Okay. I think it's a record. I have now gone for three days without posting an update.
If anyone has noticed. Which you probably haven't.
Or I don't know. Maybe you have! Maybe your entire week has been filled with a sense of emptiness and sadness as you have trod mournfully to this site day by day, only to have a great expanse of "nothing new" sadly greet you.
In THAT case, today is your lucky day! Today is your day when your mopey mournfulness can be turned into gleeful, grand, and glorious giddiness! :-)
We had someone come and look at our house last week. When the phone call came, our family burst into the kind of action that is normally reserved only for classic Keystone Cops episodes. Snowy stood in the middle of the house, bravely holding his ground, as his frantic family ran amok, crashing into each other in our frenzied and agitated attempts to make everything as lovely, neat, appealing, and attractive as possible.
We all made it out the door with two minutes to spare and since none of us had had breakfast, we took ourselves off to the drive-thru at McDonald's. Snowy got so excited when we drove up to the window because he was fully convinced (in his very small brain), that he was at the bank and he knew that the bank always gave him a dog biscuit at the drive-thru.
But alas, it was not to be. The human biscuits came out but there was NO dog biscuit. I don't know if you're ever seen a devastated doggie before, but it ain't purty. I took pity on my crestfallen canine friend and broke up a couple peanut butter crackers I had in the car; he seemed greatly impressed with that culinary offering and inhaled them with his patented brand of furry fervor.
Nathan and Steve both ordered sausage biscuits and then did the most amazing thing. They put GRAPE jelly on them! Have you ever HEARD of such a thing? I was grossed out at first but when Steve offered a bite to me, I actually found it to be quite good. (Just what I need. Another way to ingest empty calories!)
Later that afternoon, Steve got an e-mail from the realtor which said, "The clients loved your house. However, they were looking for four bedrooms AND an office."
Um. Excuse me? Did they not look at the house stats on the Internet? Did the realtor not tell them how many bedrooms the house has? That there was NOT a fifth, office-esque room?
I guess not.
Oh well. I got a sausage biscuit out of the deal, and Snowy got a broken up peanut butter cracker. I'm really trying to count my blessings here!
Only two "house views" in six months. That may be some kind of a record in Non-Views of Houses. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Guinness Book of World Records knocked at our door any day to put us in their record book!
Hey! Maybe I could sell them our house!
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You may recall that we've had some concerns as to whether we'd be able to send Nathan back to college this fall. Well, the answer is, "He's going!" (Hooray and hallelujah for college!) Steve was able to put some things together that have made it do-able. (And hooray and hallelujah for Steve!)
In the meantime, we continue to wait, wait, wait. And then wait some more. Have I ever mentioned that I'm not so good at waiting? That I like action? That I like to know what to expect? And how to plan? And WHEN things will happen? And WHERE things will happen? And HOW things will happen?
Is that too much to ask?
Hmmm. I guess so.
The Bible says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Since there seem to be plentiful plethoras of "evidence not seen" around here, I guess that means that we are getting plenty of practice in practicing faith.
I know that someday we will look back at this chapter of our lives and see how everything worked out. But looking at it all from this perspective? Truthfully, it seems just a tad overwhelming.
Steve and I work really hard at keeping each others' spirits up and saying encouraging things to each other. But occasionally those days hit when both of us run out of our supply of encouraging words at the same time. Have you ever been there? And as far as I can tell, Wal-Mart does not seem to have any "Encouraging Word" departments where we can go and re-stock.
So what do we do then? We just make it up as we go. We use our faith (that we're getting so much practice at developing) and we say uplifting things whether we feel like it our not. And eventually, our feelings follow our words and we climb back out of the Pitiful Pit of Pathos that we fell in and we just Keep. Going. On.
Eating biscuits and jelly.
Setting world records in Non-Views of Houses.
Practicing faith.
______________
I'll close with a few pictures of the lovely yard that I will miss seeing when we move. Would anyone like to buy a yard? (With a house attached?)
But a yard isn't worth much without some memories to fill it. Here are some precious memories.
12 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):
I love a sausage biscuit with grape jelly! However, my new love at McDonalds is the Sausage McGriddle...it's divine. There's something about the sweet and savory that make everything right with the world.
