Long trip home and still no satellite

Sigh, just an update and the reason why I haven't blogged in a bit. Still, no satellite internet. Sigh. Long story short, we canceled service with the company because of promising something they couldn't deliver and not showing up several times when they said they would.

We went with a new company and they were supposed to install today. They called while we were in PA to say they don't have the equipment yet. 2-3 weeks. I am not getting my hopes up but I will keep blogging in the meantime. And delight in the day when I can post pictures and download my email in a reasonable time.

We returned yesterday from our first trip back to PA since we moved in April. It was a good all around good trip but bittersweet. It was so uplifting to see family and friends and spend time laughing and hugging and visiting. But also disheartening knowing that these people are not a part of our daily life anymore. I can't just call them and get together for dinner or stop by their house on my way home from wherever. We have lots of friends with kids and it was hard to think that they won't grow up playing together. And that our godson won't grow up really knowing us.

I have not once questioned whether we made the right decision to move here. This is where we are meant to be, I am sure of that. God has good work here for all of us. But what we have left behind is significant and will never be able to be replaced. I am not always very good at keeping in touch but there are too many important relationships for me in PA to be lazy.

It did feel , however, so right to come back to the peace and quiet of our home, our woods. I love the city but this land, this house, this mountain feeds and soothes in a way concrete, buildings, and busy-ness cannot. Still settling in, still transitioning to this new place and new life.

Little known (to me anyway:-) New Hampshire fact

Did you know that New Hampshire has 13 (or is it 14, Jaclyn?) miles of coastline? I, for one, was unaware of this fact until I moved to MA. One of my dear friends from college is a New Hampshire resident in the beach town of Portsmouth which is how I came upon this information.

Well, the kids and I went to visit her this week and had a most wonderful vacation! We played in the park, picked blueberries, hugged, went for walks, took a slightly disastrous boat ride (I, not the kids, got sea sick :-), went to the beach, giggled, had small talk, played "restaurant" with the kids at every meal (my new trick to get Abigail to eat!), drank a beer in a bar without the kids!!, shared deep thoughts, and spent more time together than we had in years. It was lovely to be in such caring, uplifting, fun company. I have been deeply missing friends that know me well and this trip was a refreshing drink for this dry soul.

I was going to post some great pictures from our trip but after 3 failed attempts, I don't think that my "hi speed" (their sense of humor is so twisted) dial-up is not going to cooperate. Ah, maybe someday we will get real internet...

Discovering our roots in Plymouth

Not really!

So you'd think being in one of the earliest settled areas of our country, we would be exploring our historical roots. But to be honest that just hasn't made it on our agenda yet (side note: do you know that Plymouth rock is only a smidge larger than a laptop and has been moved several times breaking into smaller pieces along the way?! I mean, who wants to take their preschooler and toddler to see that when the beach is so close?!).

Anyway, Matt had a camping conference/meeting last week in Plymouth. Since Plymouth is right in the ocean and Matt's meeting was only in the morning, the whole clan piled into the van for the 4 hour drive.

While Matt was learning and networking, the kids and I explored the Girl Scout camp where the meeting was being held. We hiked around for an hour (that is a long time for a 3-year-old) and Abigail even had her first poop in the woods. I told you this girl was going to be tough by the end of the summer!

During our drive to Plymouth, the weather was rainy and pretty nasty. But soon after we started hiking, the rain turned to a soft mist and the sun began to filter through the clouds. There were lots of evergreens in the woods and the other trees and rocks in the area had this beautiful, inviting seafoam and mint green lichen and moss growing on them. It was thicker and fuller than the lichen here in western Mass. I am guessing that the moist ocean air makes the difference. I felt like we were walking through the green section of the crayon box. It was lovely!

After lunch, we all made our way to the beach for a lively afternoon of exploring, splashing, digging, seashell collecting, rock scrambling, bird spotting, and playing. We all really had a great time. It was the first time we have really had a chance to relax and play without time restrictions since we arrived. What a blessing!

We finished off the day by stuffing ourselves at a great beach side restaurant and had a quiet (i.e. sleeping kids) mountain view filled ride home. The beach, relaxation, and play were a much needed reprieve in the midst of many hectic days.