Category Archives: Hangin’ Out

Tarrying in town

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So, we added another few cities — Knoxville, Charleston, and Austin — to our mix of possible relocation spots, before deciding (for the moment) that we think we just might stay around here. Classic, huh?!

The Dillingham dudes stand 5,946-feet high atop Grandfather Mountain.

Yes, we love the mountains. Yes, we are up for adventures. Yes, we are outgrowing our house. And yes, we are seeking like-minded folks.

But yes, we’ve also realized how great we have it here. We are blessed with growing friendships, incredible neighbors, an amazing church, and a supportive homeschool group filled with kind and generous families.

Throughout all of this deliberation, I think our main goal was setting out to create and build strong relationships with other humans. I suppose the most apt assessment would be that we were in search of community.

See, Stephen and I have felt like square pegs for a long time now. And when the rest of the world abounds with round holes, it can feel quite isolating. Sure, individualism is a precious thing, but no man is an island, and most people yearn for social interactions that foster growth.

Daddy & the boys soak in all the beauty of the Blue Ridge. So darn pretty.

But so what if I’m considered a bit of a dissident in one realm of my life and then a little of a renegade in the another? Really, is that anything new? And really, would I have it any other way?!

After all, I’ve always had a rebellious streak. I mean, after realizing way back in middle school the foolishness of following the crowd, I’ve done a pretty thorough job of bucking conformity ever since. Stephen and I always get a chuckle when talking about how subversive our lives really are.

Just a few examples of our counter-cultural ways:

  • we’re married, monogamous, and have more than 1.2 kids;
  • we love Jesus, smoke cigars, drink beer, and occasionally cuss;
  • we believe in liberty, but also in virtue, morality, and objective truth;
  • we’re homeschoolers, who decided to homeschool well before we became Christians;
  • we often have more in common with the tattooed, pierced atheists than we do with church-going folks;
  • we attend a Gospel-centered house of worship, not a self-help church;
  • we delight in debate, disagreement, and discussing opinions that differ from ours;
  • we cling to our guns and religion, but we aren’t Republicans and we don’t say the Pledge of Allegiance.

After the boys & I scale Split Rock, Gabriel & I take a selife in front of some brilliant Flame Azalea bushes, which are scattered about the Grandfather landscape.

Stephen and I have discussed and prayed much about all this, and we just figured that God made us who we are for a reason and maybe we’re not supposed to fit in in order to glorify His purposes. Perhaps that’s our cross to bear.

And since we have come to appreciate all the incredible folks we know in our hometown, we might just stay put. It just took us a while and lots of reflection to see that the grass is actually pretty green right here.

Sure, we may relocate to another part of the county in an effort to shorten commutes and get a bit more space in the home, especially if Granny comes to live with us. (Keep your fingers crossed!) But we’re leaning toward not uprooting in a major way.

Instead, we will focus on the relationships we have here, try to grow in community, flourish in faith and knowledge, and still have as many adventures as we are able. That’s the plan for now … but knowing us, it can always change.

Yep, great family picture … other than my closed eyes & thunder thighs. Yikes! Still, everyone else looks rather handsome.

We finally took the boys to the summit of Grandfather Mountain — the wondrous and ancient pinnacle we’ve passed so many times on the way to Granny’s house. In fact, she got us free tickets to the notable Western Carolina destination to help ring in her much-deserved retirement!

After crossing the scary Mile High Swinging Bridge, we just let the quiet splendor of the Appalachians speak to us. Man, do I relish the mountains.

We also saw bears, otters, deer, a cougar, and a bald eagle in the wildlife habitat; climbed Split Rock for another sweet view; ate tons of locally made fudge; and (most importantly) got to spend some quality time with our beloved Granny!

Here we have a breathtaking backdrop, my husband NOT making a silly face (which is his usual M.O. for photos), & me … blinking. Sigh. Oh well, it’s still a nice shot taken by steady-hand Houston.

Other happenings:

  • The boys survived and thrived at Mountain Top Youth Camp. I’m especially proud of Gabe and Zeke, who tend to lean on mama a whole lot more than does Houston. Way to go, big boys!
  • Cousin Rick visited for the first time in almost six years. It was a chill weekend, and his rekindled passion for guitar has inspired Stephen and me to dust off ours. We plan on building are now-tender callouses into sturdy, guitar-playing machinery!
  • Gabriel and Zeke had their first piano lesson last Thursday! Their maturity with Miss Julie was evident, and our tripled time at her house was surprisingly calm and productive (i.e., we did school). I pray we maintain this happy pattern.
  • The dudes wrapped up baseball in late May. The Cardinals weren’t the best team, but boy, did everyone drastically improve their skills over the season. Also, a heartfelt thanks goes out to Daddy for getting them to all their practices!

