December already!

We really are alive here in West Bridgewater. I'm starting to get panicked emails. Somehow, our two-and-a-half weeks here have slipped by and trying to find moments for emails, phone calls, Facebook, or the blog is like trying to catch water in my fingers. December already. I can't believe it.

Yesterday was Moriah's five month birthday. We celebrated by...putting her in the nursery for the first time at church. :) She actually stayed there for quite a while (over two hours) before she had a major meltdown and the nursery had to page me (for all of my non-church-going friends, they actually have a black LED screen at the front of the church that flashes Moriah's assigned number on it if they need me...sort of like a deli counter system...of course, I'm not used to watching that screen, so totally missed it and my sister-in-law had to get my attention from the end of our row and say, "Isn't that Moriah's number?" at which point I went running out of the service like a properly guilty mother). Apparently she was just overstimulated (she's the only baby in a nursery of toddlers, who are quite loud). So, I made it through our first Sunday School class (an interesting class on parenting) but caught only 10 minutes of service. Ah, five months old. It does, though, have its many, many joys, including a ton of smiles, lots of grabbing (have lost my glasses to her fists a few times), attempts to sit up in her Bumbo seat, and constant babbling.

Orilus and Jackson are living quite the full and happy lives here in West Bridgewater. They both walked and biked to school again this morning; we're really enjoying the outdoor spaces here and the freedom to allow the kids to roam a bit farther and more freely. Jackson's basketball season is in full swing and he's been called the best point guard in his league; he's really proud of the niche he's already carved out for himself on his team and on the court at recess at school. Orilus' season hasn't started yet; we're hoping it begins this week. But he's been busy attending junior high youth group at our church, and is enjoying the pizza, the games, and (sigh) the girls. We're sending him for his first-ever overnight in January--to Mt. Monadnock youth retreat. Okay, sisters and Chapel friends, let's hear a shout for our MM retreats! Can you believe I now have a son old enough to do what we did just...yesterday? last year? Oh, and both boys have decided to join the band at school. They have a choice at school--they can either take music, chorus, or band, and they've both decided to join band and (after mom put her foot down) to choose different instruments from one another. So...(drum roll please)...Jackson is now the proud renter of a snare drum (let me tell you, Jason's parents are being better than great about us living here), and Orilus is now learning to play the alto sax (Dad, are you way too excited?!). They started last week. The percussion kids (all 4 of them) have a weekly class together, and Jackson came home already playing quite a bit. And the sax kids (all 3 of them) have class together, too, and Orilus can already play 3 notes! He's quite proud of himself. The funniest, of course, is when they "jam" together in the "dirty side" of the basement here at Mom and Dad's...three notes over and over on the sax, maybe two or three different drum rolls...over and over...

So we are still living here at the Winchells. Our house on Henry Ave is hopefully closing on Friday of this week...you can pray that this happens, as we have an offer in on a different house in West Bridgewater and in order to sign a P&S on Monday (one week from today) we need our Henry Ave place to close. After much angst, we decided to let go of the house we were interested in purchasing originally...it was so big, and so expensive, and we were having a lot of trouble getting the people to agree on the septic issues. We let it go...and a new house came on the market, a house that's been totally re-done, is smaller, and a lot less money. We feel so much happier about this fitting into our budget and our lives and our values and we are so, so hoping we can move into it in January.

As usual, time here is short...Moriah is waking again and I've got to run. Breakfast with Mom, Dad, and Great-Grammie is on the table, and I do need my morning cup of coffee. Know that we are well here, adjusting and making our new life work as best we can. We are so grateful for all your posts, comments, emails, and calls...we really will be in touch, and try to get settled so we can see some of our friends soon!

Love from a West Bridgewater Team Winchell