Gorgeous Days

I love being outdoors. There's just something about sunshine and trees and wind that lifts my mood like nothing else can. The weather these past few days has been gorgeous. Gorgeous. What's really great about good weather is being able to get out of the house with the boys. Living in a crowded duplex with two very active little boys can be challenging, to say the least. We are praying that some sort of housing solution comes along in the near future. That's another post for another day. Great weather makes is possible for us to get outside and get moving, which is good news for everyone. In the winter months, I feel a bit trapped by the weather and where we live. Our house is on an enormous hill, and I am certain is one of the last places in a 100 mile radius to be plowed (and terribly at that) after a storm, so if the weather is bad/has been bad/is going to be bad, I don't feel confident enough in my winter driving skills (read: terrified) to go much of anywhere without Kyler around. So yesterday, the boys and I packed up the sippy cups, snacks, and sunscreen, and headed out for an afternoon in the sunshine. My pregnancy is going well, but pushing the boys (30+ lbs. and 40 lbs.) up the hill in the double stroller (15+ lbs. - you do the math) is really starting to get my heart racing (and the contractions going), so it's driving to the park/walking destination from here on out. I love where we live. I hate that our house has no yard, is a not-great-for-ministry distance from church and especially the college, and presents many challenges in wintertime, but it does have a great view. I mean, I get to wake up and eat breakfast looking at this:



And this...

And my favorite...


It makes me feel happy. And what's better is about a 1/2 mile just down the hill is Harper's Ferry National Park, which is where the boys and I have been walking the past few days. We took a good 2 1/2 - 3-mile walk yesterday, which as it turns out, was too much for me. I could hardly move last night. I'm pretty sure this is because our double stroller is well-worn, bears hard to the right, and is too short for me. Perfect recipe for post-walk back pain. Anyway, the grounds in the park are beautiful. Around here as scenic walks go, you can't really beat walking through woods and historic land right next to the Shenandoah. The boys had a blast. They loved looking at the river (we'll venture to the river when it's not still at flood stage from the rains and Daddy is with us to catch running toddlers that Mommy's pregnant body is not fast enough to keep up with...) :) Kayden had a great time counting the geese, which he called "gooses," "mooses," and "geeses" indiscriminately. Many of them had a small flock of goslings with them, so the boys got to see the cute little yellow fuzzballs floating in the water and walking around in the grass, too. I found a great spot over by John Brown's fort (the artillery building) that is newly renovated and a perfect play place for the boys. Rocks, trees, twigs, bugs, dirt...what more does a little boy need, really? We probably spent over an hour there yesterday, and almost that today. It was a refreshing break, and a good excuse to leave the chaotic mess in our house for a rainy day. :)