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Davin (a.k.a. Captain Davin) likes to rescue me. When I least expect it, he will catch me in a big hug and say “I got you Mommy, you’re safe!” His spontaneous burst of affection and play save me in more ways than one, melting away whatever is concerning me at the moment. I love the way that his sweet spirit keeps me afloat. “I’m a slither snake!” Davin likes to curl up next to me and exuberantly proclaim his serpentine state. His imaginative play has really blossomed lately. When he isn’t a writhing reptile, he can also be a kitten (with the appropriate meowing) or a doggie (with an equally appropriate bark). Who needs a pet with Davin around! I’m convinced that kids learn what they are interested in. We have been trying to teach Rowan how to clap his hands, but he doesn’t seem very engaged with the idea. However, last week in church Chris was trying to keep Rowan content. Chris started clapping Rowan’s feet; Rowan loves this game and he started clapping his own feet. Why bother clappi...

It has been an interesting month. The grey cloud called “the economy” has been hovering over our heads, echoing from the news and from nervous lips. The news reached a new level of salience when, in addition to two of Chris’s sisters losing their jobs, my dad lost his job of twenty-eight years. We decided this year not to travel for Christmas but instead to enjoy a quieter Christmas at home. I wasn’t sure how I would handle this change (we have visited family every year up until now), and my emotions were compounded when my grandfather passed away earlier this week. Though we searched airline sites exhaustively, the reality was that we would not be able to make it home for his funeral. As we resigned ourselves to staying here, I looked forward with anticipation to our Christmas plans, which included a dinner invitation to our friends’ home for dinner on Christmas day. However, Rowan woke at 2 am on Christmas Eve not from sugar plums dancing in his head but instead from a nasty cold tha...

Our festivities began on Christmas Eve with Davin and me making the traditional Rees family Christmas cookies while Chris made the traditional Rees family Christmas Eve German Dinner. Davin ate more dough than he made into cookies, but we had a great time working on it together. Chris’s dinner was amazing; it gets better every year. After dinner, we had our first family nativity starring Davin as the Wise Man, Rowan as the Shepherd, Chris as Joseph, Katie as Mary, and a rolled up baby blanket as the Baby Jesus. I’m not sure if we’ll ever have a full cast, but maybe we’ll add an angel in there somewhere. We did a very simple version of the story interjected with carols that Davin knows, and the boys seemed to enjoy the moment. I know I did! We put out cookies for Santa and went to bed, hoping that Santa would arrive. Poor Rowan wasn’t feeling well and was up most of the night, but it didn’t curb our enthusiasm too much the next morning. Davin came into our bed around 7:30am and aft...

I was a little concerned about asking the Prices if we could visit them again. During our last visit, Davin trailed poop all over their house, Rowan barfed, and we spent one of our evenings in the emergency room, keeping the Prices up late. I would not have been surprised if Janine would have politely created an excuse for not wanting us to visit (i.e. “I have to wash my hair and re-lace my shoes that weekend”). Instead, Janine cheerily invited us to visit. We had a great time playing at a children’s museum with Cora while Chris and Brian played golf. Later in the evening, we enjoyed attending a party at the Westbrooks and seeing many of our Winston friends. The opportunity to visit with each other without little people interrupting every third word was a pure luxury. I was reminded why our time in W-S will be a dear chapter in our lives. Thank you again, Prices, for a great stay (and Westbrooks for a great party)!

Rowan turned one the day after Thanksgiving and we couldn’t be more grateful for gift that he is to our family. I’m not a mathematician but I do know that two is twice as much as one: double the work but double the fun. We had a fun time celebrating Rowan’s special day. We went to the Dan Nichols Park and the North Carolina Transportation Museum, both in Rowan County, North Carolina. Yes, there is a Rowan County in North Carolina, but no, Rowan was not named in honor of the county (nothing against the county). Actually, we were quite ignorant of the county until after we picked Rowan’s name. We were then made aware of it and its unique pronunciation after Rowan was born. I was in a doctor’s office waiting for a check-up for Rowan when the nurse called his name: “Row-anne?” “Row-anne?!!!”, I thought. “How do you get that pronunciation from his name?” We later learned that it is the local pronunciation for the county. We think our little guy is special enough to have an entire county na...

We were grateful to have the Carters join us for Thanksgiving dinner this year. In addition to their delightful company, they brought wonderful dishes to our little feast. We had a great time eating, chatting, and playing games until late in the evening. Though we missed spending the holiday with our families, we were happy to adopt the Carters! Thanks for a great day! Chris dedication to the turkey paid off!