4 Months and Counting!

 Hello, my sweet 4-month-old! I proudly whispered to baby girl today, as I cuddled with her in bed, breathing in her fresh scent of milk, and tracing the outline of muscles forming along her dimpled arms and cherubim-like legs. She's growing stronger with each passing week.

Ruby's latest developments include her current obsession with turning over - or trying to, as much as possible throughout the day. The other night, Ken watched baby girl turn over twice. And then yesterday afternoon, Ruby was able to turn from her back to her stomach nearly five times in a row. She isn't quite sure how to get from her belly onto her back again after the initial turn, so I assist her in returning to a comfortable starting point. Baby girl is very active, and tries to put everything in her mouth these days. Rattles, toys, fingers (hers and mine), bibs - everything around her seems equally tasty. I keep checking for teeth but there's no sign of them yet.

Our little one loves to smile and makes all sorts of fun noises throughout the day. Ken and I refer to one such noise as 'the pterodactyl', which is a high pitched scream. Ruby enjoys our daily walks to the nearby park and seems to focus on the trees swaying in the summer breeze. Green might be her favorite color.

Baby girl's hair has changed from light brown to blonde, and her eyes are now a more pronounced hazel-green, with blueish-gray edges. We are so curious to see what color her eyes and hair become and eventually stay, by her first birthday hopefully. She is such a beautiful little girl, loved deeply by family and friends.

This past month, we've been blessed by Ken's mom in coming to watch Ruby for intermittent date nights. Being a mom is a unique and wonderful blessing, and I recognize that in order for me to be great at this new role, I need downtime to recharge and rest (when possible) as well as quality time with Ken. This space during dates has allowed Ken and me to dream together, and consider our goals for the future. Where we might live next, what we'd like to pursue vocationally, and travel ideas - there are so many fun things to discuss as we consider our vision for family, community, and living intentionally.

As Ken and I prepare to celebrate our 5th anniversary in a few weeks, I can't help but praise God for this special season of our lives. We became parents this year to a very special little girl. Ruby, we love you so much.

*In sitting down down to finish this blog entry (writing is something I come back to throughout the day as Ruby allows), Ken got home from work and surprised us with a slice of dark chocolate raspberry cake from one of my favorite bake shops. What a treat. He knows me so well!

Happy 4 months, baby girl!

Snapshots of San Juan: Our Weekend Getaway

A couple weekends ago, Ken and I seized the opportunity to venture back to San Juan Island, one of my favorite places here in the Pacific Northwest. This secluded, intimate island, which is part of a larger archipelago, boasts about 8,000 year-round residents. Yes, it is quite charming and what it lacks--traffic, fast food restaurants, and department stores--I found refreshing. Just one and a half hours north of Seattle by car and a one-hour ferry ride, San Juan was the perfect Valentine's getaway. Although our Friday morning started with some stressful health concerns (which praise God, have subsided), we made it out of the ER within about three hours and were able to pack up and head north in time to make the last ferry bound for San Juan Island.

Our journey brought us to the Lakedale Resort (lakedale.com), where we enjoyed a time of relaxation, steeped in the immense natural beauty of our surroundings. This resort overlooks three spring water lakes, lined with towering Douglas fir trees. I couldn't have asked for a better "retreat" setting. While there, Ken and I spent some much-needed downtime reading and napping, and also praying and discussing where God is leading us in regards to the weekly community group that we host, and our role as facilitators. In being away from the structure and schedule of our lives here in Seattle, we were able to prayerfully consider what community, particularly ours, can look like. We asked each other questions and engaged with some difficult topics. And we walked away with a stronger sense of unity between us and a greater desire for intentional community within our group, and that is so exciting.

Besides our time at the resort, Ken and I ventured on a picturesque bike ride along the south end of the island. We started at American Camp, a site occupied by the US army from 1859 to 1874, which is now a national historical park. History surrounding the camp and the battle referred to as "The Pig War" (where Great Britain and the US almost waged war over San Juan Island) can be found here. It is quite fascinating and if you make it to San Juan, you must visit this park. The windswept cliffs are captivating. Likewise, the wide, open vistas make for an unforgettable backdrop to a picnic, hike, or in our case, bike ride. I will admit though that the beautiful views are matched fully by the difficulty of biking uphill into the wind. My dear husband can attest to my wobbly, shaky legs fiercely going head-to-head with the wind. At times, I lost the 'battle' and dismounted from my bike, walking or running or charging uphill in a headstrong fashion, but ultimately we did make it back to our starting point. Plus, the intense workout allowed me to relish the large box of assorted chocolates and Italian champagne that were recently gifted to us, which of course, we brought on this trip.

Attached are some photos from our trip. I hope you enjoy them. They're a 'snapshot' of the incredible memories that we are making here in Washington. As we look forward to the future in hope, both Ken and I are curious and excited to see where God takes us next--what adventures (as well as opportunities for growth) await!