We don't sit still too well, so when I have a weekend off it's go time! My new work schedule is a bit strange, but it actually works great for us. I have off every other weekend and every Tuesday.
The previous two Tuesdays off were largely consumed with doctors appointments; it was high time to have fun. In the midst of it all, we found ourselves very thankful for the opportunity to be back in Delaware and spending time with many people we love. Five months ago it was a crazy time around our move back, but we are settling in nicely and enjoying these mini adventures:
Saturday - I brought the girls with me to a Women's Brunch at our church, Hickory Ridge. What a great time to get together and chat with about 25 other women; we are blessed to have a good group of young moms and ladies in the church. I missed these types of gatherings when we lived in new areas. That night, Daddy offered to watch the girls so that I could go out by myself for a time of singing and worship at church called Ignite. The worship band hosts this special night once a month, but this was my first opportunity to go. There is power and encouragement in joining together and singing songs like, "There is Power in the Name of Jesus to break every chain...Break every chain." The chains of this life can be broken in His name.
Sunday - We took advantage of gorgeous fall weather to have a family outing at the Salisbury Zoo 45 minutes south. We love going to zoos and miss the fact that we were only 15 minutes from the Indianapolis Zoo and the Metro Richmond Zoo at our previous two homes. Though Salisbury is not nearly as elaborate as those two zoos, it is free and it is fun to see the animals, especially the pink flamingoes and baby llama or alpaca - whatever it is. Plus, they have a Fantastic playground! Afterwards we made a quick stop at the Salisbury Mall to get new fall jackets for the girls...we also miss all the shopping options we used to have within a few minutes of our home. Guess you can't have everything you want in the same place!
Our Sunday fun didn't end there. Aunt Leona and Uncle Gary invited us over to dinner at their home. We ladies took the four-wheelers out for a spin around the farm. I haven't ridden one of those in years! Johanna rode with me and loved the feel of the wind in her hair. However, we got into trouble when she figured out how to push the trigger on the handle that made the four-wheeler accelerate. Look out people, this 22 month old likes to GO! We finished off the night roasting marshmallows around the fire pit.
Monday - Our adventures this day weren't nearly as exciting, but still very valuable. The four of us were up at the local elementary school by 9:00 a.m. for an IEP meeting with Adria's Pre-K teacher, three other school officials and her physical therapists. Since Adria has delays that cause her to physically have trouble keeping up with her peers in the school setting, she can receive services through the State of Delaware, which has been the case since her birth. Her official delay is titled "Orthopeadic Impairment," and we spent over an hour that day discussing her development goals for the year, which I will detail another time.
We left immediately from there to drive 45 minutes north to Lawall Orthotics & Prosthetics in Dover for an 11:00 a.m. appointment to pick up a new pair of leg braces for Adria. She just got a new pair of DAFOs earlier this summer, but she's been so active that her orthotics actually tore at the ankle and we had to order a new pair a couple weeks ago. While she was there trying them on to make sure they fit appropriately, a middle aged man with one leg was also trying out his new leg prosthetic. He complimented her on her pretty braces :)
We were able to keep that meeting short and drive back down to Bridgeville just in time to drop Adria off at Pre-school for her 12:30 p.m. start, drop Daddy and Johanna at home, then run to work in Greenwood for my 1:00 p.m. appointment where I collected a deposit from a new client to get started on a home soon. What a morning! We finished off the day with a quick trip to Killens Pond for a pleasant walk through the woods with my Aunt Bon, and Ade got in some disc golf time.
Tuesday - We planned an exciting day off with Granny and Grandad this week. Ade's parents joined us for a ride across the Delaware Bay on the Cape May - Lewes Ferry. We hadn't all been on the ferry in years, and our little girls had never been, plus there is a great zoo on the other side. It was quite chilly and windy for our 9:15 a.m. departure across the 17 mile stretch of water, but it warmed up after we disembarked in New Jersey an hour and a half later. We thoroughly enjoyed our adventures at the Cape May Zoo, which included seeing a three week old female giraffe and about 500 other animal species and of course, more llamas.
We drove around to explore the boardwalks and shores of Wildwood and Cape May, which were surprisingly deserted just a month after the busy summer season has ended. We enjoyed views of the Atlantic Ocean from a restaurant on the beach and played in the sand before returning for our 6:00 p.m. ferry departure back to Delaware. The clear, blue sky made it easy to experience a lovely sunset on the bay on our return trip. It's really the best way to watch the sunset over water on the East Coast.
Wednesday - Back to work for both us with Ade helping my Dad install plumbing on a home in the community where I sell and Mom watching our girls (keeping it all in the family)! It was a disappointing day with a call from a client that I've been working with so hard and felt so confident they would build with us, telling me they found a "better deal". After six years in the roller-coaster industry of new home sales, that happens all the time, but there are certain instances when it still shocks me. Fortunately, I had a great meeting at the end of the day with a sweet family who is moving forward and ready to build asap!
Thursday - Just a normal day for us, except that Adria had a special field trip at Pre-K where they walked to the local library. Parents were invited, but I couldn't make it due to a work appointment and Daddy did not feel at peace about going alone with her. The risk of a seizure is ever present and would be traumatic for a group of 4 year olds. Thankfully, my Dad a.k.a. Grandpa was able to fulfill Adria's wishes to have someone join her for the outing.
The afternoon held a surprising amount of drama at Greenwood's only major intersection where our main office sits. A major car accident occurred by the bank that had the medevac chopper called in for the man in a pick-up that had slammed into a larger truck. Then, the police were frisking down three people right outside our front door a few hours later. That's a lot of drama for one day in our tiny town!
Friday - Who knows what adventures today will hold? After this busy week, I'm hoping for a low key day as I prepare to work the weekend at the model home. It's been fun but kind of exhausting.
Adria just woke up and asked me, "Mommy, where are we going tomorrow?"
Good question, sweetie.
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