summer break

Peter asked me the other day if we were on summer break so I figure it's time to make it official. It's been pretty obvious that we're not on our normal schedule! We've been just hanging around lately. We've been enjoying the pleasant temperatures, the tolerable mosquitoes and flowers of spring time. We've been digging in the dirt and finding lots of bugs. We've been swinging from trees now that a good friend made a rope swing for the kids.
I guess it's obvious: we're on summer break.

Graduation

Well, we survived the big weekend. Philip posted pictures from the weekend on his blog so hop over there to check them out!

I'll fill in the gaps soon!

Wright Brothers National Park

When our plans for the trip to Kitty Hawk finalized we couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to the Wright Brothers National Park. I quickly gathered all the books I could get at the library and we had a Wright Brothers marathon the week prior to our trip. We found a Wright Brothers documentary on Netflix on the Brothers! We were ready when we arrived- maybe a bit too ready.

We descended....

A very brave friend of ours graciously opened his home to our clan this week. Our family of 6 arrived at his normally very quiet home in Kill Devil Hills.
The kids braved the chill in the air and took right to the beach.

It's amazing how they can be so resilient to the cold when they are having a good time.
Our friend, Colin, seemed to have survived the invasion from the Chryst family. However, he did admit there might be a bit more food in the house after he gets married in August!

Monkey Tails

Why don't I make these more often?

They are quick.

They are nutritious.
They are a change of pace.

They are fun.

37 pages

Well, the delivery of the final paper did come one day past expected (with permission from the the professor). A whopping 37 pages total; Philip's final graduate paper or perhaps book!The irony of it all is in who he ran into upon delivering this completed work - Dr. Warren Smith. Dr. Smith was Philip's adviser and professor of Church History course.

Philip shared the good news with Dr. Smith, "I just turned in my final Div school paper.".
Dr. Smith replied, "Congrats, now you should come back for your Doctorate of Ministry".
"Duke doesn't have a D.Min program."
"Oh, but we will in the next year and you would be a great candidate."

What are the chances of that encounter....I enjoyed my first morning of having a husband who only has a full time job. I wasn't awakened between the hours of 3-5am with a good bye kiss. Instead, I was given a baby whom already had a clean diaper. I was surprised with the delivery of a latte' mid morning! I think I could get used this pretty quickly.

wordless wonders

Between 17 to 45

I find myself in another season of waiting and anticipation. It reminds me of my pregnancy with Nathan. Only this time the gestation period has been 4 years. Only this time I have been experiencing the labor pains vicariously. We are waiting for Monday afternoon. This delivery has a time; we have a date. Somewhere between 17-45 pages from now, Philip will be finished - forever- with his Masters of Divinity. He will go from here

and here

to here There is a change coming to our family. Our focus, our direction, our goals and ambitions need to be refreshed. We have been through the 4 years of Divinity school, with all it's challenges and joys and it's time to reemerge from the waters. We have been changed.

Strawberries

The long awaited time of year has come! They are red, juicy, delicious and hard to resist.
In a mere twenty minutes Peter, Emma and Ryan filled their Easter buckets to the brim with strawberries. We were done for our first trip to the strawberry farm. Twenty dollars later Nathan has his second try of strawberries. I know he's a little early for strawberries but how could I deprive him of the experience of fresh strawberries.