Wishing For Pine Needles

and a New Chapter begins.....

These pictures of from a little mid-winter trip we took a couple of weeks ago.  Can you guess where?

New Hampshire, anyone? 

The reason we traveled 15 hours to the northeast in March was not for some ultra cool skiing/tubing/snowshoeing weekend and not even entirely for a vacation at all.   Well, we did have our fair share of fun while we were there, but there was a bigger reason indeed for our jaunt up north.

You see, we are moving there.  (Wow...it even feels strange to type the words!)  Dan has accepted a position in the very place in these pictures, and we will be living locally there.

Beautiful isn't it?

We are topsy-turvy around here at the moment.  Excited, sad, busy, nostalgic, adventurous, scared....and sometimes all at the same time.  Scrambling to sell one house and find another, packing boxes, sorting, purging, and organizing our belongings, keeping up with daily chores, work, church, school, activities, all while being extra conscious to enjoy these last moments in a home and community we've come to know and love for the past almost nine years.  For us, it's clearly not where we are going, but what we are leaving behind.   And the many, many people we love so dearly.

One thing we do know for certain (in a life that seems to change faster than a blink) is that God is completely and utterly in control and we trust Him.  He will be the same in up there as He is right here.  There is amazing comfort in that!  We're praying now that He will bring just the right people into our lives and show us opportunities to serve Him in a new and different place.  First and foremost, we want to be useful to Him and give Him the glory!

I will update this space as often as I can in the coming weeks, however inconsistent it may be.  In the midst of the busyness, we will be spending as much time as possible reveling in the last little bit of our chapter here. 

So onward to us....this time to New Hampshire.  The granite state.  The northeast.  New England.  Who would have thought?

the Falls from Canada

Have you ever heard that Niagra Falls are way better from the Canadian side?

 

(Well, it's true!)

The Rest of the South

My photo journal would not be complete without including the last two days of our trip South...

and a stop at Dollywood!

An amusement park, the beach, camping, and numerous pools...I'd say these kiddos thouroughly enjoyed this little southern get-a-way!  (As did their parents, who I might add slept extremely well upon returning home.....:)

Happy mid-week to you!

Camping in the South....A Photo Journal

We recently took a week-long road trip through the Southern states of which five nights were spent camping in Myrtle Beach.  (Yes, I have gotten many raised eyebrows....camping when you're five months pregnant????......well, sure!)

And although Myrtle Beach has just about anything and everything to do for the tourist, this crew of mine was happy to spend most all of our time at the campground or the beach.  Aside from some sunburns, a jellyfish sting, and a very short-lived stomach bug, we had a fabulous time with beautiful weather and lots of water!

(Where have your summer travels taken you?)

a Cabin in the Middle of Nowhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just the two of us.  No cell-phone reception.  No wireless connection.  No T.V.  Plenty of firewood.  Peaceful morning.  Lots of coffee.  Lots of talking.   A two-hour hike in the woods.  Nowhere to be.

Sound like a cozy enough way to celebrate an anniversary to you?

(We thought so!)

Hello Big Apple!

After many months of planning, lenghty to-do lists for Dan, and lots of hugs and kisses from three little ones, this mama was off for a weekend in New York City!! 

A long-time friend and I flew into LaGuardia to visit another long-time friend who has made her residence on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  ( Not only did we have a great place to stay, but also the very best tour guide!)

What's a visit to NYC without going to a taping??  (Belive it or not, we got some air time...did you see us?;)

St. Patrick's Cathedral.............beautiful.

She's even more majestic in person!

 

The WTC globe.....that used to be located between the towers.   Now it resides in Battery Park, along with an eternal flame.

Ground zero is a presently a construction site, but we visited the church behind it that served as a safe-haven for rescue workers in the aftermath.  I felt the very same lump in my throat that I felt almost a decade ago.  It was unmistakeable.

I was not prepared for the insane amount of shopping that is available in Manhattan.  (If I were a bit more fashion-concious, this may have served me well...)  I took this picture for my kiddos, who were enthralled with the fact that the stairs in the store were made out of candy!

We saw this fantastic Broadway show that was truly a treat!  (For all you American Idol fans, the lead was played by none other than Jordan Sparks.  She really is great!)

Times Square, close to midnight.

A street festival in Little Italy.

The Crowne Plaza, better known to us as the home of Eloise.  (The girls just love this!)

The view from Central Park.

On a boat cruise of the harbor.

 

 

 It was a perfect weekend spent sight-seeing in the greatest, most influential city in the world.  It was a weekend spent catching up with two amazing ladies who I am so glad are in my life to stay.  It was a weekend of missing my crew back home, and being forever grateful to my dear husband who ran the show so efficiently so I could have this experience.  

It was a weekend to realize how completely blessed I am! 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

More Nor Cal...

How can I resist posting more pictures of our most favorite vacation spot?  Especially with so much of a little bit of everything?

A little crafting...

A little shopping....

A little riding...

 
 
 

A little playing...

And a little hiking!

Wow, just thinking about it all makes me lean a little bit to the west.  We just love California!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Back to Blogland....and some Summer Highlights

After a month of being away, I feel convicted to get at least one post in for the month of July.

So here is the one.

(How's July 31st at 10:00 p.m. for being just in time?!)

We have had a wonderful summer so far, packed with with far too many fun things for me to post them all, so here I'll  re-cap some highlights.

The first has to be a nice, long two-week vacation to California to visit Dan's side of the family.  It came and went all too quickly as vacations seem to do, so we sure are glad for the fond memories and loads of pictures!

(This zipline is approximately 50 feet high....my girls are brave :)

 

  Hope you enjoyed Part 1 of our trip.....and that you are having a big share of your own summer fun!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

a weekend in the Country

Our weekend was spent at beautiful Sabbath Song Farm, catching up with friends, each other, and celebrating the beauty of God's creation all around us.  We are so truly grateful for this opportunity!

a Weekend of our Own

That's right.  Just Dan and I. 

The kiddos were off to Grandma and Papa's house and we were off to a 9th anniversary get-a-way!

We stayed in the most charming bed and breakfast and ate the most delicious breakfast in the company of some lovely couples who were accomplished world travelers.  Although we hardly caught their names and will very likely never see them again, they shared with us their stories and kind advice like we had known them forever.  It's funny who you might spend an hour with in this life, huh?

We also spent an evening at nearby Conner Prairie to experience the renowned event, Follow the North Star.   It was a moving and humbling experience and one that we will remember and would recommend.

 

 

We happened upon this little gem of a fabric store.  They had a great selection of fabric by all my favorite designers, including row after row of Amy Butler.  They also had a beautiful selection of yarns and lots of books my very favorite crafters/bloggers.   With no kids in tow and one very patient husband, we must have been there at least two hours!  (Dan was quite comfortable during my shopping spree, by the way.  He was escorted to the dad/kid area that was fully equipped with two comfortable couches, a TV, fresh coffee and homemade bread, and lots of toys, books, and magazines.   Might I add that this arrangement is pure genius?)

We had a meal in downtown Carmel, Indiana which has recently rennovated its Arts District.  These very life-like looking statues are now permanent residents of this clever little town.  There are also some great little shops, restaurants, and antique stores.  (Again, all very easy to do without our three little sweeties!)

And somewhere in all of this carefree fun, I was reminded of just how much I love my husband and all of those little reasons why I first fell in love.  (Happy Anniversary, honey.  Thanks for the wonderful time!)

(And the kids were just fine - I think they easily adjusted to the indulgences of Grandma and Papa!)