Your opening is classic story telling at its best!
And now that I follow you on my Google Reader, I know exactly how long it's been since you posted!
VB
Of course we missed you! As far as the house goes, 'all it takes is one'. It looks like a great house, just waiting for the right family.
LOVE grape jelly on biscuits with sausage - try it on toast with bacon - Yummy still...Now, Becky, things ARE happening...not all at once or completely resolved BUT someone DID look at your house - maybe that is the crack in the floodgate of househunters to come...it is a glimmer of hope - Nathan IS going to return to school because of Steve's diligent quest to find a way and your many, many worries of a mom's heart and prayers - AND you have held out your hand and heart and asked for suggestions as to Sarah's schooling and HAVE received a multitude of wonderful suggestions and advice which HAS to make some of the worries and decisions slightly easier - so, patience is still required, without a doubt - but God has shown some cracks of light into that hallway and some day, when you least expect it, that door is going to fling right open and you and yours will sashay through it and smile. Things are happening, God is seeing to it.
I wonder if this will help when the encouraging words disappear. I love this poem. It was put to music but I can't seem to find it.
THIS IS FAITH
To walk where there is no path
To breathe where there is no air
To see where there is not light-
This is Faith.
To cry out in the silence,
The silence of the night,
And hearing no echo believe
And believe again and again-
This is Faith.
To hold pebbles and see jewels
To raise sticks and see forests
To smile with weeping eyes-
This is Faith.
To say: "God, I believe" when others deny,
"I hear" when there is no answer,
"I see" though naught is seen-
This is Faith.
And the fierce love in the heart,
The savage love that cries
Hidden Thou art yet there !
Veil Thy face and mute Thy tongue
yet I see and hear Thee, Love,
Beat me down to the bare earth,
Yet I rise and love Thee, Love !"
This is Faith.
a poem by
Amatu'l-Baha
Ruhiyyih Khanum
Actually, I check in about three times a day each day looking for an update. Do I go crazy when there isn't one? Nope. I just trust you are occupied with wonderful things to do and with a wonderful family to do them with.
How come McDonalds in the Midwest and West don't carry sausage and gravy biscuits. Hmmmm? How come? Geography Bias is the only answer I can come up with.
Great news about Nathan and school Yay God (and Steve, of course).
And, boy, do I wish I had written the poem that is posted in the guest book. I love it!
Of course I missed you while you were away. I check many times a day to see if you have posted. When you haven't, I just assume you are busy in this little thing called life and trust you will "be right back!"
I happen to work part time at McDonalds and all the way over here in Idaho, they ask for jelly for their sausage biscuits. I have never tried it, but maybe I will if you found it OK!
Speaking of McDonalds, do you have one near by? I only work once or twice a week in the evening and I get full benefits. I know our McDonalds in the area are always trying to find good, hard workers. Now I know that you nor Steve should quit looking or decide McDonalds is your new life calling, but if you have a need for extra money and/or benefits, I would check it out.
I must say that I LOVE reading your posts. It truely puts a smile on my face and brightens my day. And I absolutely enjoy your photos. Please don't ever stop blogging!
((((((((HUGS))))))
Krista
Boise, Idaho
When my parents were trying to sell their house, mom my would bake something like cookies or bread before they came so the house would smell like a home- its worth a try.
Love the yard memories!
I love it when there's a new post! :-) I usually check both sites a couple three times a day just to see what's up! It's become a favorite part of every day.
So glad Nathan gets to go back to college--Steve is like a total Super Dad DUDE!
So that's one hairy problem taken care of--now the rest of them can get knocked off, one by one!
Love, Deb
Sausage biscuits with grape jelly and CHEESE are even better!
I have never heard of the grape jelly/biscuit thing - I think I'm missing something! My cousin ate peanut butter toast with a bit of yellow mustard on it...gives it a little bite.
When I babysit my granddog (who looks a little like Snowy) and we "do errands" she gets very spoiled because she gets doggy cookies at the drive thru espresso, two banks AND McDonald's!
Do you ever watch "Sell This House" - it gives several great pointers - I love it for ideas. The main theme is neutralizing and de-personalizing things so the Looky-Loos can visualize themselves in your house and not feel like they are invading YOUR house.
Take care...L in Alaska
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