Little Gems

Zackary:

After an awesome time at the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum/Planetarium, "That place is so old.  It has been around since the 19 years."    (I did inform him that both of his parents came from the the "19 years" as well.)  

 

Jacob:

After a couple of hours at the Bass Pro Shop on the way home from Baton Rouge Zackary and Sam were having quite the hunting/gun/fishing conversation.  Ellie, Addie, and Jake were zonked from a long day of field trip, museum, and pocket knife shopping.  Zackary says, "Dad what would my target be for practicing shooting?"  Without even a millisecond passing Jake (remember, sleeping Jake?) says, "Ellie."  Matter of fact and simple as that.  Sam and I bust out laughing and Zack is wondering if he can laugh or he'll get a lecture about how it's not even funny to joke about shooting at his sister.  Jake and Ellie had been going the rounds all day anytime we were in the van.  I guess it bothered him a little more than we realized :)  Don't worry we don't have any real guns except Sam's under lock and key.  There will be serious talks about sibling target practice before anyone, other than Sam, owns a real gun around here!

 

Ellie:

After viewing the real mummy from Egypt at the museum, "Is the mommy with curly hair going to wake up and start moving and come to get me?"  Almost an our later, after much talking, we think she is starting to grasp dead and alive etc., "The mommy can't come to get me.  That would be unexpected!"  Yep, sure would be!  It didn't help that Jacob was peppering in comments about the curse of the mummy, from his latest book, "The Mystery of the Mummies Curse", a boxcar children book by Gertrude Chandler Warner.  No I didn't remember all that by myself.  I called Jake in and he rattled it off like he just read it, author and all.  It's been at least 3 weeks since he finished it.) .  It's not always a good thing when your 5 year old has been reading since he was 4.  Okay, I guess it's always a good thing, just not an easy thing to navigate while parenting.  

 

And the best for last - nope not Addie, although she gave us much to laugh about, it's nothing that would make sense without more explanation than I am willing to write at the moment. 

 

For sanity sake, and needing a purpose other than going crazy that we aren't there with him, Sam has been dutifully searching for a home to rent and scoping out all the surrounding areas we could possibly live once we get to WI.  He found this "farmhouse", as we have dubbed it, that is perfect.  It is nestled in among 400 acres of farmland that is leased out for farming by the owners, who also live on the land about 500 yards or so from the rental house.  The house itself sits on 8 acres with grass, raised garden plots for vegetable gardening, mature fruit trees, a barn with space for chickens or small livestock (the boys want a cow - I am not there yet), and it is set well back from the road.  The owners plow the driveway in the winter and provide a riding mower for the grass as well as a washer and dryer.  The home was built in the late 1800's but was redone in the 80's and has had appliance updates and such since.  

 

About 10 years ago they bought the rental to create a buffer from town and insure that it could only encroach so far.   There have been several people desperately wanting to buy it at ridiculously high prices for the purpose of subdividing it.  No go - that's the reason they rent it out so that can't happen.  An eternal rental how awesome for us!  Sam checks it out and has about an hour long conversation with Bob.  We are sold, it would be so perfect.  One problem, they want to rent it by April 1st, they have suddenly lost their tenants (he lost his job and they can't afford it anymore).  We are hopeful.  It's still late Feb so we are confidant we will get an offer and get to be in the farmhouse.  

 

Time ticks on and we feel it slipping right out from under us.  We fill out the application anyway and aren't shy about communicating how much we want this to work out but that we simply can't start paying for it until we sell our home.  Judy e-mails me stories about pigs and cows and great times and lets me know that there are others interested but they are so glad to know we are still interested because we are their first pick.  

 

We get home last night to a message from Bob.  Give him a jingle he says and I tell Sam, "Call Bob, it's about the farmhouse and it doesn't sound good."  Why wouldn't I jump to the negative, there is a bit of a pattern here lately people!  Sam calls, I hide in the schoolroom pretending I am doing something important.  I hear Sam's footsteps coming up the stairs.  I get a huge pit in my stomach and feel like I want to hide under the table.  I have had my share of disappointments lately.  "So, how did it go?"  I say, not really wanting to know.  "Bob just got back from a week of snowmobiling and was just checking to see if we are still interested in the house.  He says it's not about getting renters but about getting the right people to take care of the home.  There have been plenty of people they could rent to but it just hasn't felt right.  It only feels right to rent it to us.  As long as we want it we can have it."  Shocked, and yet knowing that of course this is how the Lord would bless us I ask, "So what do they need from us?  A deposit?"  Sam smiles, "I told him they'd be the first call we make after accepting an offer."  

 

And that's that folks.  No money, no nothing but a word and a handshake from over a month ago.  Sometimes you have no idea how it will all work out and then you get a glimpse, a tiny but grand glimpse, of the path that is being paved before you even arrive.  We really needed that glimpse as our house has lost out, again, two times this past week and it's getting old, really old.  

 

We have always felt that we were guided here and preparing this home for someone.  It's easy to lose sight of that with all that's been going on around here.  BUT we have been taken care of and there has always been enough.  There have been helping hands to cover what Sam can't in his absence, and I am always well enough to fulfill the essential things.  It's amazing to me what we think we need compared to what is actually essential.  

 

Accepting the Lord's will has always been easy for me.  His timing is what I have a problem with.  It's getting easier and I am fighting it less, as I continue to have many opportunities to learn.  I am learning that my desires are righteous and I want good things, even great things, but the Lord wants the best things for me and my family and I am often shortsighted.  On the other side, over the rainbow, I always see that where the Lord is taking me is much greater than anything I could have controlled myself.   The journey is not always easy for me but the destination is always perfect.