Eventually, it starts to get easier.  Maybe a year or two in, it's not uncomfortable all the time.  You start to figure out where things are and don't have to use GPS to get everywhere.  A friend or two is made and there is someone to have a face to face genuine and real conversation.

Instead of overwhelming her with all of that, I said, it's hard but you'll figure it out.  You'll make new friends, you'll begin to find the places that are "yours," you know, the restaurants, the stores, the parks that you love that are comfortable.  There are good people everywhere that will welcome you.  You'll be stronger and better for it.

I guess I was afraid to really express how hard it has really been.  Maybe making the leap to move is scary enough without all the details.  It's kind of like becoming a mother.  When I was pregnant, I was so excited to have this new little person that I didn't think about all that goes along with parenthood.  If you are a parent, you know what I'm talking about.  Sometimes it's better without all the details, because they will figure it out.  Just like I wouldn't tell an expectant mother, "oh just you wait until...," I figure, she'll discover it all on her own. 

The thing about these big, life changing choices, like moving or becoming a parent, they change you.  They make you completely lose it and then somehow come back together again but stronger.  I am not the same person that I was two years ago, for better and some ways worse, I'm different.  I've learned things about myself, I've grown up.  Heber and I know that we can face anything together and build a life anywhere.  I can go into uncomfortable situations and make new friends.  I know that I can be resilient and determined.

My friend is about to embark on this journey, I know she'll figure it out but she won't be the same either.

Giving Thanks

We celebrated Thanksgiving last week.  If I'm being honest, there wasn't much thanks in my heart this holiday.  I let myself get overwhelmed with what I don't have, who I'm not with this holiday and bogged down by yet another sinus infection (the great sick season of 2015 continues).  I even put together a gratitude tree and we didn't populate it with leaves (what a sad little sight, we may have to leave it up and populate it in January).

I really have so much to be grateful for, our beautiful home, healthy children.  I guess it's all about perspective.  We ended up celebrating with our cousins from Philly.  The weather was beautiful and we sat out on the deck in the sunshine and smelled the turkey cooking.  We had a wonderful visit, beautiful meals, delicious pies.  The kids were so happy to be together and joyously played for several days.  It all cheered me up and reminded me of all the things we have to be thankful for. 

Heber's beautiful smoked turkey

A couple of days after Thanksgiving, another little boost came.  We've been gearing up for the holidays and I really wanted a new Christmas tree.  We're in our new home, we've had our little Charlie Brown trees for lots of years and I felt like it was time to move on up.  The problem is that I just didn't really want to allocate money to that, especially with all the expenses (happy ones, but still) that come this time of year.  I looked at trees but just didn't ever buy one.

I was out talking to a neighbor last week and mentioned the quest for a new tree.  He said that he had one in the house that I could HAVE.  What?  Well, he's a UPS driving and picks them up all the time on his route as people are getting rid of them.  Now I have this beautiful seven foot tree.  It always seems like there are little tender mercies like this especially at this time of year.  We didn't need it but somehow it happened.  After all of that lack of gratitude at Thanksgiving, it put in perspective the concern that God has for me even in my silly desire for a new tree.

It made me think of Christmas two years ago.  We were living in the little Logan condo having just moved a few weeks before.  I was days away from having a baby.  I was feeling pretty down about everything, especially with all the crap that happened with Heber's job when we moved there.  I felt lonely, having left a life in Virginia and to top it off, Heber was on a week long business trip right before Christmas.  Right in the midst of all that emotion and hard times, there was a knock on the door.  A sweet girl in my neighborhood came by with bread to welcome me to the area.  How did she know that I needed that gift of friendship so much at that time.

There are these little mercies that come into my life and make me believe in the beauty of life again, that add light in hard times and make me realize how much I have to be grateful for.  Every time I look at the tree, I'm going to think of that.

Christmas Donuts and Holiday Hearts

Christmas time is here.  I used to so look forward to this time of year with the beautiful decorations and time with family.  Now, it seems a bit of a burden with all the planning and preparation that goes into a holiday season.  I'm a little overwhelmed with all that there is to do with gift buying, neighbor gifts (which we've never really been in a place where we did neighbor gifts but here we are), gifts for all the teachers.  There's the beautiful meals to plan and prepare.  The meaningful holiday activities that we "should" have.

