More Snippets

We've had rain! Lots and lots of it for several days in a row, leaving our corner of the world clean and fresh. It was much needed for our drought stricken state.

The rains came down hard late last week and into the weekend. One night I woke to the sound of a torrential downpour, the wind banging against the house. I pictured the walls of our old house flying off in pieces into the dark and the rain pouring down around us, me clinging to Jon for safety under the covers of our bed. Of course in my imaginings Jon was sound asleep in that storm of wind and rain, and though I was aware of the situation I was totally happy as long as Jon was unmoved.

I wonder if that depicts our my life with him in some small way.

In the morning we assessed the situation: only debris in the yard, and more rain clouds coming. Then more hard rain later in the morning and shouts from little boys who were first to notice drips coming into the house. The buckets came out and the kids and I watched the damage expand until it was time to leave. Later in the day Jon made it home to board up a window, making a temporary fix to a problem we were aware of when we bought the house. More rain in the days to follow brought down branches and the wind blew down a section of our fencing.

But all the junk that accumulates during months of sunshine is washed away, all the dried leaves and dead branches are shaken out, and the whole city is pressure washed clean. Oh, and our football games were cancelled, giving me a much needed Saturday at home.

Friday night was a date night for Jon and I. It was sort of spontaneous, I guess, because we're still not used to leaving the kids alone at home. At this point it works best if we leave at bedtime (because for me knowing that nothing could go wrong if everyone is tucked away in bed is reassuring), and Jon and I occasionally head out for a late dinner or just appetizers. It's so nice. In some ways it feels like we are reconnecting. Hard times of recent months have passed. Maybe I could say that hard times of past years are gone too, but we're just realizing it now. I find myself thinking often how I want to rediscover who my husband is and relearn to be his friend and companion. I feel like we've got to climb out of the comfortable rut our marriage was in. Rut-living is no good. Hard times are sure to come again, but I'd rather not face them in a rut.

It's really fun though, you know, to just wake up and be happy. Happy in my marriage, happy with where we're going, and happy in this leaky house.

Yep, the house is something we continue being thankful for, even if it leaks. It's the oddest place, but perfectly unique for our oddly unique needs. We have just the right space, and we get to share it with others. Every other week since the new year, we host a gathering of 25+ people, all cozy (crammed, maybe?) in the living room discussing Christ and living for Him. It's been neat to see how God has met some of our needs in this home, and how we can use it to meet the needs of others in return.

>>>:<<<

A few shots from the week...

Roadside school and play place: Mondays hold lessons and tutoring for my older two, so in between pick-ups and drop-offs, the little boys and I do school in the car and play by the roadside. They were very happy for puddles... it doesn't happen often in So. Cal.

From the trunk, Olivia and I laughed at the blob of mud behind Andrew's ear. He didn't pay any attention to us. Then on to, "Hey Mom, take pictures of me blowing a bubble!" It didn't work very well with a small piece of Trident, but a silly pass-time nonetheless.

For the last two days I've not even entered the house after arriving home from our afternoon rounds of lessons/errands. I slip into my old yellow rubber boots, pile my hair in a top bun, and tackle some of the gardening and yard work that needs to be done. The first day I thought I'd start by raking up the pine needles and various plant debris left by the rain storms, but after raking up two small mountains, I found myself involved with dirt. Jon came home while Olivia and I were determining the spacing for our hydrangea, and I asked him to dig a few large holes for me while I had the chance. That turned into stump and root removal...

Jon at least did better than me and changed into some old work clothes. I had to laugh! Those old pants are the ones he wore nearly everyday as he and I drove from eastern Canada down to L.A. almost 15 years ago. They used to be army green. The funniest thing was that he wore biker boots with them! Just perfect for tree stump removal!

There are always helpers...

Now the soil has been amended and the hydrangeas are in along with some calla lilies and ivy. I'm going with an English garden look for the front of the house. We'll see if I have a green thumb or not.

Then evening play while I make dinner...

Dinners have been late, and so have bedtimes. The days are long and full, and blessing are abundant. The awareness of our need for God's transforming power in our lives is always evident; though I go to bed both thankful and at peace, I ask God for the strength I don't possess to either change myself or those around me.

But our God is big, and I rest in Him.


~Katherine