We have just returned from a week of family vacation in the mountains. It was our fifth trip to the cabin in the woods. Our gracious hosts, their daughter and family and my mother joined us at the cabin for a portion of the week. We enjoyed hikes, four-wheeling, boating and picking apples and grapes. The leaves were just beginning to change and the weather was very chilly. Thankfully, we left the rain at home.
We always try to take a family photo while in the mountains. This one was for fun with some of our guns (not loaded of course!). We usually shoot targets a couple of times while we are there. The trees behind us changed colors while we were staying on the property. It was stunning!
Before a hike up the mountain we stopped to get a shot of the older eight children. They were laughing and having so much fun. It made a sweet photo.
Tonight we made jam from the hard-to-get grapes. It was alot of work for those four pints of jam!!! The deer and other animals had already eaten the grapes near the ground. We had to climb and use long branches to knock ours down. That made it more fun!
We were thankful that Mom was able to be with us and especially to meet Baby Joshua. Unfortunately, my stepfather, Bill, was not feeling well enough to join us. He is still recovering from surgery related to colorectal cancer. Hopefully, Bill will regain his comfort and strength and we will be able to visit with him soon!
We also enjoyed a couple of visits with my father. He lives very near the cabin. It is nice to spend part of a day with him and be able to return to our "home base" at the cabin. We hope to see more of him this year too.
On the way home we stayed with my sister, Carrie, and Brian. It is always great to be with them. We look forward to seeing them for Thanksgiving at our house this year and again in December when we attend a wedding near Richmond.
Our baby will be four months tomorrow. He is so very precious. He has lost nearly every newborn hair and it has been replaced with fuzzy blonde hairs that currently stand straight up. He reminds us of a chick. Joshua's sleeping and eating patterns have normalized and we are somewhat settled into a routine. This is nice since I'm needing more sleep these days than when I first became a mother.
A wise friend of mine discovered, and shared with me, that she needed to keep her toddler with her during the school day. I have reaffirmed that discovery with Noah. I kept assigning him to different siblings and he was becoming more and more loud and discontent each day. Recently, I've started to keep him "at my feet" during the earliest hours of homeschool each day. He minds well and is starting to enjoy the time. He really needed some boundaries and his siblings and playpen were not the right solutions. Hopefully, I can train him to be more content while playing out of my sight too.
It is worth noting that while we were on vacation Noah proved that he is POTTY TRAINED!!! Bob was very faithful to keep up with Noah's trips to the bathroom and therefore, he did not have any accidents! This has been a long time coming and we are going to make the brave transition to cotton pants very soon.
We were glad to return to church this past Sunday. Some of us had missed three weeks! That felt like forever. I have enjoyed getting to know a few of the ladies in our congregation much better over the last couple of months. I've even had a couple of "mommy dates" at the smoothie shop. Friends make life much richer! It is a blessing to have many Christian friends who are transparent, humble and willing to share how they "do" life. The advice and sharing that happens between friends often serves as a lifeline from the Lord. He is so faithful to speak through others to me. I also appreciate my husband's encouragement to make the effort to get out sometimes just to visit with another mom.
I really cherish the nighttime and early morning feedings with Joshua. They are precious moments of nursing, snuggling and praying. My mind is so clear with the house quiet. During the day I can forget to pray for those I love, but in the dark, my heart is flooded with prayers. It is truly precious time. And I'm counting on Christ to answer my prayers for my loved ones.
Life can feel crazy, but ours truly is good! And God is always good!
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