I'm going to miss this yard...

After spending nearly 4 years in Hawaii, and 3 1/2 of those years in a third floor condo, it has been a Godsend to be living a year in the country with our amazing yard. Aside from the many hours it takes Jake to mow the thing, it has been a source of endless joy for our family. The kids have a blast romping around, picking flowers, practicing gymnastics and soccer, riding down the hill on various toys, cheering on the trains as they go by, and so on. Jake and I will sometimes lay in the yard to read (me) or study (Jake) while the kids entertain themselves. Sometimes the girls will make a pretend house in the tall grass and play family; sometimes they will just sit and talk. In the winter, our yard was the ultimate backyard sledding slope. And if you venture just a wee bit further past our "yard" we can walk to the creek, where the kids have a blast "rowing" their boat, or throwing rocks in the water. We have heard that you can go swimming there in the summer, which we are all looking forward to.

A fall view from our back deck:

Addie picking flowers last fall:

Bella running wild:

Jacob and his cousins: boys being boys, take 1:

Jake and our brother-in-law: boys being boys, take 2:

Winter fun:

Uncle Adam and the cousins join the sled "train":

The kids at the creek:

Rowing their "boat":

Bella taking care of Will while he throws rocks in the creek:

The kids having a picnic yesterday:

It is hard to believe that our year in Virginia is 2/3 gone. We have a mere 4 months left in our country dream, and then it's back to "real" life in the Navy.

Man, I'm going to miss this yard.