Blessings

Well, we have been in our new home for almost a week—I can’t believe it!  I wake up every morning full of gratitude for our beautiful home, even if we still have very little furniture in it.  We affectionately call our new place “The Green House,” not because the outside paint is green, but because it was advertised that way, because it actually has a small yard with real grass, flowers, and even a few fruit trees!  This may seem crazy to some of you, but we have lived in desert conditions for the past two years with absolutely no green anywhere around our apartment—aside from one tree on the edge of the property that shed like crazy and smelled funny.  Each day, I have looked outside and wanted to cry with joy, because I have a deeper appreciation for such beauty after these previous two years.

Last night, when it was time to water the yard, we had the kids throw on their swimsuits and chase each other around with the hose on the grass, and I just sat there with a lump in my throat and the most heartfelt gratitude that this moment gets to be a part of their childhood, just as it was a part of mine and husband dear’s.  Every day, Imp goes out and collects hibiscus flowers and makes flower arrangements, and then she and eldest daughter come in with armfuls of lemons from the lemon tree (anybody got any good lemon recipes???).  We’ve seen more butterflies, and eldest son has spotted more new birds then I’ve remembered seeing for a long time; and our children have been outside playing more than they have in a long time.

I wax long on the outside, because it was the one thing that we all dreamed of, when we talked as a family about what we hoped to have in our new home—plants and flowers.  We prayed as a family; and now to see the answer, to get to experience it…and for our children to know and see their prayers were heard and abundantly answered—this is what overwhelms my heart with gratitude and joy.

There are many other blessings, I walk through every room in our new home and smile and say a prayer of thanks, because God heard our hearts and provided beyond what we asked just because He is so good, and we are so, so grateful.

In transition

It’s official, we are moving.  While we are really excited and ready for this move, we are also really tired.  House hunting four hours away from where we live presently, packing in one place, and trying to decide what furniture we will need to purchase in the new, all with three kiddos ever present in the mix and Ramadan fast approaching--well, it’s an experience alright. But, I will say our kids have been troopers as well.  We live in a hot, hot place so running into un-airconditioned, dusty, empty (although in some places we found dead birds and lizards to greet us), houses is really not anyone’s favorite, for the most part, our three adventurers have hung in there with us beautifully.  The end result (of the house hunting piece at least): we have found a place we really love and hope to be moving in within a week.   Can’t wait to write more and post pictures of our new place!