Free Beauty

I believe I have posted before about Price House Nature Center and what a blessing it has been for us. Yes, make that several times. It's just a little garden park and nature center, probably not so extraordinary, but I have still not gotten over the fact that it's right in my neighborhood and completely free.

Every week, I can bring my son to romp in the fenced garden and yard, be greeted by name by the director, Dr. Mike, play with his dogs, learn from the student volunteers, visit the turtles, identify animals in the display, do a craft, read a book in the cozy kids' corner, color, do a puzzle, play with the other kids, occasionally see a slideshow or specimens brought that day, and otherwise enjoy a yard and garden that I do not tend- and never once be asked for money. I find it astounding, completely the reverse of how the world usually works. This town run park is the grace of God to me in a world of owing and paying.

We can enjoy the park during all daylight hours, and just now it is an exquisite privilege. The irises are here!!

This used to be rows of stubble, not too long ago.

Miles can't believe his good fortune either. (Actually he's exclaiming about a bird)

Have I mentioned how much I love the color peach?

He ran between rows, smelled individual flowers, climbed the fence, chased birds and otherwise frolicked for probably 45 minutes.

Look, a hokie-themed iris!

Does anyone know what these are called?


How about these? What are these, please?

This is both a short walk from my house and an even shorter walk from my work. I can go on my lunchbreak.

Just look. Not even Solomon in all his splendor. For real.

Height comparison :-)

Mmm, peace. Free peace, free beauty, free quiet. May I never take it for granted wherever I find it.

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.
-Anne Lamott

Wedding!

We were so delighted to be in Geneseo for Claire's (Kate's daughter, my stepsister) and Matt's wedding! With the help of the Barshingers (thanks for the B&B experience, guys!!), we broke the journey north into two easy portions. We landed in Geneseo just 15 minutes before the wedding. Miles woke up a big cranky, but was in quiet awe throughout the sunny, beautiful ceremony.

Papa and son, getting comfortable before the wedding.

...and getting a bit silly. But not too silly!

I love Southern NY! This was the view from our seats...

For some reason I was in love with all the birdhouses.


Hooray! The bride was so lovely!

Saying their vows, written by themselves, under the trellis before a splendid landscape. It was seriously windy and freezing and threatening rain until JUST before the ceremony began. Then the sun abruptly came out and it was warm and mellow and perfect. I am sure the bride and groom arranged it somehow.

After the ceremony. This is, believe it or not, what often happens if you ask Miles to smile for a picture.

I didn't get great pictures of the reception; my camera is just inadequate. But this can at least give you an idea of how exquisite Claire's gown was, and how happy they were. It was a beautiful day.
Oh, and I RUE that I did not get any pictures, but Miles was having a total danceathon! He rocked out while the string quartet was playing after the ceremony, and when the band struck up he had the greatest little butt wiggling caper you can imagine. I was too busy enjoying myself to get the camera. I shall do better in future? Maybe.

No road trip is complete without fast food! I maintain that, at least with kids, it can scarcely be done without Chick-fil-A and/or McDonalds. We hit the same McDonalds coming back that we did back in December. This time, Miles bravely went down the big slide!

I still can't believe we all coped as well as we did. Jon was in the middle of exam week/papers due hell, Miles is 22 months old, I was 11.5 weeks pregnant... but we were all fairly comfortable and enjoyed the adventure!

Next road trip is slated for July. Will we be seeing any of you, dear readers?

From the big brother...

We're still not sure if Miles believes us, but he knows how to talk the talk!

Below, he shows his happy face for being a big bubba :-)



Ignorance is bliss? He's certainly blissful!


He practices. It's funny, until last month all he knew about babies is that they said, "Waah, Waah," and now that's the one thing he won't do here. You will hear him singing "Einini, Einini" which are the first words in an Irish lullabye I always sing to him.
Wish him luck!

Look what else the Easter Bunny brought!

Much to our delight, it seems that Miles will celebrate Thanksgiving this fall by becoming a big brother!

We continue our tradition of calling our proto-babies after the Lost Boys. Miles was Toodles, you may remember. This one is Pockets.

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It has legs! We are 10 weeks along and feeling... okay. Mostly :-)

Miles has learned to say "Big Bubba!" and is willing to humor our mad story of a very small baby in Mum's tummy. Next update will contain his perspective on the matter.


