RECAP

Hmm...what has happened since May? Well, we are seven months closer to Thailand, that's fer sher. What a long process! First we reunited with my dear hubby in July, ending what was probably the saddest, scariest, and loneliest year of our lives. I won't go into that, but it was nasty. Celebrated N's first birthday with a party on the beach. Took a looooong staycation and wrapped up some things. Then we started amovin' and ashakin'.

The house got packed up. We said goodbye to most of our belongings, as they would be in storage for the next ten months. Picked about 600lbs of necessities (it really isn't that much!) to keep with us in Virginia. And goodbye house. So sad.

Now on the market (overpriced I know, and attempted in vain) and soon to be for rent. Driving away was bittersweet-this was certainly not the house I saw ourselves living in for the rest of our lives, but it was a good place to live with our kids. Lots of space, a view of the ocean, fantastic neighbors, and lots of memories. We brought two babies back from the hospital to this home. That means a lot. And the next 15 years or so we will be moving every few years. For some, apparently this was difficult to understand. There was just a teensy bit of disapproval. Probably more than a teensy bit, but I wasn't really listening. All I heard was "blah blah blahblah...."

Spent quality time with family for one last week, then loaded the kids, canine, and clothes in the car and took a little drive down to northern Virginia. Lovely place. Really. Saturdays we drive out to the country somewhere and hike-Manassas, Harper's Ferry, etc. Philip makes friends with little creatures. Nathan enjoys the view. Myles romps for, well, miles. Sundays we head in to the District-almost everything is free, never crowded, and kid-friendly.

Living in a little apartment is not as challenging as I thought-the boys adapted right away. They don't even notice that their massive toy collection has disappeared with the exception of a few trucks and their Lincoln Logs. We have more fun making our own holiday decorations and gifts.

Like these nature impressions in clay. We attached magnets and sent them to the grandparents. It also led to a basic lesson in seeds and propagation.

After a hike at Great Falls, we created a spooky terrarium. Terrariums are cool, even cooler when you get a spooky inhabitant like the skeleton dude. But this required me stuffing moss and ferns into my bag while the guys kept a lookout. Please don't report me to the State Parks, but it was for the sake of education!!

We toured a gazillion monuments and museums. Cruised through Eastern Market, discovered new foods and a newfound love of pho. Seriously. Love it.

Christmas is now upon us, and we are already so settled in and happy that I know for certain this decision was for the best. No material things matter-we don't miss a thing. Seriously we didn't even bother with a Christmas tree. (But Philip and I did have some fun creating a christmas village out of cereal boxes.) Being together and raising our children with love, a sense of wonder and adventure, a healthy and active lifestyle, but mostly striking out on our own and being able to determine our own values without the influence of others has been for the best. We now live among a very diverse community, where no one feels the need to 'fit in.' The children are not your ordinary children. In fact, they are each extraordinary. For some, they get to this jumping-off point and realize its not for them at all. Luckily, for me it has been validating, and I feel reassured that taking the harder path was the best choice we have ever made.