Benji had a lot of fun these past few months on the farm; he loved so much about the fall, including the Great Frederick Fair, the pumpkin patch, raking leaves, and lots of fun with Nonnie and Papa! He also really enjoyed the Advent season and visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for Christmas (more on that soon!) His daily activities continue to consist primarily of playing with trucks, dancing to songs about trucks, digging with trucks in the yard, and walking around the house pretending to be a garbage truck... :)
Daniel is now 6 months old! I can't believe how the time is flying by with our little Daniel Spaniel. He is very sweet and loves to smile at anyone and everyone! He recently sprouted two teeth and is just starting to explore the world of solid food. He is also working on sitting up on his own. Daniel especially loves when big brother Benji is around and watches his every move!
We have primarily stayed around home since the school year began, as Jonathan has so much work to do. However, we did take a big trip South for Christmas: we spent almost a week with Jonathan's family in Greensboro, swung by Winston-Salem to visit Larry Jones and Genavee, spent a wonderful overnight with Tim and Christine in Charlotte, then rang in the New Year with the NewMillermans in Blowing Rock. On our way to and from North Carolina, we stopped in Roanoke to visit with Emily and Wade's family. It was so much fun to watch Benji play with cousins Caroline and Andrew!
Now the New Year is well underway and I've decided that my "word of the year" should be "gratitude". Throughout the past months my emotions have been all over the map; there are times I still feel terribly homesick for New Mexico, days that I feel exhausted and cooped up taking care of my boys, moments I feel depressed and fearful about national and global events. So I have decided to end each day by writing down three things that I am grateful for so that my focus remains on the many good gifts that God has placed in my life. This list includes, though is by no means limited to, the following:
1. My boys--all three of them. Jonathan, who works so hard at school and still comes home with a smile on his face, ready to play with the little ones. Benji, who is so full of energy and hilarity, yet can melt my heart when he says, "I love you, Mommy!" Daniel, who melts my heart every time he smiles!
2. Our new church, Redemption City. We are soon to become partners (members) there and are so grateful to be finding a community of like-minded believers to worship and serve with in this body. I love getting to hang out with some of the women for weekly playgroups, too!
3. Our new home on the farm. While it is easy to be nostalgic for the beauty and tight-knit community in Rehoboth, there are also many wonderful things about living here--the proximity of my parents, who help and encourage us so much (how sweet it is to watch Benji and Daniel playing with Nonnie and Papa!), and the wide open spaces for Benji to roam, dig, and explore!
That's all for now...hopefully I'll post again before 6 more months have passed! :)