I don't know.  I'm a little tired.  Although, I hear having two young children does that to you.  Please don't think I'm being negative here.  I think I am just realizing all the effort that my parents and family put into making holidays wonderful and I'm trying to gear myself up to do the same.  

All of this contemplation has led me to think about the "traditional" activities at Christmas.  I'm still in the tradition building phase of our family and I want to have traditions that are meaningful to my family and not just because "that's what people do" at Christmas.

So, it all started with a treat.  As you have probably read, holidays are very food based for me.  There is nothing else that says Christmas to me more than sugar cookies, specifically Aunt Leta's sugar cookies.  We would wait for these cookies all year.  Now, I don't really make sugar cookies.  It is a true skill (and a lesson in patience) that I just don't have.  In years past, we have bought the mix and whipped them up but they really don't taste that good (at least in comparison to Aunt Leta's).  Also, my sweet picky eaters won't touch them.

So, Leo says to me at Walmart, "I want to make donuts."  And so we did.  I think the donut idea stemmed from our recent visit to Duck Donuts in Fairfax.  They have locations in the Outer Banks and we fell in love with the freshly cooked, frosted and sprinkled rings of deliciousness over all of our trips to the beach.  Now, we can drive a half hour and enjoy them any time we want or even in our own kitchen.

 

 We took the easy route to cook donuts.  I bought the canned biscuits and broke each biscuit in half.  With a round cookie cutter, I punched a hole in the middle and fried them up in canola oil.  In just a few minutes, we had a stack of warm donutes.   I made up some chocolate glaze (milk, melted butter, cocoa and powdered sugar) and dipped the donuts in and then the kids went to town with the sprinkles.  To say the donuts were encrusted is an understatement but we all gobbled them up and enjoyed them heartily.

So, this is the beginning of our new holiday traditions.  What are your family's favorites?  Do share.

Leo's Birthday

We celebrated Leo's birthday this weekend.  I can't believe that our boy is four.  For the party, I hung up a bunch of pictures from throughout his life.  I hardly recognize his sweet little two year old face and the newborns, well, it just seems like a lifetime ago.  When did he become not that little boy anymore?  When did he start telling me stories?  When did it all change from toddlerhood to this boy?

I said that I wasn't going to throw a party this year.  We'd thrown a big one last year and the year before and with it so close to Thanksgiving, it wears me out.  About two months ago, Leo started talking about what his party was going to be like, that there would be a blue cake.  How could I not throw a party?

He has been really excited about the movie Planes lately and asked for a Planes party.  It was actually pretty fun to sit with him and have him look through pinterest with me and to point out what he'd like for his party.

For the first time in my life, I bought a cake.  I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to buy one but usually I throw together some cupcakes and call it good.  When Leo started asking for a Dusty Crophopper cake that was blue (and the fact that we've been hosting company all week and had a horrible cold), I knew it was time to call in reinforcements.  So, we ordered a blue cake. 

We continued on with our new tradition of birthday boxes.  I ran onto this idea on a blog and thought it was so fun.  In a box, you put some little presents and special treats.  Leo's had fruit loop cereal, a carton of little goldfish, a couple cars and of course a small Dusty airplane.  It's been a fun tradition to think about and he loved the box even more than the big birthday presents.  I think we'll keep doing this.

On the birthday day, we invited some friends for a playdate.

In four years, so much has happened.  Leo is our joyful, excited guy.  He is so happy to be alive and takes such joy in the simple things like driving his cars.  We were lucky to have his Grandparents in town to join us for the celebrations too.

Halloween

There is something wonderful about this time of year with all the leaves ablaze.  I always look forward to the season changes, but especially Fall and Spring. October was filled with some happy memories, oh, and lots of sickness too.  This year, Leo and Amy really got into celebrating Halloween.  It was fun to watch them eat the candy, and participate in all the holiday activities.

Leo was Captain America.  This has got to be my favorite picture of the year of Leo.  We bought the costume way back in the summer, because when you find the right thing at the right price, you buy it!  He gets a swagger when he wears it.

