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Traveling to Providence

      Last week we took a trip to the beautiful small city of Providence, RI. The autumn day was so clear and crisp, and the leaves were beginning to change. We also made it to a delicious taco store that sets up shop at our Wednesday Farmer's market. These are the best tacos east of Hollister, CA! 

So pretty seeing the water run through the city.

Our reason for the visit that day was far less cheery than the sights we saw.

Back in August, our lives took a little detour for this fall. Usually around here, autumn ushers in the celebration of all the kids' birthdays and our anniversary and Thanksgiving!  This year it ushered in this.

 

Last week the girls went in for the preoperative program. POP was a nice program, and I am glad that we took the time to see the hospital and meet the staff. Here M is showing the anesthesiologist her loose tooth as it is mentioned in question #32 of the questionnaire.  

There are times that this all seems like a huge ordeal and times when it is put in its place. While I checked into POP, the nurse handed me instructions and forms and asked specifically if this was a spinal fusion procedure. Those words took my breath away. The surgery the girls are going for is very minor. It is not the procedure that has my emotions on my sleeve.

It is the going under.

 

Please pray for us while we trust in God's providence for our little girls.

Brenton Point State Park

      A few weeks back, I took the kids out of the house to let N get some well deserved Sabbath rest. We drove a few miles to the southern tip of Rhode Island the island (not to be confused with the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations).  Past the rocks is the ocean as opposed to the bay which we usually see.

This is part of Brenton Point State Park.

So much seaweed

Tiny pink crab

Lil boy really enjoys throwing rocks into the water.

Through the mess and chaos of these little years, these are the moments I choose to remember.

As a whole, this blog is a collection of the memories I choose to remember. This is my little scrapbook of life, joy, and blessings. One of the most difficult aspects of being a military family is all the moving that we do; one of the most blessed aspects of being a military family is all the beautiful sights we are able to see. After 7 years of active duty service, I am just starting to embrace this is what we are and this is what we do.

Newport Vineyards

     While my mom was visiting, N and I made our way over to the Newport Vineyards to do a wine tasting and tour. We have often made it out to the vineyards themselves as the Saturday Aquidneck Grower's Market is held on the vineyard property, yet this was our first time tasting the beautiful grapes.

 Stopping to smell the grapes

 Stopping to smell the flowers

     E came along with us because in this house being the middle child means you are the first to get picked when there is something special to do because so often you hear that you are "too young or too old to do such and such."

     Bottling machine

It was a beautiful day.

     My favorite was the Vidal Ice Wine. Wow, it was sweet and delicious. Sadly, it was the most expensive of their selection, and we passed on bringing a bottle home. According to their website, it is harvested after the third hard frost in November or December and pressed frozen.

     After the tasting, we made our way towards our favorite Saturday hangout. The grower's market mostly boasts local veggies, yet it also offers art, pastured meats, pastries, candles, soaps, and the best honey I have ever tasted. In November, the market will be traveling indoors.

     Around here the live musicians are paid in the form of cash tips as well as vegetables and loaves of bread.

     These seaweeds prints were surprisingly beautiful.

Falling for Rhode Island

The Navy has shipped us off to Rhode Island for a half a year from July to February. It came by no surprise that we were coming here as this school is mandatory for N's position, yet it has still been difficult for me to wrap my head around coming and moving away in such a short time period.  My little taste of the area six years ago while pregnant with baby M was all I needed to know that Newport was a place with so much to see and do while the weather is temperate. So far we have enjoyed seeing so much already. I am trying to keep us out and about while we have the opportunity with this beautiful weather.

We found a gem of a beach with clear and very calm water for the little ones. The beach is at a marina so it never feels isolated, yet the three times we have visited so far it has never had more than a family or two on the beach giving us plenty of room to explore and to create.

 The girls have started to enjoy climbing on the rocks. The sky was so blue!

 Lil toes on tiny pebbles. Depending on the tide, the sand by the waves is either soft and tan or contains tiny multicolored pebbles. I was pleased and surprised how all the kids enjoyed the texture of the pebbles without voicing any complaints.