The "Key" to Life

This past summer I took my kids to go spend a week with my grandparents. They still live in the same house they bought when my mom was a baby. I love that house and I love watching my kids play there and making memories of their own. One thing that fascinated my older kids was the keyhole in the door between the kitchen and the family room. They would stand in the kitchen and peer into the family room through the key hole. Once there eyes focused, do you know what they would see? Another door, leading to the back yard.

We were there in July and that month was a month of huge transition for us. Our house had been on the market for almost a year and a half. We thought God was leading us to Boise. He had provided us with a great job opportunity, a house on which we had placed an offer, a church community full of long-time friends, a great school for our children and an OBGYN who I adored and wanted to perform my fourth and final c-section. In spite of all those things, God hadn't brought us the one thing we had been waiting for - a buyer for our house. In May a friend of mine posed this question to me when I mentioned waiting for our miracle offer...Have you ever wondered if it is a miracle that your house hasn't sold yet?

Actually, that thought hadn't occurred to us. But, from then on we started looking at our situation differently. You might say the view of the situation before us was slowing coming in to focus. In June I learned of a job opening at our church that would last 3-6 months and I found a job posting on-line that appeared to suit Craig perfectly. Long story short, we both applied in June, interviewed in July and began our new jobs in August. We also took our house off the market in July - before either one of us had official offers. We "just knew" that things were working out how they were supposed to, albeit differently than what we had expected.

All of a sudden, the room was in focus and we were right where we belonged. We could see the closed door behind us that led to Boise but also we able to recognize many blessings that were a result of going through that process - a reconnection with friends and the emotional preparation we needed for a church change here in Reno, to name a few.

Sixth months later, I find myself peering through another key hole. What is in store for me next now that my job is ending? I'm not really sure, but thankfully God does. I just have to keep looking through it until a door opens and I find myself someplace else. At least this time I can recognize the "key" to life - there is always another door, just remember who holds the key!

A Dream Come True!

Like many other girls I used to dream about being Cinderella. Little did I know that my dream would come true! Yes, this winter Craig installed a wood stove insert to our fireplace. So now in addition to the dishes, laundry, cleaning and other household chores I also empty the ashes out of the stove, sweep the hearth and start the fire in the morning (and help keep it going for the next 10-16 hours...). Just call me Mommerella or Cindermommy. Ahhhh, a dream come true....

Some Days...

Some Days…

Some days I miss
sleeping through the night.
Some days I miss
being spontaneous.
Some days I miss
sitting down to a quiet dinner and eating hot food.
Some days I miss
the way it felt to know that the laundry was “done” for a couple of weeks.
Some days I miss
going to the grocery store alone.

Some day I’m sure I’ll miss
cuddling my baby in the wee hours of the morning.
Some day I’m sure I’ll miss
having so many kids activities on the calendar.
Some day I’m sure I’ll miss
the giggles of four little kids around our crowded dinner table along with all the “Can I have more milk?” and “I dropped my napkin again.”
Some day I’m sure I’ll miss
little tiny socks that never seem to have a pair.
Some day I’m sure I’ll miss
having a good excuse to buy Pop-Tarts.