Yard Sale

The start-up winds are blowing west these days, and we are getting ready to move.  When? Most likely in June.  Where?  We think our final destination is Seattle, but a lot can happen in a few months and we may be doing lots of stops/stays before we get there.  They will be happy stops in Utah and Arizona to visit our family who we've so much missed.  

In honor of the forthcoming move we planned to have a big moving sale Saturday morning.  We sorted through all our possessions made a pile of the things we didn't need or could easily replace.  It made a fairly substantial pile. (See exhibit A). Most of the stuff either we'd had a very long time or had been given to us as hand-me-downs.  WAY too much stuff and I'm vowing to say NO to free things or cheap things or anything for that matter unless I absolutely need it or positively love it.  

The Great and Terrible Purge

When it comes to moving, Chris and I have a bad history. Our first move together was during a blizzard.  We also had mono and had to sit for a while to rest between trips.  Next came the move from Virginia to North Carolina, which was momentous as we had managed in a week's time to (1) learn I was expecting our first baby, (2) we were about to close on our first house, and (3) we immediately set to work on our first home remodel.  As we were unpacking the moving truck Chris kept giving me encouragement telling me that we didn't need any help because I was "strong like unto the men."  Needless to say, I was flat in bed with a high fever by the end of that week.

This move began with a memorable moment as (the day before the big moving sale) Chris and I both came down with some nasty sickness that had us either vomiting or flat in bed.  Nasty.  Poor Esther must have been wondering why mom and dad weren't getting out of bed...ever.  Thankfully a friend who learned we were sick took Esther for the afternoon so she could get out of the house eat a decent meal.  Generally speaking, I would not recommend getting sick at the same time as your spouse unless you live in close proximity to one of your mothers.  Things really fall apart.

Amazingly enough, we were feeling much better this morning and with some help from our amazing church friends, the sale was quite successful.  Glad to see my things go to new homes and cash is much easier to move across the country than boxes.

Crunchy Towels

Isn't there an old saying that goes something like,  "You never truly appreciate something until it's taken away from you...like a clothes dryer."

Outer Banks

We were fortunate to be able to spend a few days at the beach with some friends who rented a beach house.  It was our first trip to the North Carolina beaches since we've lived here...what have we been doing all this time?! We had some fun adventures, enjoyed great company, and loved relaxing in a beautiful place.

 Ocracoke Island - Apparently this is the oldest working brick lighthouse in the world.  We also heard about the "wild ponies" on Ocracoke.  We were told they were enclosed...turns out that means they live in a small pasture with hay, barns, and all.  Cute, but not as wild as we hoped.

Esther was quite the bathing beauty.  She  did all she could to NOT touch the sand for the first while, until her desire to play with the kids and their toys helped her overcome her fears.  Funny girl. 

Picture taken from our balcony...there were loads of dolphins off the shore

Chris even took a very old, very unreliable canoe out to see those dolphins.  He made to within 5 feet of them...pretty cool.  Esther and I were a bit concerned for his safety, but they made it back alive and mostly unscathed.

Wright Brothers Memorial - the first flight

On the drive

HAPPY EASTER

 We had some church friends over for Easter brunch in honor of our 2:00pm church and had a lovely time. (I kind of went overboard on the hot cross buns as we still have over a dozen left over...that was after pawning some off to the neighbors.)

After breakfast we had our 1st Annual Easter Egg Roll (apparently when two hard boiled eggs roll towards each other on a track only one egg will break).  Each guest brought a hard boiled egg to compete but one of our good friends didn't realize the importance of hard boiled.  It was a bit of a mess...but quite hilarious. 

I am determined to make Easter as joyful as Christmas, but still figuring out how to do so.  We started the day listening to the Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah, and enjoyed enjoyed spending time with friends, eating good food, and relishing the beautiful spring weather.  Then we put Esther in her "new" dress and went to church.  The Easter program was lovely.  The choir was small but thanks to lots of rehearsals and a great director, the songs came together really well.  Chris was one of the speakers and have a thoughtful talk on the personal implications of the atonement. I was in and out with a nap deprived Esther and so wish I could have recorded the entire talk because it was beautiful.  He began talking about Christ's injunction to us to "take up our cross and follow" Him, in other words, being willing to suffer the most humiliating and shameful experience imaginable for Christ's sake.  But then, (referencing Elder Bednar) he discussed the enabling power of the atonement which strengthens us beyond our natural ability.  Drawing the connection that we will be able to bear those crosses because Christ will give us the strength to do so by the power of the atonement.   He ended with the reminder that it is a happy Easter--because Christ lives.  

Easter Pictures

 This is how pictures taking went...Esther running away

daddy holding her back

Esther resisting being held back

mommy restraining Esther

yoga?

 Happy Easter to all!  

Duke Gardens Outing

tai chi?

watching two Duke students play Frisbee

Esther loves sitting on things her sized...especially this chair at a friends house

A word about this girl: she LOVES to recline.  She will put a pillow on the floor so she can recline on it.  She tries to recline while sitting on the bottom step of the stairs.  She reclines on people.  She reclines on her booster seat and puts her feet on the table.  And of course, she reclines our bed and leans against the pillows.  I'm sure I don't know where she learned such behavior...

Spring in North Carolina

A couple of weeks ago as Esther and I went for our usual walk around the neighborhood, I took the camera along in order to remember how North Carolina bursts with life and color.  So happy to live here.