Amy's Nursery

This is the first of many posts to come about the new house.  So many of our family and friends are spread across the US, I want to share our new space, even if you can't see it in person.   This is my favorite space in the house so far.  We all spend a lot of time playing in here, nursing, wishing for sleep....

Welcome to Amy's room.

Our little Amy was born amidst a whole lot of transition.  We were in the Logan two bedroom condo with no idea where the next months would take us.  I put together a little corner for her but never really figured out how to get a 2 year old and a newborn to sleep in the same place together. 

This is why it was so important to put together a special space for Amy in the new house.  I'm one of those people who like to have a nursery all prepared before they are born.  I want to mark the big occasion it is to be born and to be a person, even if they probably won't remember it.  But you see, I'll remember it.

This is how it looks most of the time.  Leo and Amy playing, toys everywhere!  This is how I like it best.

When I decorate, I want things to mean something to me.  I don't want to go to the store and just buy what goes together, even though that would be much easier, I want to have a connection to it if I'm going to look at it everyday.   Many of the things in this room were given to me from my mom and sisters, Heber built the changing table and his dad built the crib.  Most is handmade and I think that is even more special. 

Heber bought this poster for me when he was out in DC at the job interview for his current job.  It just happened to work perfectly in this space.

The heart mobile

When I was expecting Amy, I knew immediately that I wanted her room to incorporate two things, butterflies and coral.  The first time I was in the Amazon in Peru was the summer before my senior year of high school.  I brought a framed butterfly home.  It's blue and has been something that I've loved for a long time.  It reminded me of being an adventurer and seeing the world.  That trip changed my perspective about the world and myself.  Butterflies have had a special place in my heart since. In fact, I purchased the butterflies for Amy's mobile a full year before she was born.  Just thought I'd be prepared if it happened. 

Butterfly mobile

 I hope that Amy loves growing up here. 

There's a special place for Amy's blessing dress.  My mom made this using lace left over from my wedding dress.

The closets here are huge.  Her room is relatively small but it makes it a little better to have a nice big closet.

With sweet little house bedding.

Leo Goes to School

Today was one of those days that I knew would happen.  It was a milestone day for Leo.  He went to his first day of "playschool."  It's a co-op with other moms.  We trade hosting at each of our homes and on the other weeks, drop the kids off to do art projects, read stories, do circle time and to play.

Leo ready and so excited for school

He bravely went inside and sat in his place for circle time.  He is growing up, in just a few months he'll be 3.   He is our independent and joyful guy. 

Showing off his new Lightning McQueen backpack

 I went off for two whole hours to myself (oh, and to hang out with Amy, but still.).  I don't think I have ever had 2 hours to myself (without Heber watching Leo) in about 3 years.  This was a momentus (and much needed) occasion.  Should I be this excited about it?  It's been a long few months.

What did I do with this new freedom?  Nordstrom Rack, of course.  I live about 10 minutes away from a huge outlet mall and I basked in the few minutes to shop.  

When did he get this big?  I just love him so much.  He was the cutest and most wonderful little one there.

Happiness and Magic

I was just in Leo's room trying to help him settle for the night.  It's 11:00 and I swear he's been out of bed about 10 times.  I went in to talk to him and help him calm down and instead of being frustrated (like I have been for many weeks), I got telling stories.  Story telling is something that was a huge part of my family culture.  We connect by sitting around and telling stories.  I told Leo about our Marbie cat (Leo's favorites are about my pets), and playing in the yellow playhouse.  We laughed and I told him stories from when he was a baby and I felt happy.  I remembered that being a mom is a happy thing. 

I think that I have lost it, you know,  the magic of mothering, heck the magic of life in general.  I guess I expected that it would come to this point, but secretly I never thought it would happen to me.    I would watch those moms at church or at the grocery story, the ones that looked perpetually stressed, worn out and had this hollow expression on their faces and feel sad for them.  I'm never going to be like that, I'd say, and now, I'm one of them.

This is real life.  This is dishes in the sink, nobody napping and me wanting to pull my hair out kind of real.  The past few months, ok, the past year, have been rough.  Two new jobs, 2 cross country moves, a full job hunt for Heber, a new baby, it's been survival mode for a long time.  Survival mode does not make anybody happy.

But I'm slowly coming back to remembering the joy.  On Sunday, I pulled out our huge train set (best consignment sale deal ever!) and I decided that we would set the whole thing up.  Leo and I spent hours putting it together and he's been playing with it for days.

The thing about happiness is that I chose to be happy, and believe me, this is one that I've learned over and over.  There is never going to be a perfect situation, there will always be people and places that I long for.  There is no house, no job, no friendship, no opportunity that is going to make me happy.  It's me.  No matter what, I have to choose to make my life happy and then do the things that make me happy.  Sounds simple but it's something I have to relearn a lot.

