Ohio

Some highlights from our Ohio trip include: 

A morning with the fab Carr family, the kids loved playing together and we loved having a chance to catch-up with old, dear friends.  It is always fun to chat with friends that have known your spouse for a long, long time.  Kevin remembers Mark back in the day insisting he would never marry a "girly-girl." How did that work out for you, Mark?

Paul and Cully came back early from Indiana so we could have one more night together. We enjoy every chance we have to spend time with them and the kids adore Matt and Abby. What a privilege to get the chance to watch them grow into young adults and what a pleasure to watch Matt turn into a little kid again playing cars with Ben.

Dad Watson ended our trip with a magic show.  The kids were enchanted with all his tricks, especially the encore which finished with candy in their hands.  Grandpa Watson even made a personalized trick with our family photos where we start out at home and end up at church.  

Clara and Mara had a night owl party one evening, staying up late together laughing and playing. To witness their pajama clad magical mutual delight is a memory we will hold onto for a long time.  The only time Clara cried on our long road trip home was when she realized we were leaving Mara. 

A lowlight that turned into an "all's well that end's well" moment...there was construction going on at the lodges where we stayed and ended up with three nails in our tires.  Thankfully, we discovered this on Friday and had time to get new tires before heading back to NC and the lodges paid for them, so we can't complain too much.  It did mean that the kids missed out on a trip to the Columbus Science Center.  

The kids were incredible travelers, through plans changing, cold, cold weather, lots of time in the car and just being off schedule, they were troopers.  We are most thankful that Ben and Clara continue to be our favorite people to be with. No matter where we are, if we are together, we are home.

Thankful

(Photo by Ben)

We are in Ohio celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday with most of Mark’s family.   The star of the event is not the turkey, or even the mashed potatoes— we have been feasting on the joy and love of the kids, the bond between them sparkling and shining bright.  Clara and Mara take total delight in one another.  Clara loves feeding her, playing with her, bathing her, watching over her with a seriousness of purpose and gentleness that defies her two and half years.  Mara is smitten with her cousin, watching her in constant wonder, giggling with glee and thrilled to have all of her attention.  Ben has been so sweet with his “girls” and anytime naptimes or schedules keep us apart, needs to know when we will be with Baby Mara again. 

Our prayer is that these times together would begin to lay a foundation for a connection of love, friendship and family that will carry them through a lifetime.  For these kids, who share a story of sorrow, for Mara even before she was born, “cousins” doesn’t seem deep or strong enough word for them. The shadow of Grace is with us always, a welcome guest, a constant longing, an ambassador of a love that calls us to remember, to give, to play, to live…to be ever thankful.

Photos

Here are a handful of some favorite photos from our trip to the mountains when Doug and Ashlee came out to visit.  What a great perk to have friends that are professional photographers.  Thank you dna wylie photography for these special images, we love you and miss you!

Sugar Bugs

It feels as if we celebrated Halloween all month!  We made ghosts, carved pumpkins, went to a "boo-fet" dinner, watched the Great Pumpkin, had parties at church, at preschool and with friends, it was enough to tire out any ghost or goblin. Ben dressed up as Luke Skywalker for all the festivities (but for preschool he insisted on wearing his b-ball cap, we managed to talk Ben out of that accessory for trick or treating night).  He was so proud to carry his light-saber, a special gift from his Daddy. Mark presented the light-saber to our young Luke in a hallowed Jedi ceremony, which left one Star Wars loving dad choked up with emotion. Clara split her costume wearing into being a policeman (don't you dare call her a police girl) for preschool and being a witch for the trick or treating party.  Mark dressed up as Anakin (are you feeling the Star Wars obsession?) and Leah was a witch too, Clara called them "witch buddies."  

At a recent visit to the dentist Ben learned about sugar bugs that live on your teeth and found this information so fascinating he came home and told his baby sister about it too.  Last night, we let them each have a couple pieces of candy and as they raced around enjoying their sweets high, they examined each other's mouths for sugar bugs, laughing hysterically all the while.  It was a wonderful Halloween, the one we have been waiting for and dreaming of since our first Halloween with Ben when he was just a few weeks old and cried most of the night.  

We love our little sugar bugs (and ditched most of the candy-sshh!).