This may be my all time favorite picture of Leo

Amy was a cat.   When we went to the fabric store for supplies, I drew a little picture of a cat and she carried all around and said, "cat."  She was not a huge fan of the costume however and didn't always want to wear it.  She never did wear the darling tutu we made to go with it.  Oh toddlers.

Leo's preschool class goes to the Belvedere Plantation for pumpkin picking and all sorts of harvest fun.  It happened to be on a day that Dad and Granny Lori could join.  Our favorite was the huge slide.  Leo insisted on riding himself and by the time I'd get to the bottom, he was already half way up the hill again.

 

 

We tried out the Air and Space Museum Halloween activity with some friends.  It was wild.  People everywhere.  I'm not sure we'll go back but Leo liked the planes.

What Amy did pretty much the whole time.  The toddler angst, I tell ya. 

We attended the ward party and all dressed up.  I'm not usually one to dress up but I didn't want to be the only party pooper so I threw a costume together.  The cake walk was the favorite activity.

The Swedish Chef, Cat, Captain America and Rosie the Riveter

We attend a little class on Fridays called toddler time with Jesus.  It's at a small Lutheran Church and they put on fun crafts, scensory activities, and talk about the Bible.  We had a little Halloween celebration there.  I tried to get Amy to wear her costume but she wasn't having it so I grabbed one out of the costume bin and put it on her.  Leo decided that he wanted to be a monkey and threw it on.  It's somewhat comical to me because when Leo was two, he was supposed to be a monkey for Halloween and would not wear it.  Oh the twos.  We all went over to the library Halloween parade afterward together. 

One of the mom's in our mom's group threw a Halloween party.  They have been hosting this party for several years and it's so cute to look back and see how much the kids have grown up together. 

  

My mom came into town for just over a week and it was a welcome change to see her. We so looked forward to her visit.  The kids warmed right up to her, which is a big deal for Amy.

My most favorite part of all was the night before Halloween.  I was feeling a little blue because all of my extended family was celebrating at a party together in Utah and then attending a baptism of my nephew.  I long to attend family events.  So, I decided that I'd throw a little party for our family.  Usually, I think that things need to be big and elaborate with a big group of people to make it feel like a holiday (I blame that on growing up with a large extended family) but I decided to keep it simple.  We made mummy hotdogs for dinner.  I looked everywhere for dry ice for Root Beer but didn't have any luck so instead we had A and W root beer floats.  We wrapped the kids up as mummies which turned into everybody running around and throwing toilet paper.  This was one of the most fun nights we've had together in a long time.  We laughed and played together and just genuinely enjoyed being together.  We carved up our pumpkins and lit them up on the porch.  Amy, who has been talking a lot more lately, went through and named them all.  I am going to treasure that memory as one of the happiest from this last year. 

 

We did a bit of trick or treating on Halloween with some friends.  This is the first year that Leo has really gotten into trick or treating. 

 

So there you have it.  One HUGE October post.  Forgive me, I'm too tired to break them down.   

Take Me To the Ocean

A few weeks ago, we got back from our first trip away without the kids.  It was a much needed getaway because it's like the kids forgot how to sleep this fall.   We went to Outer Banks.  We thought about all sorts of other places but I honestly couldn't get myself excited about going anywhere else (I just didn't get enough in May).  I also needed a trip that only required that I book a house and that's it.  I didn't even grocery shop before I left.  We needed this trip folks.

There was one afternoon where we took our lawn chairs and just sat on the beach.  We have often talked about doing this when we had the kids running around.  So, on our quiet trip, we just sat and watched the water and sky change from day to evening.  There is nothing in the world so calming as the ocean.

We went to movies, ate out, shopped, visited a lighthouse.  It was quiet and calm and we all need that in our life occasionally.

We discovered a Parade of Homes and decided to see some of the houses.  I've never seen a home with the kitchen on the top floor but that's how they all were.  We walked inside three million dollar beach houses.  It was beautiful, although I don't know that I'll ever understand really bold wallpaper.  While we were out driving, we saw one of the beach houses that we have rented in years past.  It was right in the line of the recent hurricane and the road in front of it was caved right in.  So crazy!

