Chattaboogie

I am ashamed to say that we visited Chattanooga and failed to take a single photo. We spent many lovely days out at the Staven Farm, I visited with my Grandmother, visited with the Riley's, and I went with Rachel and Aimee to see Les Miserables, which was absolutely beautiful and well done. So, so thankful.

Bosom Friends

Winter in Maine is cold with short days, so there is not much playing outside to be done.  I've been noticing lately that playing inside is a totally different "art" than playing outside.  While the kiddos have had plenty of time to develop their outside playing skills, we are just now being pushed to discover the indoors.  They've always enjoyed drawing and working on crafts, train tracks, building with blocks, but we've been working on playing board games, Simon Says, Mother May I?, and other indoor games.  One of our favorite boardgames of late is called "The Ladybug Game," and it's especially fun to have something the kids can play together.  The only obstacle is little Raindrop who likes to "help" by scattering the pieces and cards all over the floor.

One of the best parts of our trip down South was the return to the great outdoors.  The temperatures reached the 60's and 70's during a good part of our trip, and we laughed at the big trash bag sitting in the trunk of the van with all our winter gear.  The kids spent hours outside every day (often barefoot and in shorts), and it was truly beautiful to be reminded of the joy they experience playing outside - and to see that they play outside well.  This is especially encouraging since they have a long way to go with the inside playing thing :)

One of our best outside playing stretches came when we went down to stay with BMa and Daddy-O while Hubry did research at a nearby library.  My bosom friend, Mrs. Elisha Boggs, came to visit us in Warner Robins, and brought her three kids (who just happen to be my kids' bosom friends).  Even though we hadn't seen each other in 6 months, as Elisha said, the kids didn't skip a beat.  George Wilder and Amelia came running in the door as if they'd always lived there, and a few minutes later they were all four running outside in a pack to pick up where they left off.  One of my favorite images, though I don't have an actual photo, is of the four of them sitting over a little bridge with homemade fishing poles pretending to fish.  There were forts scattered throughout the front and back yards, little treasures and secrets, stories and crafts, walks, more flying of kites, and a picnic at a nearby park.  And of course, there were many sweet conversations between the Mamas.

Peek-a-boo

I'm going to jump...

Photo credits go to BMa and Daddy-O

Posing

In Action

Flying Kites

After we left Springville we were able to visit Grandparents West in LaGrange, along with Abe and Bethany, Adam and Ellen and family, Okie Parents, and Uncles Jim and Paul.  It was a fun day that included kayaking / wading in the lake, and an amazing kite-flying expedition. Most of the fun was initiated by Uncle Jim, who Songbird says she can't wait to play with again.

Yummy Chick-fil-A

Tell us all about it...

My turn, my turn!

Kite-Flying with the Papas

Bro mesmerized by cousin Marit's violin

10 Years

Hubry and I celebrated 10 years of marriage this year, and though we had two dates in one day on December 21st, our big celebration was a romantic getaway to New Orleans. OK, so I was tagging along while Hubry went to a conference and had some interviews, and I had little Raindrop in tow, but we were without the older children, and we enjoyed long walks together in the mornings and leisurely breakfasts, so at this stage in our lives that qualifies as a romantic getaway:) I actually had a wonderful time with Raindrop exploring things on her level. It was so windy and cold the first two days that I had to find indoor things to keep us busy, and thankfully she was still free. We went to the aquarium and the insectarium, all the while toddling around peeking, pointing, exploring, running here and laying down for a break there. It was such a sweet time to get to know her alone, and every time the three of us went for a walk she would sweetly look up at us and smile as if to say, "finally, I have them all to myself!" In fact, when we returned to my parents' house, she threw a big fit when Songbird and Bro came up to give us hugs and snuggle in our arms.

This last photo was taken from the floor-length window of our 43rd floor hotel-room!

Clarkson Clan

After Saluda we were so excited to make a pit stop at my cousin Beth's house in Knoxville, TN where we were able to see their new life, new baby Nate, and visit in a more leisurely fashion (so leisurely I didn't take a single photo).  From Knoxville we all traveled to Chattanooga for the day where we met up with cousins Steve and Rebecca and new baby Elijah, and visited with the Woodard side of the family.

It was a day of mirror pictures.

Back in Alabama we enjoyed a Christmas puppet show put on by GranJan and Papa RJ, and let me tell you it was a big hit with the kids! I think it might have been the first time I've seen my parents perform together, and I quite enjoyed it.

It was really sweet to see Raindrop fairly immediately bond with my Uncle Larry. She is in a Mama (and sometimes Papa) only stage, which made it more touching to see her fondness for him. She kept walking up to him and smiling, and she even let him pick her up onto his lap.

Extended Okies

On Christmas Day we drove from Saluda to Greenville to visit with the extended Okie family. There were 10 kids, many grown-ups, lots of delicious Christmas food, and good conversations all around the kitchen.

Around the World and Back Again

OK, maybe around the South and back again is a better way to start this post, but after a three-week tour of our Southern homeland, and a three-person sickness upon returning home, we are finally back in the swing of things.  I was going to say back into our normal routine, but "normal routine" seems like a bit of a stretch when you have only lived in a new place for 6 months.  In fact we are so used to moving and changing spaces that the only "normal" we know is change.  But that's for another post altogether...

On the morning of Christmas Eve we got to the Portland airport early with two suitcases, 4 backpacks, 1 briefcase, one pack-n-play, three car seats and three small children.  Miraculously, a few hours later our family of 5 and all of our belongings made it safely to the Charlotte airport, where Abe and Bethany were waiting to meet us with a van.  We hadn't seen them in 1.5 years (they had never met Raindrop before), and we were more than excited to be seeing them and getting to spend the whole week together with Hubry's family.

We spent the week at Grandmom's Saluda house, which has 18 acres of woods, an amazing view of the mountains, and many sweet childhood memories for Hubry.  There was a lot of exploring, cooking, eating, drinking tea / coffee, reading stories, and talking at night in between reminding stray children to get back in bed.  Altogether a lovely time of reconnecting and celebrating.

Art with BMa

Scavenger Hunt (They took this very seriously)

Playing Charlotte's Web with BMa

Beautiful light over the mountains

One of many delicious meals we shared together

Hats from India

Dresses from India

Story-time in the loft with BMa

More art with BMa

City Folk

Sound asleep (so the game goes)