So I kinda forgot about my little corner of the inter-webs over here. We took a little road trip for a week to Virginia. It’s an annual trip to visit our friends and fill up on friendship and fellowship. I think we accomplished our goal. I do plan to start posting again regularly. For now I have to run a bazillion errands today, catch up with another friend I’ve been missing, and gather my thoughts as it’s hard to have thoughts with 5 kids circling you all day. I have some fun things coming up, including a video of a fun experiment that involves children and marshmallows.  Oh, and happy spring! Seeing all these daffodils is one of my favorite times of the year!

Photo from here

So, I haven’t really had much thoughts lately, I’ve just been soaking up the friendship here in good ole Virginia. We left for our annual pilgrimage to visit some friends in Virginia last Friday and have been enjoying every minute. I have, however, taken over 100 pictures. Here are my favorites.

Today, in addition to school, we are going to go and get some compost with my bestest Tuscaloosa friend, Anna. She gave me a bunch of heirloom seeds of some vegetables that I am going to plant soon. Since I haven’t yet killed these, I’m optimistic that we will be eating some homegrown veggies in a few short months.

We are also having a belated celebration of a friends birthday and Happy Kidney Day. I am going to make this white bean chicken chili and this ridiculously good chocolate sheet cake. Ironically, there are no kidney beans in the chili. I think after four weeks of not killing my girls plants, and eight years of not killing my new-to-me kidney, I deserve a little, or not so little piece of chocolate cake. If you care anything about your taste buds you will put these two things on your menu. If you care anything about our friendship you will invite me over.

Anywho, I also hope to do some reading this weekend. For the next week 6 bloggers are visiting Kenya and writing about what Compassion is doing there. As an avid supporter of Compassion and a sponsor for the past 10 years, I love reading about what is going on to bring hope to these destitute communities and families. The first days visits have been blogged about here and here, and I urge you to check it out. It will be worth the two clicks and ten minutes.

And finally, now that the Olympics are over I have a different reason to be glued to the couch. I’ve fallen behind on my reading and have about 10 pages left in two different books; The End of the Affair by Graham Greene, and Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. I would also really like to finish Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson.

Happy Friday to you!

And you know what that means . . . Volkswagon buses! At least to me they do me. Deep down in my hippie heart there is a space the shape of a volkswagon bus, preferably in red and white. In Canada since it is an arctic tundra, and since vintage VW’s are notoriously impossible to keep warm–they usually don’t make their appearance until the spring. So as sure as the daffodils show their heads in March and April, so do a legion of VW buses.

I’ve wanted one since I was a teenager and I started to wear Zac down before we got married, trying to convince him I eventually needed one. He’s like a lozenge in a glass of cold water though, wearing down slowly but surely. I don’t think I’m being that unreasonable either–it’s not like I’m asking for a Lamborghini.

Anyways, here are the things Candace dreams are made of:

Look how cozy this one is. I would take this over an RV any day of the week, month or year. Oh, and Zachy, if you bought me one these it would be oh so easy to convince me to go tailgating.

And just for fun, check out this mini bus. So cute!

Photos are from here, here and here.

1. To be out of bed before 7 am at least 4 times. I don’t care it it’s 6:59, if my feet are on the floor it counts.

2. To come to terms with the fact that my kids are American; watching these Olympic games has made me realize that I’m not only foreigner in this country but in my own house.

3. To stop bumping my leg on the exact same piece of furniture on the exact same spot on my leg. Everyday.

4. To do a complete 5 days of school this week with the girls – and to get it done before lunch.

5. To come to terms with the fact that the laundry will not do itself.

6. To come to terms with the fact that there is no longer a laundry “day” in this house, but a laundry week – and to embrace it.

7. Spring cleaning. Somehow after getting rid of most trouble spots in my home before Christmas they reappeared.

8. To stop thinking of myself as Canadian as my citizenship is in heaven.

9. To love, love, love all these precious people God has gifted me with.

10. To come to terms with the fact that this last 5 lbs is not going to go away eating chips and cookies while sitting on the couch watching Olympic athletes sweat.

11. To break a sweat at least 5 times. Looks like I’ll have to resume my love/hate relationship with Jillian.

12. To finish my pillows.

13. To play with my girls and to read them books in silly voices.

14. To have a really special “Happy Kidney Day”.

15. To have a happy heart and to encourage my girls and Zach-y to do the same.