Gabriel proudly displays his hand-crafted bow & arrow on pickup day @ Mountain Top. By that grin, I think it’s safe to say he had a blast @ homeschool camp!

  • We had our community group leaders, Andrew and Lindsey, and their daughter to our house for dinner recently. It was nice to get to know them better ’cause they are some solid folks.
  • Another great person is my pal, Adair, who had us over to her neighborhood pool last week. Her oldest kid, Will, is one of the 3 Amigos’ best buds, and we just so enjoy spending time with their whole crew. Such cool, genuine people!
  • The boys have gotten tight with Dixie, our homeschooled neighbor, who has always been a pal, but never really a BFF. But now, they all eagerly run out to meet each other and play four-square during “school day” lunch breaks, and get together for volleyball and water-gun battles in the evening. Good neighbors, rock!

The boys don’t want to leave camp & keep on playing “Ga Ga” w/ their friends. The game was all the rage for the first few days they were back home, but now Monopoly is again in the top spot.

Last but certainly not least, we went to Richmond to visit Gramsey, who recently had brain surgery! Yes, you heard me right. She had gotten CT-scan for a pain on one side of her head when the docs found a potentially deadly aneurysm on the opposite side.

Her operation went well, and her recovery has been quite speedy. She just has to avoid picking up heavy things and getting her heart rate too high for a while, which is actually challenging for my workhorse mother, but Papa is keeping her in check.

Strangely, the sciatica in her leg and hip, and the probably pinched nerve in her neck and head (opposite side of the aneurysm) are causing her more pain and grief than her post-surgery recovery. We love you, Gramsey, and are praying for your good health!

Dashing through December

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So, it’s only early 2015, and December is already a blur. We had a nice Christmas, trying our best to keep things as non-complicated and stress-free as possible, as well as very focused on Jesus.

But man, even with mucho intentionality and diligence, simplifying anything — much less the holiday mania that takes over for the last quarter of the calendar year — is still just incredibly challenging in our culture. Fighting social conformity can be downright exhausting.

Zeke, Houston & Gabriel in one of a slew of incredible pics of the kids taken by the super-talented Miss Christie during a fall photo shoot at Old Mill of Guilford.

That’s not to say we didn’t some holly-jolly fun, though. The boys and I trekked up to Richmond to see family early in the month. Gramsey and Papa even watched the dudes one evening so that I could spend some quality time with my oldest pal in the world, Ingrid.

We did Thai with Lisa, Dina, and Meredith and then hit a brew pub. Angela and Shelley met up with us there, and then the four of us headed down to my old stomping ground of the Fan for more drinks and shenanigans. Good times, great oldies!

The 3 Amigos got to play laser tag twice last month. Their first time was on a boys-only outing (that also included bowling) with Daddy, and Mr. Jeremy and Bret — some cools pals we met through the J-Crew.

Wow, “double trouble” have never looked cuter!

Granny took the boys to laser tag the next time, but we insisted they pay for it themselves, since it adds up to be quite the pricey outing. Plus, those kids’ piggy banks never seem to be lacking in cold, hard cash. Just a little economics 101.

As mentioned previously, Houston is finally questioning the existence of the man in the red suit. I think the little kid in him is still clinging a tiny bit to the festive fable. But the logical big boy in him is simply questioning the irrationality of it all.

“I think Santa is Mommy,” Houston announced to his bros. “Uh, but Mommy doesn’t even have a beard,” retorted Zeke with matter-of-fact confidence and a bit of disdain for the premise itself. Yep, he and Gabe remain steadfast Santa believers for sure!

Oh my, what a handsome young man!

The dudes received many wonderful Christmas gifts, some for fun (Monopoly, Battleship, a BB gun, the Star Wars DVD box set); some educational (Story of the World audio book, art supplies, a veritable library of great books); and others more utilitarian (luggage, water bottles, ear protection for target practice).

