Playing House

Do you remember playing house as a kid? It was one of my favorite past times. Morgann has been playing house with her neighborhood friends quite often. It is so cute to watch and listen.

What a cute family.


Sarah and I think Guerto is the cutest boy ever! (He's pretty darn stylish for a 5 year old, complete with a faux-hawk.) He's a sweetie and he and Morgann have such a fun time together.

Diggin in the Dirt

Loretta loves to dig dig dig. She's a digger dog. We are pretty sure she is part beagle, part golden retriever, both of which enjoy digging. However, someone else in our house doesn't help with the digging problem. A certain 4 year old little girl. Its okay. we love both the digger girls.

If all goes as planned, we will be meeting a potential foster daughter soon. More details later....but if you want to pray - pray that its a good match and we know for sure if this is the home she is supposed to be in.

Yellow Dog

We have a favorite local icecream shop -The Goldenrod. They make their own icecream and its wicked good.

I have (another) theory that New Englanders also like ice cream more than any other region. We have many many delicious local places that open seasonally. Our out-of-town guests always comment on the selection when we visit. But Goldenrod is our favorite. My favorite flavor is "Graham Cracker." It is graham cracker flavored ice-cream with chocolate covered crunchy graham chipsand swirled with crushed graham cracker crumbs. I love it. In fact if I was ten years old, I would marry it. It's that good.

Our friend, Ryan from Florida also shares in our enthusiasm for the Goldenrod. Last summer we took him one time. The next day he wanted to go again.However, he kept saying he wanted to go to "The Yellow Dog", it took a while but we figured out where he wanted to go. Happily we obliged.

So, here's our first summah trip to the Yellow Dog. It was after Morgann's school concert. (I know its not summer officially, but hey, we have no snow on the ground, thus its summer in my book!)

Love Letter

Dear Trader Joe,
Thank you for being so wonderful for lunchtime. My lunches used to be so sad or non-existent asI do not enjoy the typical sandwich. But once you came into my life, lunch came alive again! Rice sticks with hummus and hot sauce, or wraps with lettuce, tomato and hummus, or sushi. Snow peas, carrots, apples, bananas. Or even salmon and couscous. Lunch, is alive. And my budget is still alive as well. My little girl adores you too. Her favorites are the cheese sticks, organic animal cracker and like me the hummus! Thank you dear friend Joe.

And I can afford to eat you for lunch every day. You are a true friend.

Love,
Abbey

P.S. see you next Wednesday after work. I'm so glad you are part of my new commute to Mass.

Let the Little Children Come

I haven't had a topic to blog about recently. We've been up to our normal activities: church, chaplaincy, work, community center, and random craziness. But also busy squeaking in any spare minutes outside - its been so beautiful. I am convinced that New Englanders enjoy warm weather than any other region. If its warm, everyone is out doors. Lawn chairs in driveways. Canoes on the rooftops. Neighbors hanging out. Yard work. Kids on the loose, which we call "Feral Children." On any given sunny day, our yard is filled with the feral children. I am praying for ways to reach these kids with the Good News of Jesus and the hope they can find in Him. Personally, I know quite a few of these kids have rough home lives. So we just love on these Feral Yard children. Morgann LOVES it. We are also praying for a good deal on a new swingset. We have an older one thats not so safe due to wild feral children;) Its all good though.

Repost from 2008

We are Virginia Tech.



As we remember those that were lost a year ago (now two years), I want to also remember the beauty of Virginia Tech. VT holds a special place in the heart of anyone who has attended or even visited. Whenever we visit, I totally miss those days. I took a lot of it for granted - the beautiful setting, the tight community, the good food, the freedom.







Remember when.....

• we moved in as freshmen? I was so scared.



• we ice skated on the Duck Pond that really cold winter (Junior Year) Me, Ambo and Chad.



• walking across the drillfield. (a million times.)



• Our first kiss in the stairwell of New Res. East.



• (OK, only Rich should remember that one!)



• Navy ball. Mil ball. Ring dance.



• Best of times!



• playing "Would you be my friend if....I stuck bubblegum in your hair?" Only if you ate it afterwards!



• ELECTRIC!



• Primetime in the chapel. Live from Blacksburg....iits primetime. (Old School Cru Meetings)



• Fireworks on the drillfield.



• We didn't have cell phones...we had IM and ICQ.



• Sunday night coffee at oh, gosh, I can't remember the name - the coffee shop next to the Rivermill, that had a cat in there. (I remember now, Bollo's. Of course!)



• Going out. I don't drink at all anymore, but we had some fun times playing pool.



• Football games. Emma and I one season always painted VT's on our faces. Jon, her future husband would paint his whole head.



• There is nothing better than a crisp, sunny autumn day in Lane Stadium, Hokies winning of course!I'll never forget our time there.

We'll never forget the 32 that were killed. Virginia Tech will prevail. It will always be a magical place. Morgann told me on this visit that she wanted to go to school here. I hope she does. I hope she does!

I think about that day two years ago. I was in our fourth floor apartment on Wayne Street. Sitting on our maroon painted couch on the phone with Emma. Staring in disbelief at the television. It was ten o'clock or so. Time stood still. I called mom. I called Maggie. I called Sarah. SARAH?? Where is Sarah?? I got on Hokie SPA to look up classes in Norris. I remember Sarah had some class the *could* be in Norris. Of course I didn't know which class it was exactly....Finally mom called. Sarah was safe, heartbroken, but safe. Relief. Then sadness. What about the parents and siblings that did not get that call? My prayers are with those families today.

Full Term

I've thought of the foster care process as a pregnancy so that I would not get too discouraged about how the process: the amount of hoops to jump, inspections, paperwork, home renovations, to name a few. The classes were the first trimester and took about 12 weeks (Thankfully without any vomiting!) The paperwork and inspections were trimester two and took about 12 weeks too. Now we are in the third trimester. In fact, we are full term...37 weeks or so!

We are LICENSED with the state! Yahoo!! If Morgann's arrival is anything like the arrival of our first foster kiddo - it will be a little of a wait. So I will try to be patient........but still hope that a kid arrives anyday. Please pray with us that we are able to postively impact the lives of children and that they would all come to know and love Jesus at an early age.