Time for another monthly wrap-up post with Emily. And, once again, I can’t believe we’re at this point. In no particular order, here are some things I learned in January: 1. Susanna Wesley had 19 children. Maybe I learned this at some point previously, but it hit home with me this month as I was reading Eric Metaxas’ 7 Women and the Secret to their Greatness. Now that we have five little ones, the thought of birthing 14 more, and then raising them is daunting. Susanna is called the “mother of methodism” because she was such a routine person, scheduling her children’s feedings as infants, their schooling as they grew,…

December 2 is here.  And I’m really hoping that my Dad was right in predicting that Baby Washer #5 would arrive today.  As of right this minute, we have 15 hours and one minute remaining in the day and that is definitely enough time for this little one to make his/her appearance.  I’m hopeful…   November was a full month and a fun month for us in a lot of ways.  Once again, I’m joining up with Emily to share What We Learned.  In no particular order, here are six things I learned in November. 1.  The Goliath Frog is the largest frog on Earth.  And they can weigh up to…

  November is here and that means another month behind us with lessons learned.  October held some big lessons for me, which I’ll be writing about in future posts, but there were also some random and fun things that I learned.  These monthly re-caps are some of my favorites, so in no particular order, seven things I learned in October.  And, as usual, linking up with Emily.   The most unexpected scents put together make for a wonderful smelling candle.  I was on the hunt for a fall-scented candle when I stumbled upon this one at Target last week.  I was a bit skeptical, but let me tell you it…

  And just like that, August comes to a close.  It’s been a full month for us, with lots of travel, friends, family, and getting organized for the beginning of our school year. And, once again, I’ve gathered up a few random things I learned this month to link up with Emily. 1. How to paddle board.  Ever since we lived in San Diego and I watched people doing this in the Pacific Ocean, I’ve had a secret desire to attempt this sport.  I had my chance in Puerto Rico two weeks ago.  And, did you know, you can paddle board while pregnant?  Yep!  At 24.5 weeks pregnant I maintained…

  Summer is winding down and everyone is gearing up for going back to school (some of you already have!), cooler days, fall-inspired decor and meals.  Here in Virginia, we have a full month remaining, so I’m going to soak up these last few weeks of summer and enjoy more days at the beach, another vacation, time with family, and hopefully some lazy evenings on the porch. July was a busy month for us.  I feel like we’re finally settling into our life here and it’s a good feeling.  I don’t like the in-between of being in a new place with no connections.  But, I now have several new phone…

I’m joining up today with Emily, and many others, to recount what we learned in June.  It’s a fun practice that I enjoy each month.  Sometimes I have deep lessons to share, other times it’s just a mixture of some random thoughts.  But, I think they are all worth remembering. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   1. The blueberry plant is in the same family as the azalea.  I discovered this while researching the health benefits of blueberries, trying to justify my desire to eat an entire blueberry pie.  I ended up making this recipe and wouldn’t you know?  On the cover of my Bon Appetit magazine was a rustic blueberry pie!  This would…

Another month has passed, and as we enter into June, inspired by Emily from Chatting at the Sky, I’m going to re-cap what I learned last month.  Sometimes serious things, sometimes silly; all worth remembering.   1. Road trips with my children by myself are pretty easy these days.  Everyone can walk, hold hands into the pit stop location, and feed themselves in the car which makes us reach our final destination much more quickly.  It also helps that we live closer to both sets of Grandparents now.  We are going to take FULL advantage of that this summer with visits to both sides, hopefully on multiple occasions. 2. Myquillin Smith is just…

Once again, I’m totally in shock that April is over.  I probably say something like this every month, but for some reason April really went by quickly.  In an effort to look back and reflect on what I’ve learned every month, I’m once again linking up with Emily Freeman to re-cap the funny, random, insignificant turned memorable, and sometimes serious things that have gone on in my heart and mind.     1. Spring in Virginia is stunning.  Yes, I grew up in Virginia, but not this part, and I haven’t lived here in the spring since 1999, so I had forgotten.  Maybe it was the long-ish winter, but seeing…

Can you believe today is April 1??  We’ve been having little spurs of spring here and there, teasing us with the warm weather, and then we have a day of freezing temperatures!  We’re still getting used to the weather here in Virginia.  But I think we’re going to like being near the ocean once the warm weather is here to stay. I’m joining in today with Emily Freeman’s link-up about what we learned in March.  It’s always fun to look back over the month and remember the fun, and sometimes serious, things that I learned. 1. We live in the flight path for EVERY military plane that flies into our…