Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The Month that was January

January 1 - A Pugh Family Reunion on K.J.'s Birthday


January 2 - Sunsets from the Interstate


January 3 - Game Night


January 4 - A Cold Walk in the Woods


January 5 - Date Night!


January 6 - Twilight Time


January 7 - Reuniting with Old Pals


January 8 - National Champions Again!


January 9 - Playing Pokemon


January 10 - Avocado and a Poached Egg on Toast


January 11 - Nighttime Coloring


January 12 - Frosted Windowpanes


January 13 - Late Night Antique Store Browsing


January 14 - Antique Store Scores


January 15 - A Birthday Bookstore Visit


January 16 - A Little Snow


January 17 - Lovely Cardinal Friends


January 18 - A Place You Shouldn't Go While Packing


January 19 - A Long Day in the Car


January 20 - Movie Night


January 21 - Sun's Out, Shirts Off


January 22 - Crazy Cousin Good-byes


January 23 - The Most Peaceful Place


January 24 - The American Robin


January 25 - Second Cousins


January 26 - Back in the City


January 27 - Successful Bakery Experience


January 28 - Sunday Night Walk Home from Church


January 29 - Monday Explorations


January 30 - En Route to the Library


January 31 - Full-Time Homeschooling Again

Saturday, January 27, 2018

5,500 Miles in a Week

The streets of Paris are still dark outside the window, though a few lights have gradually been lighting up the windows across the street.  It's just before six a.m. on a Saturday morning, and after a solid week of traveling, our bodies and our possessions have landed where they are going to stay.  For a little while at least.  Last Friday we loaded up the car, and by we I mean K.J., who played the most important Tetris game of his life fitting eight suitcases in the back of his mom's Santa Fe.  Who needs rear-view mirrors for driving anyway? 



We (and by we I mean K.J.) drove to South Carolina to spend the weekend with my sister-in-law and her family, and K.J. (not me!) preached Sunday morning at the church my brother-in-law serves.  He shared about what we would be doing in Paris, and we met a couple who had recently returned from serving many years in several French-speaking African countries.  After a week of sub-zero temperatures, we had two days of sun in the 60s, and the cousins played outside non-stop.  The way they love each other makes our hearts glad.


Early-Morning Sword Fights
Playing old Super Nintendo Games
Trampoline-Jumping



Story-Telling

T-Snuggling

No one looks forward to saying goodbyes, but we felt so loved and supported and prayed for in leaving and so confident about this next right step that the goodbyes felt easier.  It also helped that we were driving in a rental van with way more cool and modern features than any car we've ever owned.  The kids even get excited about electronic windows since our car we bought in England has manual roll-up ones in the backseat.  In a world where so many things are high-tech, I'm kind of glad they have that experience, though.  It's good to work with your hands, even if it's just rolling down a car window.

We stretched our legs in Savannah because we'd never been before, and though I took pictures of beautiful houses and old trees, this sight may live in our memories longer.


She's just a modern-day Fern, right?  One small dog in particular was just totally losing his mind as he sniffed around this Wilbur.

Some four hours later we were back at Lake Santa Fe, where we soaked up the quiet of the middle-of-nowhere feeling before exchanging it for the constant motion of city life.

 

Have we talked about Santa Fe sunsets?  Sunset on the water just can't be beat.

We had the best last day in America with cousins in Orlando.  They are kindred spirits indeed.


And after what feels like missing a day of our lives, we have made it, and thanks to having spent a few days here in November, it felt like coming home to arrive in a familiar apartment where our hosts had so graciously even put our books on a shelf while we were away.  And when your books are on a shelf, you can't help but feel at home.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Christmas with the Pughs

The day after Christmas the Murphy cousins ran around outside while we loaded up the car.  It didn't take much time being in Alabama for James to absorb a lot of football culture.  That shouldn't surprise me.


It's such a familiar thing to have boys running around the backyard with a football.


We drove back to K.J.'s parents' house where Ella was greeted immediately and enthusiastically by the oldest of her girl cousins who she hadn't seen in a year.  And we got to meet the newest baby-girl cousin we hadn't met yet.


Once the entire family arrived there were 10 cousins in the house.  What a noisy blessing. 


It's also a blessing that they all really love each other and play well together without many squabbles.  


I got a wide-angle lens for Christmas, the better to capture the chaos with.  Don't fall, James!


Sometimes the oldest cousins just have to find a quiet corner to read.


Another two-year-old nephew who has the sweetest, most agreeable spirit.  "Judah, your mommy said no more candy."  "Okay!" 


I loved the excitement on Haddon's face about those Legos.


Christmas morning chaos is the best kind.