 Well, ten years is a pretty big deal. 

Becoming a True Mother

Throw up.

That pretty much describes our whole week.  None of us made it out unscathed.  It's obviously been a rough week.  We all seem to be recovered (crossing my fingers).  The house has been disinfected top to bottom.

On Monday, I feel like I had a milestone mothering day.  If I wasn't a true mother before, I am now.  Amy threw up 9 times.  9.  In those moments, I thought, I am a true mother because there is throw up seeping through my shirt and all I can think is how can I help Amy to feel better.

My sister did share some profound wisdom with me.  She said to line your bucket with a plastic bag for easy clean up.  She is a genius, right?

Let's all shoot for a better week next week.  Please?  Universe, you're taking note of this plea, right? 

Toasting JB Weld

I went to Toastmaster's with Heber tonight.  Have you heard of Toastmasters?  No?  Well, it's an international club that meets weekly to foster improved communication and public speaking skills.  Heb has been going the last year and really liking it.  He presented his third speech and I snuck away to watch him give it.

He presented his speech on JB Weld.  I was just beaming with pride over what a good job he did.  He is funny, poised, a good communicator.  It was awesome and I was happy to be there to see it.  Here's the speech for you to read.  It's not as good as hearing it in person but I know you'll enjoy it.  And for the record, I only occasionally break things (or maybe every week, boo).  Good thing I married a handy man. 

Project 3 - J.B. Weld

Thank you Toastmaster, fellow toastmasters, and our welcome guests. I have a little problem I’d like to share with you tonight. Two little problems, actually. Nearly every night when I get home I am greeted with big hugs and kisses from my two wonderfully curious and rambunctious children. But, before I even get a chance to say hello to my wife, my children have zipped away and returned with a bevy of items they have broken that day, wondering if I can fix them. Sometimes, my wife will add an item to the heap, mumbling something about how the kids got tangled up in her legs, tripped her and she dropped the now broken item.

They say you only need two items in your toolbox, WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn’t move and it should, WD-40. It if does move and it shouldn’t, duct tape. While the duct tape would be an excellent way to contain my children for a little while, their steady diet of chicken nuggets and goldfish crackers provide them more than sufficient energy to gnaw through that duct tape and they would quickly return to their shenanigans. Fortunately, I have a third tool in my tool box, J.B. Weld. For the broken things, not the kids.

J.B. Weld is a two part epoxy that has saved me more time and money than I can count. To use it, one simply squeezes out equal amounts from each tube onto something you can throw away when you are done, like a note card. One tube contains the black colored glue, and the second tube is filled with white colored “magic”. You mix up the epoxy with a toothpick or cotton swab until you have a uniform gray mix and apply to whatever it is that needs repair. A little masking tape works great to hold parts together while the epoxy cures and a day later everything is right as rain.

The toys I have been able to save from the landfill are numerous. Endless matchbox cars that are crashed into each other, pieces of train track that are snapped by little hands still developing in dexterity, dolls that are inadvertently shut in car doors, and toy tools that do not have the same strength as the grown up versions.

Around my home you will find numerous glass beads and ornaments made by my artistic wife, and cracked in two by my inquisitive children. Those fine glass pieces are able to be rejoined with only the slightest evidence of previous traumas. One of J.B. Weld’s great strengths is that it can be cleaned up with just a wet paper towel. This means that I can keep squeezing those pieces of glass together and quickly wiping off the extra epoxy that squishes out until the crack is nearly imperceptible. This is a tremendous improvement over items that I have attempted to repair with super glue. Those items either got stuck to my fingers in the way that only super glue can achieve, or have big globs of glue highlighting the areas I clumsily tried to clean with nail polish remover.

The brand new kiddie pool that my children excitedly jumped into and cracked holds water again. The galvanized steel watering can that broke my wife’s fall when a toddler tried to dart between her legs, continues to deliver water to our garden without an errant drop.

