#walkingwaco

Walking became such a central part of my life while in Germany, and since moving back to the states, I've been a little lost without the ability to get around on foot. Like really in a fog. I can "go for a walk," but there's something about walking out of necessity, or as a means of running errands. It's useful, but also affords an opportunity to look around, and really be a part of your surroundings. I relish the opportunity to notice the details around me, and let's not forget the endorphins. We walked the 2 miles to the library this morning, and the only thing that could have made it better would have been the ability to stop at the grocery on the way home. Nevertheless, it was life-giving to be able to walk, and use my own two feet again. 

One sweet moment was when Seb looked over and said, "Hey, Mommy! Look it's like in Germany!" He was pointing through a wrought iron fence at an open courtyard. It looked just like a Bier Garten courtyard, flanked with two buildings. On the way home we saw the sign for the now-closed restaurant and... Beer Garden. Good eye kid. 

Thanks, January sunshine, for warming us and illuminating the hidden beauty of this little city, and making us feel a wee bit more at home.

Old snow, beautiful snow

As it turns out, I was terrible at taking pictures during Christmas break, with the exception of these above: wearing my papa's boots out into the snow to catch this magical sky and magical house. I'm also becoming more okay with this falling in and out of things (it helps having talented photographers on both sides of the family. My brother-in-law took the most captivating photos of the boys on Christmas morning. Thanks, Kurt!). Life ebbs and flows, and right now, taking pictures, blogging, and a whole host of other things are waning in importance. I blame moving. I overheard a new friend say to someone, "Moving is traumatic." It's true, and I know it. So I'm okay with living months of my life in a weird sort of normal-not-normal cloud, and taking each day as it comes. We are slowly but surely making this little corner of Texas home, and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. It's bizarre wearing a tank top in the sunshine while many of our friends are hunkered down after a blizzard. I don't think the Texas weather will ever lessen in it's strangeness to me, but I've at least made my peace with it this winter because we enjoyed a couple lovely days surrounded by snow while in Ohio. I even scooped some up in a cup and ate it as we drove away, 17 hours of road in front of us, from my childhood home.

Thanks, Jo, for taking these beautiful pictures (below).