Soup to C-CAP and a little learning on the way

Our soup making play date was Wednesday and it could not have gone better.  The kids were all under 4 and the MOMS were all awesome.  I wanted to get pictures but I don't have the best of luck with cameras and I didn't tempt fate by leaving my Liam with spices and dried beans while I tried to capture the moment.  It was fun and something we will definitely do again.  All of the MOMS brought some ingredients and we put the beans together in larger Ziploc bags and then the seasonings together in smaller Ziploc bags.  We were short a spice so I finished them up this morning and then we loaded the bags of soup mix up in the wagon and brought them to C-CAP.  Tim and Liam and I then spent the morning wandering around Front Royal before parking ourselves outside of the Daily Grind with coffee and muffins.  It was a little bit like heaven.  

Tim and Liam enjoying downtown

Between the MOMS Club of Front Royal and meeting so many new friends at the Women's Walk for C-CAP, I definitely feel lucky to live where we are and to be someplace with such a sense of community.  I love running into people I know, meeting new friends without trying, and having people reach out to help without a second thought.  This kind of small town living was something I had always read about in books but never thought it was something you could move into.  We have been here 4 years now and I cannot imagine living anywhere else.  I would love for my boys to grow up in the same area, holding onto old friends while welcoming new friends (ahem - girl scouts for 6 years - I remember the song!).  I would love for them to get to know the way a community can support you and teach you.  I want them to feel as if they have a support system that extends beyond our very big (but farther away) extended family.  One of my goals with the Summer of Giving was to foster a sense of community in my boys but I didn't realize what an impact it would have on me.  I have never been good at asking for help!  I felt like I never was able to go out with friends in the evenings or to ask friends or family to watch the boys or to help with something I was struggling with.  Now I know that everyone else doesn't mind helping - all I had to do was ask!  In some cases my super giving friends would offer help and I would turn it down thinking that it was just too much.  Now I know it is good for me and the boys to have time away and time with others.  Kyle is sure that he will never leave me (although he wants us to build a magic wardrobe together so we can go to Narnia instead of college).  Zac doesn't do well with others sometimes.  And Liam is currently mastering the art of the temper tantrum.  But I will be going out tonight to a Mary Kay party to wear make up for the first time in 5 years.  And I won't worry about the boys!  And tomorrow I will bake for the Festival of Leaves and have my Mom and Richard over for my birthday without worrying about how clean the house is.  I need to enjoy my family and friends without letting the little things bug me.   I know it is easier to say that I will not let things worry me - but maybe the more I say it - the more it will come true. 

Being potato heads with Liam

Helping out the Williams Family

The last couple weeks have been really busy for me and unfortunately not with this blog.  We did have the Women's Walk for C-CAP on Saturday night hosted by Andi Robinson.  It was such a great time and I met some amazing women.  We started at Vino e Formaggio and had a wine tasting and some fantastic beers.  We stopped in at Wine & Duck (because it was raining and Stonewall Jackson was a little too far in a cold rain) and then ended the night at Lucky Star Lounge.  I got my first hangover in 5+ years.  I look forward to going out with these ladies again!  Although this time without the hangover : )

One of the really incredible women I met was Marlie Roberts Walden.   She is a teacher at Warren County Middle School and leads the Builders Club there.  She is running a booth at the Festival of Leaves on Saturday October 8th (at 44 Chester Street).  Their booth will have baked goods and will be collecting donations for a local family, the Williams.  The Williams family has three children and one of their 7 year old twins has a brain tumor.  He has been in the hospital for months and the family is obviously in need of assistance.  Marlie told me that their family is so happy and in such good spirits but neither parent is working right now so that they can be with their son down at Children's Hospital at UVA.  If you would like to help out - please stop by their booth on Saturday at 44 Chester Street and give a donation that will go 100% to the Williams family.  Marlie is paying for the booth and all the baked goods are being donated by the Builders club.

I am excited to finally host a play date tomorrow where we will be putting together a dried soup mix with the kids to donate to the C-CAP food pantry.  Andi Robinson and I have also been asked to talk at the C-CAP Dinner on Monday October 10th.  Trying to figure out how to talk about what we have been doing with C-CAP!  I thought doing a newspaper article was difficult - now I have to try public speaking?  At least I get to wear heels . . .