Well we've been in the new house for almost a month and I cannot tell you what a blessing it has been.
We have some wonderful Christian neighbors who run an in home day care next door. I will admit I was concerned about this at first. I have a hard time letting my kids go. But standing out there this morning watching my three play with her four was wonderful. They are all between the ages of 18 months and 6 and each one has a buddy they get along well with.
They have learned about sharing, feelings and BUGS! Specifically rolly pollys and caterpillars. Every night both my oldest children say their prayers and thank God for letting us buy this house and for the friends they have made.
It is a blessing that I never had. There were no kids in the neighborhoods where I grew up and I had a really hard time making friends in my elementary years. So this is all VERY new to me. New and wonderful.
Speaking of new...Here's a quick list of a few things that are also new to me.
Speaking of new...Here's a quick list of a few things that are also new to me.
1. LINE DRYING LAUNDRY
I love the way it smells, and that it is absolutely free.
I love the way that every time I do it I think of my grandmother.
I love that it has a rhythm to it. I love that it slows me down.
I can no longer whip through 5 loads of laundry in a day and will purposely not do wash if it is raining.
I am learning to working my schedule around God's schedule which is often times much, much slower than mine. I'm even starting to like how crunchy it is when it's done. For a wile I was popping it in the dryer to fluff it after it was dry but once you put it on it softens up really fast.
2. FRESH LETTUCE
I started this crop of lettuce while I was still living at my Mother-In-Law's house. It has done so well and I will tell you the taste is out of this world. I really did not know that lettuce had any real flavor until I grew my own.
3. THE GARDEN
I've never had a garden of my own before. I've been dreaming about one for the past year, reading all kinds of books and catalogs, but there is nothing like getting your hands dirty. Besides the taste and the reward of actually growing something the thrift and the excitement of seeing actually food growing, having a garden provides endless conversations about God and His provision. There are lessons about sowing seed, and spreading truth, sharing our abundance with others and again slowing down.
One thing I do no relish is that sometimes you can work really hard, follow all the rules and even add in a heaping bunch of love, and in spite of all this. The rabbits might still eat the tops off your carrots.
The rain might wash away your perfectly planed rows, and some seeds just might never sprout. But I will keep working, keep sowing seed, and keep teaching my children. Because even though the sun is shining and the season is new, winter will be here before you know it and it will be time to slow down in a whole different kind of way.
