Happy New Year!

This blog post is astoundingly overdue...I realized I haven't posted anything since last summer!  This happened for a number of reasons, from slow internet speeds to (primarily) the time demands of caring for both an infant and a toddler!  So, finally, a quick snapshot of what we've been up to, our holiday travels, and my thoughts going into this new year, 2017...

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!  :)

Moving Day

Our house is empty, the truck is full, and many painful goodbyes have been said.  Tomorrow is the day we will begin our cross-country move from Rehoboth, NM to Walkersville, MD.

Benji and Hanwi love the moving truck (thanks for this photo, Deanna!)

There are so many thoughts going through my mind right now, it's hard to even begin this post.  Mostly today I've felt a deep sadness for leaving New Mexico...but there is some excitement, too, for our new home.  Maybe it will be best just to give a list of what I'll miss most about the Land of Enchantment and what I am looking forward to about Maryland.

What we will miss (in no particular order):

-Green Chili (especially on pizza!)
-The big, big blue sky...
-The way the light changes on the Hogbacks and the Red Rocks, from sunrise to sunset

-Walks and jogs around campus (and Jonathan being able to walk to work!)
-Traveling to amazing places--my favorite spot is the San Juan mountains of southern Colorado
-Watching Benji play with his little friends

-Our amazing church
-The smell of sagebrush
-Late summer wildflowers

-Hot air balloons
-Lots and lots of sunshine
-And, most of all, the people we've met here...such dear friends that we call them family...we have felt so embraced and supported, and words cannot express how much we will miss them.

(In fact, there are just a few things about New Mexico I will NOT miss: the sticky red mud that entrapped our car several times; Wal-Mart on the first weekend of the month; and, most of all, the spring winds that leave sand in your ears, up your skirt, and everywhere in between!!)

I feel like I am in a bit of a time warp because we are moving back to the house I grew up in, on a small farm near Frederick, MD.  Benji will play in yard as I did about 25 years ago; our new baby will sleep in the same room, in the same crib, that I did as a baby!  I am stuck between fears that I will feel like I have never grown up, and excitement that my children will enjoy this place that I have loved so much my entire life.  I think the latter emotions are beginning to triumph!

The Farm

The reasons for our move are complex but the main motivation is to be closer to both of our families.  My parents are planning to build their own little place right on the farm so they will literally be next door!  We are so excited for Benji and Baby to grow up in daily contact with their Nonnie and Papa.  I have many other relatives in town, and much of the rest of our families live in the corridor from MD to NC (about 6 hours away).

We can't wait to be able to attend more of the "little" family events and celebrations with both the Newman and Nicodemus clans.  I also hope I can reconnect with old friends and also make lots of new friends in my new life stage of motherhood. And then there are all the little traditions I am excited to share with my children: picking blueberries, going to the Frederick Fair, hunting for shark teeth at the Bay, eating produce from our own garden, even just sitting on the front stoop watching the cars and trucks go by...It was a wonderful place to grow up, and I think Benji and whoever else comes into our family will be blessed growing up on the farm, too.

Still, I have New Mexico in my blood now.  This is where we feel like we really became a family and we have too many memories here for Rehoboth to ever cease being our second home.  We hope to visit again soon, and visit often!!

Summer in Review

We are wrapping up our summer "tour of the East Coast" this week, which has me thinking back over all of the fun memories of the past month with our family and friends.  In a nutshell, here's what happened this summer:

One month ago today, my "little" brother Tim married Christine Briere in a beautiful ceremony at Hope Presbyterian Church (Winston-Salem, NC).  The event held many special moments: watching radiant bride Christine walking down the aisle, hearing Larry Jones' usual humorous homily, dancing with the Demon Deacon at the reception, watching Benji meet his cousin Knox for the first time...the list could go on and on.  At the end of the day it finally hit me that my little brother is all grown up--and this brought a few tears, although they were mostly happy tears, because I am thankful for how he has become a mature, godly man.  These lovely photos are thanks to Shanna Duffy photography:

After the wedding, we headed to the KY Reunion which was in Beech Mountain, NC this year.  The week included good time with friends, hikes, meals, games, and yes--the annual adventure race!

Next stop was Figure 8 Island, NC for the Fourth of July.  Benji was a big hit among his grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins!

From NC we drove north to Maryland for a week on the farm.  Benji had a wonderful time with Nonnie, Papa, and Rosie.  He also came to love riding in the little red wagon.  A special event for me was good friend Kelly Money's baby shower.

From MD we drove to Capon Springs, WV for a week with the extended Nicodemus family.  As usual, it was a week of relaxation, family fun, and good eating!  Benji had a blast in the pool!

On our way back to North Carolina, we stayed with Wade, Emily, Caroline, and Andrew in their beautiful new house in Roanoke.  What a gift it was to have those few extra days with some of our very favorite people!

Back in NC, we headed to Charlotte to visit newlyweds Tim and Christine as well as Andrew, Meghan, and Knox.  The weekend included a fun night out "on the town" at Vapiano's restaurant and lots of good time with aunts, uncles, and one adorable cousin!

Finally, we arrived back in Greensboro for a week with Captain and MereMere; Jonathan flew to Los Angeles for a math teachers' conference, while Benji and I enjoyed a slower pace for a little while.  We enjoyed a few days with French exchange student Auriane and had a nice visit with Genavee as well.  We also returned to Charlotte for one more visit. 

Whew!  This month has been a whirlwind and I don't think any of us want to get in the car for another year...but I am thankful that we got to have so much time with family and friends and it has been a joy watching Benji's abilities blossom.  He is now very much on the move and is learning new words every day.  Let's see if he can learn how to survive a 26 hour car trip back to New Mexico!  :-D