Home

I said goodbye to mom and dad on Tuesday. Hard. I smiled when we hugged and cried as I drove off. It felt like a piece of me was leaving. A part of me grieves every time I say goodbye to any of my family.  But when I saw Spokane's skyline I suddenly felt a warm, homey feeling. This is my home and I love it. It might be the first time I've felt like this about Spokane. I used to despise this strange city that crowded me. It was a place where neighbors barely made eye contact and church felt like a big company meeting where my input wasn't really needed. I still have a hard time sometimes. It's easy to feel alone and I often spend entire days inside because I honestly don't know what else to do. I long so much for a simple country life where being alone is an expected and comfortable feeling. But right now I somehow am content where I live and it seems a more friendly place than ever before. Maybe it's the fall weather.

Having my parents here was like having a vacation. It's easy, at least for me, to share a house with them. It almost felt like we were somewhere else in a cabin, eating more food than usual and bumming around. I did hardly any housework (thanks mom!) and mom wanted to hold Benjamin almost every time he cried. It really was a vacation. We watched PBS shows, shopped at thrift stores, ate lots of food and played with the boys. I didn't take enough pictures (sorry). But it was so wonderful and I look forward to their next trip up. We even discussed road tripping and meeting half way sometime.

It's hard being away from my family. But I have slowly been digging my roots into the Northwest, even into this little neighborhood. It's wonderful making your own adventure in a new land. I realized as I drove my parents through town that I knew my way around Spokane really well. I knew shortcuts and scenic routes. I found my way to the historical mansions on the South Hill even though I had only come by them accidentally before. It reminds me of when I left Illinois to go to school in Arkansas and I was sad to leave a place where the roads were so familiar. I like familiar roads and knowing shortcuts to places. It has taken me a long time to get to that place again.



Love you, Dad and Mom. See you again soon.

Life.

I suppose it's time to share this:

I'm 14 weeks along with Morgan baby #2! Baby is due September 14. We'll find out the gender in a couple months. Shane would like another boy. I don't think I have a preference. Little boys are a lot of fun and I wouldn't mind having only boys, but it would be neat to know what it's like to have a daughter. I haven't been sick at all. Just tired and hungry...and maybe a little emotional. :) And Oliver is starting to understand I think. He pats my tummy and kisses and says, "Baby in there." I hope he gets excited. I'm not looking forward to the day I can't put him on my lap because my tummy is too huge. I remember being disappointed when I couldn't sit on my mom's lap when she was pregnant. Mommy's lap is the best seat in the house!

I can't wait to see you, baby. I can't wait to welcome you to our family. We are all in anticipation.

On a more somber note, I said goodbye to my last grandparent on March 4. Grandpa Gregory died almost 3 months after my grandma. And we just found out that Shane's step-grandmother passed away today. Life is a curious and unpredictable thing. It is always coming and going yet it never seems insignificant in any way. It's always hard. It's always amazing. And I can always find peace in God's sovereignty through it all.

Shane just called me and told me his mom was coming over tonight to stay...maybe for a couple days? I said okay cool, thanks for telling me, I'm busy, gotta go. Then as I hurried to my next task I realized I felt very light-hearted and my mood was instantly better than 2 minutes prior. I was momentarily confused until I realized that I was genuinely excited to see my mother-in-law. WOW, that's a cool realization actually seeing that a lot of women have relationship struggles with their mother-in-law. I'm not saying it's any easy relationship to build for me. But I am SO thankful that I can look forward to seeing her and I don't stress about the way my house looks or how I should act or what food I should have in the fridge. And as I write this I realize how similarly I am thankful for the peace and rest I have with my parents (see my previous post). But it is definitely unexpected to have that with Shane's mother, Karen.

Things I love about Karen:

She is uninhibited about her love for horses and spends HOURS looking at them online.
She fights for what she believes, but allows room for others to speak their hearts.
She almost always insists on buying ice cream or cake or brownies when she visits.
She loves to stock our fridge even when she's as financially tight as we are.
Um, she bought us plane tickets to Indonesia. Not a tiny thing.
She respects our rules and guidelines for raising Oliver.
She completely desires more than anything for her kids to experience life to the fullest and will sacrifice all in order that they do.
Whatever it is....she takes it like a man.

I could go on about this. But I'm just happy that I get to see her today and watch her enjoy Oliver...because I know that's her main reason for visiting and she'll want some special time with him. And since I'm leaving tomorrow for a 2 day Staff Retreat with my work (my first night away from Oliver I believe!) then I'm sure she'll have plenty of special time.

Love ya Mom #2!

anxious to share with you

I'm in full blown preparation for the first visit from my parents in the Northwest. They should be here by Tuesday, hopefully morning. I really can't describe how excited and anxious I am. I've never had my parents stay the night in MY house. I've never even cooked them a meal! This is their first witness of my role as mother and wife on my own turf. I am so thankful to have laid back parents who rarely have any expectations and take life as it comes. My mother was an excellent stay-at-home mom and kept up with house very well. So I should be nervous about the upkeep of my stuffed-with-messy-boys house. Because I really want my parents to be pleased with where I'm at in life. And if they were any other way I would be nervous. But I know that all they'll see when they walk in the door is their 20-month-old grandson.

































Speaking of Oliver...a good way of describing what he's like these days: Where I am, there will he be also. At least when I'm not at work. Whether I'm doing laundry, on the computer, doing pilates, unloading the dishwasher, watching a movie or taking the trash out...he somehow wiggles his way right in the middle of it all. I love and sometimes not-so-love his complete attachment to me. So, all the housecleaning before Tuesday better start now if I ever hope to accomplish it. Which is why I'm online uploading photos to Facebook, listening to Pandora, and browsing friends. I mean, who actually starts cleaning 3 days before company? Really.

Meeting and re-meeting family

This is Oliver meeting his great-grandma (Shane's grandma) for the first time. He is her only great grandchild. A special day indeed.



He also met his Aunt Amanda for the first time too! She teaches math in Indonesia, so we rarely get to see her. It was one of the best 4th of Julys ever! Amanda is also Oliver's god-mother. It was love at first site for both of them. I hardly see Oliver respond so affectionately and comfortably as he did with her.




And re-meeting Uncle Jonathan! Buddies for life. :)