Surprise!!

The Easter Rabbit brought what??

Happy Easter to All and Sundry! We hit up the Easter Vigil service at 6am, and I think we'll do that again! Amazing! It started with a small fire outside (Miles said "WOW light!!"), and we then had a candlelit 30 minutes with chanting and incense, followed by a dramatic re-telling of some key Old and New Testament stories done in pantomime by children and teens. In the semi-darkness.

Around sunrise, we said our first Alleluia, the lights in the church were turned on and the bell began to ring. And Easter hymns, communion, etc commenced. It was really beautiful and worth getting up for!

This is not Miles' first Easter, but he spent last Easter dying his tongue green and blue by sucking on Easter eggs when we weren't looking, so I didn't really feel like he has participated before.

In his basket was a new coloring book, a stuffed sheep (see below), goldfish, jellybeans, peeps, a white chocolate rabbit (for Mum, let's face it) and bubbles in a container shaped like a rabbit.
The peeps and jellybeans were soundly rejected (wouldn't even nibble), the goldfish were gobbled, the new coloring book greatly appreciated, the bubbles enjoyed heartily and the eggs pitched onto the floor, one by one, whenever Miles could find opportunity. Miles just isn't developing an appropriate relationship with dyed eggs. We'll work on that. :-P

"Goldfish, though.... THAT I can dig!"

"C'mon, c'mon, more bubbles, get going!"

Shouting "Bubbles!!!"

I could get into this Easter stuff!

Alas, the picture I was working for in which Miles held his Easter basket (without pitching eggs) and smiled angelically did not pan out. But he is very fond of his sheep.

Happy Easter, all!

Daycare Days

We receive a constant stream of pictures of Miles and his buddies at daycare. His time there is so important to him and he loves to talk about his friends while he's home! So I thought I'd show a few shots from what Miles does for a living, M-F, 8-5.

I'm going to not to give proper names of these gorgeous children on my blog. But his bff is the little girl in stripes, nicknamed "NuNu." They're about the same age and LOVE to talk to each other. His caregiver says they speak the same language.

Miles sleeps hardcore at daycare. Despite the light and sound and all other distractions, he's supposed to be an excellent sleeper there. I wish his naps on the weekends went so well!

Miles with his bff, NuNu.

Warmer weather means frequent trips to the PLAYGROUND!

I'm telling you, he loves this girl! Surely they are discussion something very meaningful here.

One of the new boys shares a passion for PULL-BACK CARS with Miles! Hooray!

It's so gratifying to see him having fun with his buddies while I'm at work. We're so thankful for such a great daycare arrangement!

At LAST!!!!

I have been beyond impatient for spring. For some reason, for like 4-6 weeks I was constantly in the grip of one bug or another. Mostly varieties of colds, but it'd get worse every time a cold front came in. I was getting desperate! Finally, I think I can safely say that spring is underway in Blacksburg.

We had no idea what to expect from this tree, having never seen it in spring. It started with mysterious green and maroon buds, then bloomed neon green, then settled in an angelic white with maroon tips. Miles laughs when we stand under it and and look up.

Brave little... purple daisy? Leah and Matthew, any possibility this is what the seeds from your wedding favors produce? These grew up around where I planted those daisy seeds...

Violets cover the front lawn.

Here's our mystery blossom tree in glory.

Across the street, where we like to play.

It's baseball season! And that's all I know about that! :-)

Family shot on Palm Sunday. Miles was smiling as he was asked to do- just not at the camera.

Miles is pretty convinced that Hosanna is best pronounced "Zoo-Anna!!!!" He is implacable on this point.

We celebrated our first Palm Sunday as Episcopalians. It involved a march around the church singing with palms, followed by a service that began joyfully and ended with the WHOLE PASSION NARRATIVE being read. It was a very emotionally variant service, appropriately so. The church will be all abuzz this week, with such things as a reading of the WHOLE GOSPEL of John on Tuesday and an all-night vigil on Maundy Thursday. There's stuff going on every day but today. And we've been recruited for the 6 am Easter Morning vigil! Yikes! They've promised us mimosas after the service, though.

Good Holy Week to you all. May you all be blessed by it.