Gloria in Excelsis Deo: Blue Ridge Highlights Day 2

Monday July 29

Morning view from our deck

My early birds were up to see the sunrise, no surprise there.

The children played pool, ping pong, and foos ball

John and Mary went twenty four hours without fighting. It was remarkable! They were absorbed into the larger gang of their three other cousins already at the cabin and simply raced around, having a grand old time, too occupied to bicker.

In fact, I felt myself missing them because I would barely see my children in this large home. I'd even have to go seek out my two-year-old every so often to make sure she was okay (which she was).

Mary and I went on a little "hike" by ourselves (Joseph on my back, not really "counting" as company). It was such a special time! Mary is my one who in particular blossoms under one-on-one attention. On our hike, I taught her that serious hikers regularly glance backward and take a mental picture of the view as it will appear on their return hike, so they will feel familiar and not get lost so easily. Mary took this to heart and would announce every couple hundred feet, "Okay, at that tree stump [or whatever landmark], we are going to turn around and glance back!"

Then we would get there, look back for a moment, and she'd say, "Yup. Okay, now we keep going."

Then on the return hike, she told me to announce each landmark as I'd see it and we'd "check it off our list." "There's the ridgey driveway! There is the old stump! There is the patch of ferns! There is the white butterfly!"