More new friends

Thanks to Gayle Woody, I agreed to attend the Community Women's Bible Study (spring semester, from February to May) - and she welcomed me in and introduced me to people. There are a variety of women who attend, from young moms up through older, retired women, and they represent numerous area churches. It was my first time to attend any sort of women's study, which was nice. One of my first times there, Gayle said, "Oh, you've just got to meet Sadie!" and promptly invited us over for lunch after study that week. 

Sadie and Dustin moved to Cullowhee last year (Dustin is a professor in the theatre and film department), and their two boys are almost the same age as ours. Wait, double take, yes, this is another family with two boys the same age as ours! Sadie is also a certified doula, and has such a kind and generous spirit (and is more spontaneous than me, which means we actually have gotten together numerous times, usually with other people, too. "Hey, we're heading to the park this morning..." "Okay, great, we'll meet you there"). I feel like God has known what we needed and provided us with new people here who have been able to listen to our story, ask questions, initiate with us (that's key for me), and show us gentleness and compassion - and even to provide friends for Timo and Mattias, who hadn't yet had boy friends their ages. For that I am very thankful.

Amos (on left), born three weeks before Timo; and Guthrie (middle), born 3 months after Mattias

And hey, this is fun, let's take photos of just the two of us, since there's actually another adult around to do so! (Never mind that four little boys are running around the driveway at our feet, throwing baseball bats and balls and sticks and climbing up on the dirt hill...)

Unfortunately their family is traveling for the summer (mostly to Chicago area), as Dustin is involved with acting and directing a play. They came by to say good-bye on Sunday afternoon, which is why we're standing on the driveway taking photos, ha!

New friends!!!!

How many exclamation points can I put on that post title without you wondering if I'm desperate? Truth be told, we are SO thankful for the new friendships that have sprung up here in Sylva - beyond what we were expecting.

One great new friendship here is with Blake and Erin Daniel, who moved here a year ago from Durham. Yep, Blake went to Duke Divinity and they attended Blacknall for several years and were friends with Craig and Rachel. Naturally we got connected with them right away. Blake is a pastor here, and it was a woman in their church that found about this rental house and got us in touch with the owner (where we now live); Erin helped watched the boys while I was unpacking and has since introduced me to other moms with young kids in the area; and in general they have helped us learn our way around, 'commiserated' with us about the transition to small-town life, and been an open door to us of friendship and generosity. It also helps that they have two young boys, each just a few months older than our two.

Last Saturday the dads offered to take the boys for the morning, while the moms had some free time. WHAT!!! (Erin and I are both hoping this turns into a regular event!) I can't remember the last time I had three hours off with a friend to chat and eat and shop. It was wonderful.

Heading out for breakfast, and then a bookstore and a furniture consignment shop.

Meanwhile, back at the Daniel's house... Jim cooked up a load of pancakes, and then the boys went to work on all the cars and toys in the playroom.
 

Their boys are Luke (age 4) and Isaac (just turned 2)

What's this, what's this, they even had art time?!!

Ending the morning on a quiet note, reading The Hobbit, naturally.

Strawberry Festival at Darnell Farm

Two weekends ago we trooped over to Darnell Farm for their spring strawberry festival day. What a great place!! It's about 20 minutes away from us, with beautiful flat, open fields and the edge of the farm winding along the Tuckaseegee River. (Sylva also has the Tuckaseegee flowing through it.) We got there first thing in the morning while it was still pretty quiet, but by the time we left, boy were people gearing up for a day on the farm! 

We saw antique tractors, made some purchases at the farm stall, watched the horses and antique plows working a field, watched a clog dance, and ate fresh strawberries and fresh kettle corn. By the time we left (to get home for afternoon naps), there were buses of folks pulling in; lots of people fishing along the river or in small dinghies; hay rides touring the fields; people eating strawberry shortcake everywhere you looked; kids playing on the playset; and live music kicking off. Great place, and I'm planning to go with the boys again this week for pick-your-own before the strawberry season winds down.

Boys weren't smiling for the photo but they were VERY excited about these tractors. So was I, I'll admit.

Mother's Day photos

Mother's Day in our household brings up a swirling of emotions. We love to think about our mothers and all the ways they have loved us and given so much to us, and to think on the legacy of love and life examples that we also received from our grandmothers. And now it is special to look at our boys and step back for a moment and think about being intentional with my mothering and our parenting. Do I spend one-on-one time with each of them every day? Do I give them physical affection and verbal encouragement, more than giving commands and time-outs? 

But of course I also had three Mother's Day days with this little beauty, and she is sorely, sorely missed. I found it hard this year as I was thinking of her throughout the day, and struggling with anger that she is gone from us. I wish she were here to play pretend games with Timo and run around the yard playing soccer with him, and to hold Mattias's hand and read books to him. And I wish I could still hug her and feel her soft hair, and hear what stories she may be telling at age 5. Maybe this year she could have helped me make scones and tea for an afternoon treat.

Before Sunday morning church, we went to a nearby park and Jim took a few photos. Both of the boys were so excited by the railroad tracks that there was absolutely no way to keep them still for a photo with me - but that is certainly motherhood at this stage!
 

Well, at least the roses look nice!

Boys' Life

It's the glory days around here, folks, and we're just getting started at age 3 and age 1!! Here is why...

1. Books
2. Trucks and cars
3. Legos
4. Tools
5. Sticks and rocks and creeks and trails galore 

Summer is just arriving and we are looking forward to more hours outside: biking or walking, exploring, digging/weeding/looking for fossils, throwing rocks in the river, playing in the fountain downtown, learning to float in the water (Timo's goal), making friends with neighbors who have a trampoline (my goal), watching trucks driving down Main St (Mattias's), and finding out what childhood in the NC mountains will be like.

Here's a smattering of photos from around the house in the past couple months - still need to get more photos out and about -

Saturday morning reading - our new favorite, Total Tractor, from the library (you should hear Mattias's squeals of delight!).

 

Timo (with help) constructed one of his awesome "fire houses"

Mattias goes CRAZY with excitement when I get out the vacuum or broom. He loves to help - rather, he loves to do it himself with NO assistance from me. (I have to vacuum when Jim is home and the boys are outside if I want to actually get any work done.) Fortunately I bought this compact little vacuum at Rose's (yes, 80s throwback store, and I think most of the products may be from the 80s as well); it is small and lightweight enough that he can work it by himself.

We pulled out the couch (and moved that crate off the floor) to get the dustballs.

Timo checking the air pressure on his tractor tires

This is from several months ago, but this outfit remains one of Timo's favorites, his "soccer uniform" ("my soccer ball shirt, soccer ball shorts, soccer ball socks and soccer ball shoes", as he says). Thank you to the Felskes for the hand-me-down shirt!! Recently he has decided that when Daddy comes home from work is the best time to change into his uniform and go out to the side yard to play.

I am so happy to see how these two brothers are growing in their friendship and spend more time playing together now (at times without screaming or tears!). Their favorite game is to race all the cars across the shelf. Timo starts at one end and then hands off to Mattias in the middle, and then Mattias pushes them off the end. Then switch sides. And thankfully, so far it looks like Mattias is following hard in his brother's footsteps, loving all things truck and farm and fire and dirt.