West Virginia

West Virginia was the only state to gain its title by presidential proclamation. Abraham Lincoln granted a few of Virginia's counties statehood when those counties sided with the Union forces. The rest of Virginia went Confederate, thus losing Lincoln's favor. Interestingly, Stonewall Jackson was born in what is now West Virginia. (So, would he claim Virginia or West Virginia as his home state?) Thus ends todays bit of trivia.

We are here in beautiful, mountainous West Virginia! I am currently looking at yellow, orange, red, maroon, and green leaves - all in various shades - on just the other side of our huge windows. This smallish town is a refreshing change from Nashville. We are in the mountains and only 7 minutes from the capitol! We are staying in Residence Inn which I would highly recommend for, among other things, its spacious floorplan (especially important for those travelling with a pack 'n play).

Yesterday we worshipped with the congregation of Randolph Street Baptist Church. It was an excellent, God-honoring service and the members were all so friendly. One lady showed me the nursery and then took us to Sunday School. Walking in she whispered, "Do you want to sit together?" in an excited voice. It was really cute. We got to meet lots of people there. My favorite was an old man wearing a plaid sportscoat and multi-toned suede shoes with tassles. He bought his sportscoat because it reminded him of his sharp-dressing friend Larry who had recently passed away. (Larry went to church there too, and also owned the BP catty-corner from the church.) It is always encouraging to visit other churches. It reminds me that God is active in all parts of the world, and it makes me thankful for the different works He performs in others. Plus, I got to sing!

Eric and Elijah are taking a nap together right now. Elijah is sorely lacking on naps as I keep taking him on hikes. Today we walked through a few trails in Coonskin Park. The leaves were falling so quickly that it sounded like rain. Elijah just stared at all the falling colors. It was much better than a cribside mobile or Baby Einstein video.

Yesterday we explored the state capitol. My use of "explored" there is well chosen because we wandered all over that beautiful, marble-walled building. There were no security checks when you entered. There were no people around at all, in fact, save one man in a suit. We saw one of the electrical shafts and the huge bricks comprising a portion of the dome. We were even able to get on the roof and see far down the Kanawha River. It was like being on a treasure hunt.

Eric's continuing education class is also going well~:-)