Some Thanksgivings

Tuesday morning brought us to Mendon Ponds to pay our friends at WildWings a visit. It's becoming a tradition for us! The kids love the chance to see the majestic birds (the barred owl was feeling especially talkative) and I love to get back to my favorite park from my childhood.

There's even an indoor area to learn about the natural world and thaw out at the same time!

The day was not especially frigid- maybe high of 40- but I was in the achy stage of that cold. Still, we had some great talks with Matthew, who was accompanying Abby. 

The kids ran pretty wild together in the park afterward. It was a joy to watch, even in my achy-sniffly state. Smiles do one a lot of good. 

Maybe this picture we got of Adele in the Barnes and Noble will give you a smile? She's practicing for her own album cover: 

We took the kids to the movies Tuesday afternoon! Peanuts is WELL worth your time and money, people. If you love Charlie Brown and the whole gang, you'll be pleased to know the moviemakers went out of their way to preserve as much of the original aesthetic and spirit as possible. This film might be a bit more cheerful than Schultz's work usually was, but it feels good, like Charlie Brown's finally gotten his good karma back. We all adored it!

Sunset over the Erie Canal. Miles wanted to be told every time we passed it. Which was a lot. 

Tuesday night, Dad kindly stayed with the kids so Jon and I could get out.. to quiz night with Allison!

Team Butterball Hotline came in third, in a large crowd at Dickey's in the South Wedge. Not bad!

Wednesday morning we took our trip to Canada to see Grandma Dorothy, my only remaining Grandparent. It's so strange. They all four stayed alive until 2014, and then three of them left us, one after another. I'm so very grateful this Thanksgiving that Grandma Dorothy remains. We had a nice talk about her family, and I learned a bit about her heritage that I didn't know. I'm inspired to call and write. And I continue to wish I could visit her more.

Thanksgiving at Dad's house was so lovely, guys. I felt pretty lousy, but I had the deep luxury of not having to do ANYTHING all the day long. Dad continued his project of spoiling us and made the whole meal. Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. I sank into the rarest of all experiences: a true day off. I took the day off guilt, the day off frenzy and activity and business. It would have been harder if I'd been feeling better, but as it was, I happily watched the parade and snacked and drank tea and felt so, so grateful. After our delicious dinner we took a walk to see the sunset.

Miss Adele was a bit grumpy from lack of nap, but the rest of us were all smiles. We had a delightful evening at Agnes' house, eating pie and ice cream and meeting new people. It was pure ease and warmth and I'm so grateful.
And the biggest reason for gratitude of all? Thanksgiving brought us the news that little Addison Claire had been born!

Labor started on the full moon, as I'd thought it might! Little Addison is healthy and hale and completely beautiful. We hope to hold her next weekend! 

Can there be a better lift than to know there's a new life in the world? Blessings were coming in from every direction that day. 

We took one more day in Rochester for some family fun at the Rochester Museum and Science Center.

The view from the RMSC window, of the herb garden. 

The new exhibit, Frogs! had us smiling from the start. We got to witness the miracle of Abby's mustering the courage for her first planetarium show (she's been a bit afraid of the experience until now) and watch the wonder as the kids did physics experiments, crafted inventions to soar on air, saw the dinosaur bones and learned about Native cultures.

Oh, and you know, dress up as beavers and live in a lodge for a while.

I loved the chance to refresh my scientific understanding. Newton comes up a lot in many of my students' classes, for example.

I even made use of Newton's First Law in the Q&A portion of my Contemporary Theory Paper presentation last night! Thanks, RMSC! 

All too soon, it was time to leave the museum. I was recently asked to describe my perfect day, and it involved a trip to a museum. My favorite days are days when I can learn and play both at once. 

We snapped a few pictures in the Electricity Show area...

Leah and I got to catch up more thoroughly this time. I'm so grateful for her. 

And then we enjoyed one last social dinner, this time with the Browns! These are old friends and have really been like family for a long time. I feel so loved when we visit them. We got to meet Christi-Lynn's new baby, and catch up with Paul, Allison's boyfriend. Feeling like I'm current with old friends is profoundly satisfying.

And then we were off. It was a weekend of driving, and detours, and convenience stores and McDonalds playplaces so the kids could exercise in cold weather. It was a bit tough. But it came with a variety of sweet, warm November views.

Now that we're home, we are settling in for a beautiful Blacksburg advent. 

We have no news on Jon's job search. We are wishing hard and praying harder. Do join us in this. 

Peace be with you, friends! We hope you were enfolded in love this past week.