10. interesting people
I enjoy meeting people and hearing their stories and exchanging ideas. Maryland is full of intelligent, pleasant people and I'm sure thankful for the many discussions we enjoyed. There are people with fascinating jobs in DC, and people who travel a lot with the military, and people with small farms.... This was also my opportunity to hang out with the homeschooling crowd. Since education and curriculum are some of my favourite topics, I've sure enjoyed the fact that most homeschoolers want to chat about these things! Plus, homeschooling parents are in the thick of learning stuff with their kids, so the conversation often includes interesting tidbits on history, science, art....
9. the very cool ecosystem of marshlands and estuaries
I'm married to an ecologist. We did a lot of hiking. We saw beaver homes and blue herons, fish wiers and frogs, jellyfish and water snakes. We identified tulip poplars, marsh mallow, phragmites and sweet gum. We hiked past deer and raccoons and avoided poison ivy. The Chesapeake is a really, really fascinating environment. So thankful to have been able to explore it!
8. exploring DC - the gorgeous and interesting museums and galleries!
We ran into DC again last week to squeeze in one last visit to some of our favourite spots. Linnea and I sighed with contentment as we entered the Art Gallery again. We got to see several paintings by Vincent Van Gogh!!! Really! I could have stayed there for hours. I didn't know I loved art, but I tell you that the Art Gallery moves me. It's like the feeling one gets after an absolutely perfect bite of chocolate right when you're totally craving chocolate. You know?
I stood real close, where I could almost hear the brush strokes....
7. a weekly Sunday School class for adults that challenges the brain
We're thankful for Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church. After each Sunday morning service, there's a big pile of snacks for everyone and then a wide assortment of classes to choose from. Jon and I enjoyed a class on Ethics.
6. having very few commitments and many quiet evenings
We purposely stayed away from most individual outside commitments. The majority of our evenings were free! Jon and didn't have class prep to work on and the kids didn't have homework! We also had less electronic distractions than before (we only had one laptop to share). Evenings were spent reading, playing games, sketching, etc. LOVELY.
5. the birds!
I love east coast birds! The osprey were such a cool part of our summer with their nest on a buoy just outside our cottage. We ate meals on the front porch with the binoculars close at hand. The cardinals and bluejays continue to keep us company over the winter. I took this video last week, when a cardinal was just singing his sweet heart out in our neighbourhood. In the background, you can hear a bunch of red-winged blackbirds.
4. history
I am so thankful that we could not only study fascinating history this year as a family, but also go and experience it. Within a day's drive, we stood on battlefields, admired old artifacts (like George Washington's writing case and field telescope), hiked on the same hillside path as Thomas Jefferson, wandered the fort at Jamestown, sat in a stone church from the 1600s, canoed in waters once paddled by the Powhatan.... a rich experience.
3. not sharing my children or husband with many people
This is, of course, tied in with having few outside commitments. I sure love spending lots of time with these people. I wondered if I'd get sick of them.... nope.
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| We're not sick of strawberry cheesecake, either! |
2. the view out our front door
Last week's sunrise, front yard....
1. being close to family
I love being 'close' to family. My parents and Ontario sisters are nine hours away; the Florida sisters about fourteen. This is dreamy close for us. We spent time with all of them, and treasured every minute. Here are a few photos from our February trip to Ontario. (The post of our southern exploration to Florida is almost ready!)
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| Plenty of snow to play in! |
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| Watching the girls in the snow. |
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| Time with my Ontario sisters! And the itty babies that they are expecting! |
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| Time with my mom! |
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| Family coffee times and meal times! |
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| Whipping up treats with my Dad! So fun! (By the way, if you haven't had a nanaimo bar lately, you should go get one.) |
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| Lots of Opa and Oma time - the way it should be. |
We also saw lots of other family and friends as we drove across the country and explored around here. Such a treat!
As we pack up and prepare to leave the east coast, we just want to shout out, "What a FANTASTIC experience! So thankful that God led us here! Thanks to all of you wonderful Maryland people for making this a special time for our family. We love you!!!!"