I guess I've got my work cut out.  Let's find the magic again.  Let's do the things that make me happy. 

Mount Vernon By Candle Light

 

It's no secret that I love Mount Vernon.  We've only been here a couple months and I have been down there twice already.  There are places here that I am continually drawn to, and Mount Vernon is one of them.

I've had a D.C. bucket list for years.  I have all sorts of bucket lists but especially D.C.  What's on it, you ask?  Well, going up in the Washington Memorial (never done), Visiting the East and West Wings of the White House (back when I was an intern, Heb and I did this together), Attending a function attended by the president (not yet, does it count if I've seen him in person?), Visit the National Cathedral and attend Easter Mass there (nope) and see Mount Vernon by candle light.

 

A couple of weeks ago, we did just that. Our friends got some tickets for an evening picnic.  I guess it was for people who lived in the area that used to be the George Washington Estate.  It was awesome.  We picnicked on the Potomac, took a special tour of the basement and enjoyed a great evening.  Our friends gave us the tickets.  We are so thankful for them in our life.  And, really, everything is more special when done by candle light.

The basement at Mount Vernon.

Apple Picking and Mountains

It's September!  It's technically fall but it's been 90 degrees and humid the last few weeks. I have not really wanted to be outside, so we have spent most of our week running errands, grocery shopping (my least favorite chore), and unpacking.  I think we are turning a corner on the unpacking and have even reached the hanging picture phase (which is saying something). 

Last weekend, some friends invited us out to an apple orchard.  In the midst of all of this craziness, we thought, let's go pick apples.  We, of course, forgot that you actually have to do something with those 20 pounds of apple we just purchased, so I ended up canning applesauce and pie filling.  Having never canned before, it's been a wild week.  There was a beautiful apple pie and the end of it, so I guess I can't complain.

Our friends.

We picked at this beautiful farm down by Front Royal.  It never ceases to amaze me that you can drive an hour out of town and be at farms and rolling hills.  I get caught up in the mass of suburbia and humanity where I spend much of my life.  Millions of people to farms in just a short ride.  It seemed the perfect spot to stop and take some pictures too.  How have I lived for 30 years and not gone to pick apples? 

Sometimes I miss the mountains.  There is something so grounding about the mountains, I always know where I am.  We have traded mountains for trees again, but being in a place with the rolling mountains (hills, really), it makes me not miss home quite so much.  There will always be a part of me that gravitates to the country, to the fields of alfalfa, the wooden fences and barns.  I wonder about the experiences that have led us here to Virginia and away from my roots and mountains.  I think it's going to take some time to see what the reasons were.  I know the initial reason of a job, but I am interested to see what will come as we build our life here.  There is some definite growing happening. 

Trains and Toddlers

It was wild at our house today.  There were toys everywhere, kids running and playing and laughing (and of course hitting, they're 2).  The mom's were over today with all of the little ones, six two year olds, 2 babies and six moms (two of which are due very soon).

See what I mean?  Chaos!

I have been waiting for this moment for a while, for the house to be filled to the brim with joyful sounds.  This is what makes a home feel like a home.  In the midst of all the trains and trucks, there were conversations happening.

Leo ready for his friends to come.

All morning long, Leo and I were talking about our friends coming and I could barely get Leo to eat breakfast because he was so excited.  He wanted to show them his room.  As people were packing up, Leo ran to the window and said, "my friend Zach is gone.  He's gone." 

It really felt like our home today.  Opening your home and coming together is what it is all about.  Homes are meant to be filled with our friends.

Amy liked it too.  She jumped right in.

A Desk!

I am sitting at my desk.  This shouldn't seem like a big deal, I sit at my desk a lot, pretty much every day.  The thing is though, it is a significant thing, this is the first time I've done this in nearly two months.  It is right now that I realize how much I've missed it.

I'm one of those people that has to have a place.  It is here that I dream, set goals, study, write, think.  When I was in college and didn't have a desk, I would go to the same place in the old Merrill Library.  Lucky for me, there was a new popular library so this one was mostly empty.  I would go to the second floor, find a big table and stretch out all of my books and have it all open in front of me.  I made some very big decisions sitting at that table.  Heber always knew where to find me and would hunt me down to talk or share a treat together.

Here's what it looks like, yes, still a work in progress, but it's a desk!    It's a place in this house to think. I need time to focus and think about how I want my life to be.  Being intentional makes me happy, whether it's in mothering or just living, I want to do it with purpose.  So, we have a start.

The house is slowly coming along. Emphasis on the slow.  We have been to Ikea 4 times in the last month and have gone through almost five gallons of paint.  Pictures coming soon!