Weekend in Virginia

Last weekend we rented a car and drove to Lynchburg, Virginia. Some of our good friends, Marc and Amy Corbett and their daughter Caroline live there. When Josh and I were in college at Texas Tech, Marc was our campus minister with RUF, which was a campus ministry we were involved with. He and his wife Amy became good friends and mentors. They have known and loved Josh and me since we were freshmen in college, and watched our friendship turn into a dating relationship and eventually marriage (Josh and I did not start dating until 2 years after graduating). They have been a huge source of encouragement to us through some of the highest and lowest points in our lives.

It is so nice to have people in your life that are just a little bit ahead of where you are to give you advice and encouragement along the way. Two years ago Marc and Amy adopted their daughter Caroline. So it has been fun to watch Marc and Amy become parents, and during our visit, they shared lots of wonderful advice.

Recently Caroline has been struggling with hair loss, which after much research and countless doctor's appointments, Marc and Amy figured out it had to do with intestinal problems. They have been doing all they can to get their sweet little girl healthy again, which has included putting her on a strict gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and more diet (you can find more details about this at Amy's Blog). It is amazing to see how dedicated they are to their daughter. It is also incredible to see what an amazing little girl she is. She is so smart and full of life. Other than her hair loss, if you just met her you would never guess anything is wrong. She is a joy to be around. When we left on Sunday, Josh said playing with her made him ready for our baby to get here!

We went to church with them on Sunday before we left, and as Caroline walked in and the musicians were rehearsing, she began to dance and sing, and as people walked in, she would announce to them, "I am singing!" I almost cried just watching her. What an incredible example of hope and joy in the Lord this sweet 2 year old girl was to me!

We wanted to bring Caroline something, so when we were in D.C. before heading to Lynchburg, we were visiting this great bookstore called Kramerbooks, which is a bookstore and restaurant all in one. They have great food, and an amazing selection of books. We found this book there, and thought it would be so much fun. It is called Waddle! by Rufus Butler Seder. As you turn the page, the animals move. It is so cute. She loved it and kept reading it over and over. They have another one called Swing! that is all sports stuff, and we sent that to my 2 year old nephew. My brother says he loves it too and wants to take it in the car everywhere he goes. So, if you or anyone you know has young children, try out these books!

On our way back from Lynchburg, we stopped in Charlottesville, Virginia, which is home to the University of Virginia. It was a really cute town. The campus is beautiful. When I was in college, I minored in architecture, and in my architecture history course we studied the buildings at the University of Virginia. It was designed by Thomas Jefferson. I had always wanted to see it, so it was a fun detour on our trip home.