Rainy Day Warmth

In our neck of the woods
it has been rainy
rainy
and
rainy.
The sun has peeked out
just enough to taunt us.
Yesterday my wet and icky
rainy day was a little warmer
thanks to…
an afternoon
cup of hot coffee
and a baked goody from
a new neighbor
and a warm bowl of
beef stew.

Creepy Crawly

Tossing a tennis ball
in the empty sun room
has become serious fun
for the little guy.

In the midst of tossing
Luke hollers
"Mama, bee!"

I come to the door.
He hands me a dead spider.

Moments like those make
the yearning for
sidewalks
takeout
and
urban goodness
rage.

Home

I’m feeling very adult
in our new house.
I guess nothing says adult like
your very own
home care & maintenance
responsibilities.
I keep asking where the superintendent is.

Boxes

Tomorrow is the b i g move.
Funny how sad I am to leave
the beautiful Chesapeake Bay backyard
but thrilled to my core to
have our very first house
with our very own backyard.

I'm taking extra special
glances at the Bay as
I finish packing.
Speaking of packing...
I'm slow.
33 weeks pregnant makes for slow packer.

Just A Post Card

It’s busy in our apartment.
We close this week and move on Saturday.
We have a two year old
with two teeth on the verge of breaking through.
I can see them. They taunt us.
I’m pregnant and fluctuate between tiredness and weariness.
So busy is our general state these days.
It was a delightful moment when my
onetruelove found this.

A postcard.
Written by my onetruelove on October 8, 2004
in New York
just less than a month before our wedding
and mailed to me in Washington, DC.

It reads

Priceless Camille,
Every day
From so far away
I long to show you
I love you
But from so far away
It’s hard to just say
And say and say…
Still 32 days-
Is too long to wait
My loveliest thought
I love you.

My onetruelove indeed.

Faris' Office

A Box of Corn

A box of corn landed on my doorstep two days ago.
Compliments of the farm one town over.
They thought I might enjoy some of the
absolute last of the summer corn.
Guess I was a good patron.

Hide & Seek

We can regularly be found
playing a two year old version
of hide and seek.
Sometimes Luke likes to hide
in the middle of the kitchen floor.














The middle of the kitchen floor
is better than
say...
um...
the elevators
down the hall...

24 Hour Life Span

Adult lunch with my onetruelove.
A little spot along the Chesapeake Bay.
A sweet escape in a busy day of
cleaning
decluttering
and packing.
Except…

While we waited for our food to arrive
I counted 9 flies.
N I N E F L I E S.
Three tables plus ours
asked the poor waiter about it.
Said it had been a problem all summer
and that he thought flies only had a
24 hour life span.

The best part of my adult lunch with
my onetruelove…
A sweet old lady requested
something to at least hit
the flies with.
They brought her a fly swatter.

I’m ready to move back to the city.
RIGHT NOW.

Weeks

I’m thinking about my life in weeks.
2 Weeks: Lord willing, we will move to our new home.
5 Weeks: Praise God, we will celebrate five years of marriage.
9 Weeks: Lord willing, we will welcome our second child.

One thing at a time.

Happy Birthday Sasa

A most happy birthday wish for SaSa.

With fond affection,

Camille

October Market Night

Our local Farmer’s Market
is quickly coming to an end.
Amazing local produce during the summer
months helps make
living inthemiddleofnowhere
more bearable.

Amazing Jonagold apples
and what may be the last of the summer basil.





























The very very very last of the cherry tomatoes.
The last two weeks they have
held their cherry tomato
stash just for me.
I love that farm.

Winter inthemiddleofnowhere…
well I’m working on having a happy heart
about that matter.

Afternoon Cookie

pumpkin shaped
sugar cookie
with orange sprinkles,
of course.

Conviction

Children are great.
Great for a lot of things
not the least of which
is showing you the glaring
truth of your own sinful heart.

Last Saturday was Luke’s birthday party
and I had done some uber planning for
an outside by the Chesapeake Bay
barbeque bash (per Master Luke’s party invite!).
Rain spoiled our outside party
and Faris and I were grateful that we
were able to move our party to his
parent’s very comfortable and dry home.
How kind they were to have us on such short notice.

As I was preparing and organizing to move
our party food and supplies
I was grumpy about it.
My husband was kind to me and encouraging.
But I was still grumpy as I was putting things in boxes
and figuring out what to take and leave behind.

And then it happened to me.
I was convicted of my unhappy heart.
I’m trying to teach Luke this:

Do everything without complaining or arguing
-Philippians 2:14

But I was falling supremely short of that on Saturday afternoon.
I turned to my kind husband
confessed my unhappy heart
and then happily went about my business.

As I’ve gone about my daily
chores and activities this week
I’ve been so much more
aware
of my heart his week.
Am I happy and grateful to be
unloading the dishwasher
again
in service to my family?
Am I happy and grateful to be
folding laundry
again
in service to my family?

I’m grateful for the light shining on my sinful heart.
How much easier it is to patiently love a child learning the
same lessons I am still struggling with.