When my wife and I announced that we were expecting our first child my father, with a lifetime of experience as an architect, built for us a robust and handsome crib. That crib survived my first child, then a cross county move, and then another cross county move, but not my sweet little red headed daughter, who is actively trying to prove the line from Anne of Green Gables that “her temper matches her hair”. There is no force it seems, like that of a red headed toddler who does not want to take a nap. My daughter has twice thrown herself against the ends of the crib with such force that the screws that hold it together have stripped clean out of the wood, knocking the ends of the crib right off. A little J.B. Weld however has ensured that that crib can survive even more children, even if my wife and I aren’t quite sure we could.

J.B. Weld is fantastic stuff. It has kept toys and household items out of the trash, is fine enough to repair delicate glass, and strong enough to contain a fiery red head. There is nothing that can’t be repaired with God’s gray glue, even my wife’s 1996 Saturn SL1.

My wife’s Saturn was a wonderful car. It got 40 miles to the gallon and you could repair anything on that car with just three screw drivers and a basic 10 piece wrench set. The car was incredibly simple to repair, which was both a blessing, and a curse because there was always something that needed to be repaired. One day my wife came to me and said that the car was acting sluggish. It just didn’t have the power it normally had and she was filling up the tank more frequently than usual. Poking around under the hood I discovered the cause, a leak where one of the fuel injectors attached to the engine block. I removed the fuel injector and found a pair of worn rubber O-rings that allowed the fuel to leak out. I ran over to the parts store plopped down 50 cents for a new pair of O-rings and quickly had the old ones replaced. After driving the car around for another week my wife informed me that the car still didn’t seem quite right. Another inspection showed there was still a little fuel leaking from that same fuel injector. So I bought and installed a whole new fuel injector, but still my wife informed me it just wasn’t right. Dejected that I had been beaten by a mere Saturn I took the car to a mechanic who quoted me $600 to repair the leak on a car that was worth about $1,200. I thanked him for his time, shoved his quote in the glove box and drove to the hardware store to pick up a package of J.B. Weld. That afternoon I glued my wife’s car back together. I smeared copious amounts of J.B. Weld all round that fuel injector until it was firmly sealed in place. Lest you think I was putting my wife in danger, J.B. Weld has a temperature rating of 500 degrees and I knew it was tough. My wife drove that car for several more months without any issue before we decided it was time for something slightly newer and I listed it on Craigslist for $1200. Soon a potential buyer came around for a test drive. He drove it around with great interest but I told him there was something I had to show him before we talked seriously about the sale. I lifted the hood and explained the work I had done. He looked over at me and offered me $1000 for the car. He handed me cash, I handed him the title, and as we shook hands our eyes met briefly. In that quick moment he and I both realized he was getting a great deal. Someday he and I would be gone, that car abandoned in a field somewhere. The tires would have long since rotted away, the frame and body rusted away too, but there would remain the engine block, with one fuel injector still firmly in place.

Majestic Mountains

 My mom has been in town this week.  Before our big trip, we decided to make a trip out to an apple orchard.  I have been trying to get out to an apple orchard for ages, one week I was sick, the rest so busy that they got away from me.  Living in our big urban area, I crave space and country sometimes.

 

 

 We went to the Marker Miller Orchard.  It was a relatively long drive (about 90 minutes) but we really liked it.  I liked picking the apples, the kids liked running around on their playground.  As we were driving over, I realized how close we were to Shenandoah National Park.   On the ride home, we pulled off for a visit. 

I have been to the Shenandoah's once before but it's been a few years.  I didn't remember how incredibly beautiful it was.  

 

 

 I realized that sometimes I get caught up in the mole hills of life that I miss the majestic mountains.  I'm worrying about a teething girl or being absolutely far behind in everything that I lose sight of the great joys.  I miss that moment that Amy first tries on tap shoes (she pounded all around and was so happy) or my boy getting so grown up and independent as he comes home from preschool.

I think I need to step back sometimes and take in the majestic, the beautiful in my life.  Standing at the top of those mountains and looking out, I felt that feeling.  For the first time in a long time I just stood in awe and wasn't burdened by all the rest.  There truly is beauty all around in our lives if we stop and see it.  Now, to remind myself about that over and over, every day.