Dec/Jan

Not much to say, just that I am a work in progress, and boy, sometimes I sure feel like a piece of work! I'm learning, growing, trying, trusting, stretching, becoming, messing up, getting back up, trying some more, and yet not even close...but here I am. I am still madly in love with Virginia and am still trying to keep up with my insanely mad life. It's all good!

Pictures (no more editing...just the real deal from now on):

After Christmas, we had some very special visitors...Dennis, Anita, and family...we had a great time hanging with them! We all went to the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk and got to go inside the Battleship USS Wisconsin-one of the largest and last battleships built by the navy.

I love how it is berthed right up to the street and so close to buildings....so surreal when you drive by it.

Emma, Kate, Gretel-cute cousins forever.



Sleepy girl.


Silly girl.

In the museum.


Grayson

Spiderman just happened to be hanging out that day


Petting the horseshoe crab in the museum

Waiting to pet a shark, but it was sleepy

Actual size of a great white (I think that was what kind of shark it was). Creepy!

The "rotten banana" (as we called it) eel


Beautiful Norfolk, Ryan's stomping ground

Christian trying to pop popcorn over a candle...he never ceases to amaze me

I love this picture taken Christmas day

My sweet Tilly

My crazy Piercie...first broken bone amongst the Adams children...New Years Eve, skate park, no wrist guards, risky ramp/jump = trip to ER and a lovely bright orange cast!

Gwen's First Messiah

A huge thank you to all the support and encouragement we have received on Gwen's behalf this past year in her efforts to raise money for her upcoming trip to NYC to play at Carnegie Hall. We really are overwhelmed with all the love we have felt and can't describe how thankful we are. We know that this trip will be a very special one for Gwen. Here is a sampling of what she has been doing at Governor's School for the Arts, the "awesomest" school for performing arts ever! We realize every single day the great blessing this school is in Gwen's life. She is on the road to wonderful things and it makes my heart burst watching her perform. And when I watch her, my mind flashes back to when she was a toddler, my silly little baby Gwennie, and the sweetness she has and continues to bring into my life.

She was chosen for this small Orchestra de Camera to perform the Messiah with the vocal department in December. This is only a small portion of her instrumental department, so with great honor she played her little heart out. Not too shabby for 9th-12th graders. Looking forward to March when she will also be playing alongside the Virginia Symphony, this time with the entire 100 students in the instrumental dept. These kinds of opportunities would have never come if we hadn't moved to Virginia. Just another reason confirming to us why we are here and how the Lord has great things in store for us if we trust in Him and follow Him.

(Gwen is directly to the left of the conductor in the back)