They also gave, including a $5-each donation toward the “Make Cornbread, Not War” baseball cap I bought Daddy (with his own money, of course) per his request. Gabriel and Zeke are extremely generous kids, always willing to donate a decent amount of money to whatever the good cause.

Houston, on the other hand, is pretty stingy, and usually has to be gently coaxed into being more charitable. Maybe that’s because he has a better understanding of money and math. But still, sharing one’s blessings with a grateful heart is an important lesson.

The 3 Amigos doing what they do best: loving & laughing. This one is my favorite Old Mill photo.

We watched Phish’s live webcast from Miami for New Year’s Eve, and the boys actually stayed up till midnight, thanks to mucho Dr. Pepper early in the evening and coffee cocktails (comprised of mostly creamer with a dash of joe) for the last stretch of the night.

Here are some highlights:

  • “My favorite band is Phish,” Gabriel proclaimed only a couple songs into the show.
  • “I just can’t help myself,” Zeke admitted about his need to boogie down.
  • “When the music’s louder, I dance better,” Gabe explained.
  • “I’m doing some mighty mad mojo,” Zeke added.
  • “I need some caffeine to stay awake! Anybody got any caffeine?” a tired Houston pleaded as we neared midnight.

Just like the old days: Shelley, Ingrid, Angela & I drinking too much beer & having fun. Good times, bad hangover.

Gabriel recently said, “I like girls better than boys,” adding that he has three girlfriends: the preacher’s daughter, a crush from the CC practicum last summer, and an older neighbor (she’s 9). Our ladies’ man has since modified that number down to a modest two.

Although definitely a lover, Gabriel is also quite the fighter. In fact, Sunday marked the first time he truly retaliated against big brother’s “man-handling.” It was such a fierce display of self-defense that Houston even shed a few tears. The ever-changing dynamic of three brothers so close in age sure is an incredible thing to behold.

“In summer, the song sings itself.”

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First off, Houston’s recovery is going amazingly well thus far and he has a nice attitude to boot (which is saying something, since big bro’s usually quite pooty when he’s sick). Honestly, Houston’s biggest complaint these days is his itchy left arm. Yeah, casts are very unforgiving in that regard.

As far as the fall goes, Houston explains, “It just felt like a growing pain. That was it.” I assume he was in physical shock right then due to the severity of the injury. It’s just an awesome thing the way God made our bodies capable of coping with such immense pain.

Asher & Houston, a.k.a. Big Hashy, get rowdy after seeing a Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game for Houston’s 6th birthday!

And the couple instances that Houston’s elbow has hurt him during this week’s recovery, he describes that too as “a growing pain” sensation, but with a “burning” feeling. Luckily, those episodes have been rare and fleeting.

Since the healing seems to be going fairly well, Houston and I met up with the J-Crew at the Science Center’s brand-new aquarium (shhhh, don’t tell Gabe and Zeke, who are still staying with Gramsey and Papa). I was a tad apprehensive about the outing, but Houston did a great job of using his noodle and playing it safe.

Our season before the broken elbow was bustling and brimming with fun. As the quote from William Carlos Williams says in this blog’s title, summertime’s magic has a way of doing that, despite the heat and the almost daily downpours of rain.

“But now I am six,
I’m as clever as clever.
So I think I’ll be six
now and forever.”
— A.A. Milne

Houston’s birthday was on 6/26. He got to pick the outing for his celebration and Houston chose going to a Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game. Stephen worked a half day and then we headed downtown with the birthday boy, brothers and Houston’s best bud, Asher, to catch the daytime double header.

Zeke works hard washing Daddy’s car, which was Stephen’s Father’s Day gift from the 3 Amigos & Mommy!

It was an extremely steamy day, but luckily, Daddy bought us shady seats behind home plate. All the dudes behaved impressively well, especially considering the heat and the lengthy playtime, and learned a bit more about America’s Pastime by drilling Daddy for some play-by-play information.

Houston and Asher even got to participate in some between-innings entertainment on the field with bat dog, Miss Babe Ruth. Each was supposed to try to coax the black lab over to grab a baseball, but she kind of brushed past the both of them. Houston ended up winning a shirt and “Big Hashy” got to be seen by all on the stadium’s big screen.

That evening, we had neighbors Dixie and Maddie, as well as CC buddies, Alex and Olivia (who also live nearby) over for cake and ice cream. Asher stayed for a sleepover, rounding out the day’s birthday activities.

