Floridays

Gina, Sam, Nate and I just returned from a week in Florida with my parents. This was a great way to relax and celebrate our graduation from UVA. The week started out very rainy, but soon enough the sun came out and we were able to get out and see some of the sights. Sam and Nate got to swim in their very first wading pool, and I'm pretty sure this will be something they want to do again.

While we were there, my mom and dad celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary! They went to a dinner show featuring Arabian horses. Gina and I stayed home and rested, which was nice considering how busy the last few months have been.

The best man from our wedding, David, and his family live in Orlando, so they came over to see us one evening. Sam and Nate were amazed by the big boys, and we had a nice time talking about old times and having dinner.

We also got to go to a water park, Hurricane Harbor, and the beach. Sam and Nate didn't know exactly what to do at the water park at first, but they got the hang of it and had fun playing in the wave pool (the edge of it, at least, where the waves are VERY shallow) and the sand. They caught on to the beach a little better, and this time they had some beach toys to play with in the sand. I did learn that next time we need to have TWO shovels!

Other activities included going to a Japanese Steak House, seeing Downtown Disney and learning how to sweep the floor. OK, that last one would be better categorized as "training." But Sam thought it was fun, which is the same tactic my dad used on me for mowing the lawn.

Overall, we had a great time and can't wait to go back. We are so grateful that GiGi and PaPa could be there with us (and made the whole trip possible!). Sam and Nate are now patiently waiting for their next fun vacation!

Pomp and Circumstance

On May 16 and 17, Gina and I walked through the Final Exercises at the University of Virginia. In all, we attended 5 different graduation ceremonies (my hooding, my graduation, Gina's hooding, her graduation, and Walking the Lawn) and 3 parties! Gina's parents got in Thursday evening and my parents came in Friday afternoon. My sister and her family came in on Saturday, and we had a lot of friends share the special day(s) with us as well. The weekend was hectic, exciting, relieving and a little sad. Personally, I have loved living in Charlottesville and attending the university. I can't say it was always fun or immediately rewarding, but we stuck to our program and finished what we came to accomplish. I'm sure someday all of this will sink in and I will think to myself, "How did we do that?" For now, we are happy to be done and have loved looking through all the pictures and reflecting on the moment. I have included some images from graduation weekend, but there are many, many more you can see here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/curbyalexander/UVAGraduation

Nathaniel does NOT want the party to end!

Happy Mother's Day

Gina was able to spend her second Mother's Day with the boys, and we all had a great day. For starters, we all went to church (which is what we do every Sunday), but this time we were almost on time. This may not sound like a big deal, but trust me, this is huge. Pastor Bill prepared a special Mother's Day service, and it was great. The boys got to hang out in the nursery for most of the service, but they did get to sing some of the praise songs with us in big church. I'm pretty sure they will both be great singers.

After church we came home, ate lunch, then took long naps. I slept about 40 minutes, but Gina and the boys slept for almost 3 hours. I was able to get all of the laundry folded in that time, as well as make a few phone calls and watch most of the Lakers/Rockets game. Once everyone was up, we went to the park to play for about an hour. The weather was really nice, and everyone had a great time.

The boys and I got Gina some new beach clothes to take to Orlando in a couple of weeks. She has been wanting some new things, and Sam and Nate sure know how to get their mom what she likes. I also made her one my famous fruit smoothies, which Gina is convinced caused the boys to be so big when they were born.

The day was very special and filled with lots of laughs and relaxation. More than anything, we wanted Gina to know how much she is loved and cherished by the three guys in the house. She fits into motherhood like it was tailor-made for her, which we know it was because it was God who made it all possible. Gina pours herself into Samuel and Nathaniel, not only providing for their physical needs, but nurturing their spiritual growth as well. Every night before we put the boys in their cribs for the night, we spend a few minutes praying together as a family. We can't always predict what will happen during the day, especially with twin 15-month old boys, but we can take time at the end of the day to thank the Lord for His blessings and protection over us. After the boys are in their cribs, I usually speed downstairs to get dinner and watch Jeopardy, but Gina will stay with them for a few more minutes and gently sing hymns and praises to the boys as they fall asleep. In the same way, my prayer for Gina is that, at the end of the day when she puts her head down and reflects on all the day's events, the Lord would gently sing over her and affirm His provision for the role he has given her. For while a mother's work is never done, the source that fuels that work is eternal and never runs dry.