Gabriel relaxes in Miss Heather’s pool back in mid-June; he no longer needs the inflatable dolphin, since he & bros swim like fishes these days!

But the festivities continued on when Aunt Dina and Cousin Kara rolled into town the following day, staying till 6/29. It’s always great seeing our Virginia crew … thanks for the fun visit, girls!

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

From 6/30-7/5, we took our greatly anticipated low-key family vacation to Surfside Beach, SC. We stayed in a hotel (mostly paid for with points from Stephen work travel days!) and didn’t do much more than play in the surf and sand, hit the hotel pool and hot tub, and eat out at good restaurants.

It was particularly relaxing for me, since there was no laundry, no dirty dishes, no housework period. Ah, how incredible it is to use a fresh towel every day when you take a bath … or have someone else prepare your meals and deal with all the clean up.

The weather was tempestuous the first part of the week. Huge, dark clouds would roll in and rain (and sometimes hail) would pour, yet beach-goers kept on doing their thing. It’s like we all collectively shook our fists at the sky and said, “Stormy weather can’t chase us away from our vacations that easily!”

They ain’t scared! … Houston & Stephen are steadfast in battling Surfside Beach’s onslaught of summertime storms.

One turbulent storm, though, gave the kids quite a fright. The temperature dropped in an instant and violent winds battered the beach. In fact, Stephen had to hold on to our canopy with both hands and I with one, while my other arm wrapped around our shivering, cold and scared boys.

We survived, were no worse for the wear and just kept on plugging away at vacation. Ah, such is life at the beach.

Independence Day “ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade … and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.” — John Adams

Of course, the 4th of July featured some impressive fireworks, most of which were amateur shows put on by other vacationing families. But from our hotel balcony, we could also see the faraway professional fireworks displays north over Myrtle Beach and south over the Surfside Pier … pretty cool to be able to view such a patriotic spectacle while wearing pajamas!

Gabriel, Zeke & Houston pose for the obligatory shot under a palmetto, the state tree & enduring symbol of South Carolina. And yes, according to brothers’ shirts, I suppose Gabe did it!

The 3 Amigos swimming really blossomed while at the beach. Before vacation, the kiddos has been working diligently on their aquatic skills: at Miss Christie’s community pool; in our neighbor Miss Heather’s above-ground pool; with our CC pals, Miss Rissa and her kids (the aforementioned Alex and Olivia); and at the Y with Daddy.

And with each water adventure, the boys improved by leaps and bounds. And that was no exception at the beach. They swam confidently in the ocean, tackling waves and handling their few tumbles in the water like such brave, determined dudes.

“The water is your friend. You don’t have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move.” — Aleksandr Poplov, Olympic gold-winning swimmer

And their aptitude for swimming continued to unfold and impress in the hotel pool, with Houston pretty much “officially” swimming and the twins being not too far behind. Way to plug away at it, darlings! I promise to take y’all for lots of indoor swimming at the Y when summer’s over and Houston’s arm is healed.

Gabriel & Zeke try to befriend one of the peacocks @ the Science Center, where we love to visit outside sunny days or inside on rainy days.

June was particularly challenging on the home front because Zeke decided to make a (thankfully brief) return to the dreaded stage of toddler tantrums. They weren’t daily, but their intensity certainly harkened back to the age-2 episodes of yore.

One day, Zeke started to have a meltdown when leaving church on the last day of VBS, that is, until he saw the baptismal fountain/pool. He looked at me, smiled and simply said, “It washed away my sin, Mommy!” And so the freak-out had run its course. Amazing!

That was such a miraculous happening that we joked about making our own baptismal at home in order to help Zeke gain his composure, if necessary, at our makeshift holy spot. Interestingly, the tantrums started to subside around this time, and all has been happy on that front ever since vacation.

Perhaps seaweed was the clincher, but Zeke’s aberrant behavior began to turn around @ the baptismal fountain last month & was near-perfect @ the beach. Way to transition, Z-Bird!

Last but not least, I want to send a shout out to Granny for her constant visits to help us with the 3 Amigos, giving us some much-appreciated spare time to tend to our to dos and also to cherish each other as husband and wife, not just mom and dad. You’re awesome, Granny!

And a huge thanks goes out to Gramsey and Papa, too. We are truly grateful to y’all for taking Gabriel and Zeke for the last six days and nights, so that Houston could heal as best as possible this first week since surgery. Our Virginia posse rocks!