Rude Awakening

(I came across this little story that I wrote a year ago, when we first moved back to South Carolina. I am happy to report that the situation is much better now, and we are enjoying life here in little ol' Luray).
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As I stepped out of the car heading into work on my official “last day”, many thoughts raced through my head. Did I make a difference? Will anyone remember me? What are we going to do without all that money? Then I thought with great pleasure to the new profession I was embarking on…full time Wife/Mom! Suddenly those questions didn’t matter anymore. I completed my last day of work, moved cross-country, and started my new career at home. Then it happened. You know…it! The first few weeks, I felt like I was on an extended vacation. Sipping sweet tea on the front porch in the rocker…Heaven! My final paycheck was mailed to me, and I thought, “This is the life!” Then, on the third week, as my husband scrambled around looking for a clean pair of socks to wear with his wrinkled work shirt, it hit me…like a brick. Reality slapped me upside the head. I have never been much of a “housewife” in the sense of keeping a neat, tidy, immaculate house. Don’t get me wrong…I really envy those people who can do that. I just am not one of them. Maybe it comes from being one of the babies in my family…you know...the spoiled ones that get away with murder (and all the older siblings said, “Amen!”). I never really learned to cook or clean. My mother used to repeatedly tell me to straighten up my room…until finally, she would do it herself. And believe me, it always looked better when she did it, anyway. Mom did it all, so I never had to. I guess that had its advantages, especially to a teenager. But sadly, it was all catching up with me, as the piles of laundry were about to overtake my children. So, I did what every good housewife would do. I went to the nearest dollar store, and bought all the essentials for keeping a neat house. Armed with scrubbing bubbles and liquid plumber, I meant war! With Mr. Clean on my side, I was ready for the fiercest of battles! Now I should explain that the home we bought, we bought as an investment. (That is what people say when they don’t really like their house). It’s not terrible or unlivable-don’t get me wrong. But let’s just say it will never appear on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens. It's a mobile home...and I guess I have always been a "firm foundation" kind of gal...We actually love the 5+ acres of land, and bought the house “sight unseen”. People would ask me, “Oh, how many bedrooms does the home have that you are buying?” I would muster up as much pride as I could and answer, “I’m not sure” to which people always smiled and nodded, and then changed the subject. I am sure some thought we are crazy! Maybe, to some degree we are…but crazy is a very relative term. Long story short, I am now in the groove of the housewife and mother role. My house is still not immaculate, but it’s getting better. My husband always has clean socks, at least most days, and my kids are happy I am here, most of the time. I have found that there really are only a few essential cleaning products out there…and I am still looking for the practical cleaning use for the pumice stone I bought. In the mean time, I’ll have the softest feet in the neighborhood!

New Pictures!

Fall comes to Luray

The boys swept all the leaves and branches out of their fort yesterday, and today they asked to have a picnic inside it. It was about 60 degrees and windy...a perfect day for peanut butter sandwiches and hot cocoa!

Just Bee-lieve!

This afternoon, the boys and I took advantage of a completely perfect day out in the sunshine and fresh cool air of the Lowcountry. They were busily flying kites, and I curled up in my lawn chair with my Mary and Martha book, as I have class tonight. Soon, the boys tuckered out from all the running, and they came and sat by me to take a rest and grab a cool drink. Josh caught a glimpse of some movement down on the ground near our chairs. Somehow, hundreds of tiny ants had managed to ground a far larger yellow jacket and were repeatedly attacking the bee. Josh, with his tender heart, saw the disadvantage of the bee and decided to defend the underdog. He took a stick and pushed the ants away from the bee, and kept holding them off to give the bee enough time to regroup, find its legs, and take to the air where it was designed to be. As I watched Josh take action, I was reminded of how life is often like that. We are God's creation, his masterpiece designed in his own image, and often we are attacked from every angle. Designed to live as His children, with all the blessings of a Father who loves us deeply, yet many times we find ourselves entangled in the cares and traps of this world, in spite of the greater power that has been extended to us. We allow these things to so overwhelm us, that we are dragged out of our rightful place in His kingdom, thus ineffective on all fronts. As I watched Josh move his stick vigorously to keep the ants far enough away from the bee, it made me think of how many things that God holds back, lovingly, protecting us from the onslaught that would surely devour us if not for His provision and defense. Yes, we are assured that this world will bestow it's fair share of trouble on our lives, but moreover, we are promised that the One that overcame it all, is on our side. I am learning how deeply intimate the Lord wants to be toward us, if we would just let Him. I am always amazed how He can use anything (even a little boy, a bee and some ants) to reveal a beautiful truth about Himself to the ones He holds so dear to His own heart.

Feeding frenzy

I grew up in a family of ten, where my mother made a real dinner every night...I mean a real dinner...complete with every food group! She never made the same meal twice in one week, that I can remember! And if my memory serves me correctly, we all devoured pretty much what ever Mom made...we rarely turned our noses up to anything (unless it was the occasionally vegetable that we didn't like, which is pretty normal in any family!) Well, I have come up against a brick wall with Joshua! The boys are at opposite ends of the spectrum in their tastes. It's hard to find a meal that Jonathan won't eat, and hard to find one that Josh will! Luckily, Luis seems to like anything and everything. But finding something that Josh will eat is a constant challenge. Breakfast I have got under control...they both love their pancakes and scrambled eggs, which I make almost daily. Jonathan takes grits with his plain eggs and pancakes, and Josh likes his eggs with ketchup, no grits. I can even get them to eat cereal if need be, and there's no battle. Lunch is usually fine...soup, sandwich, some kind of fruit, milk...no problems. When it comes down to dinner, our main meal together, that's where the fun begins. Anything with a corn tortilla is out, in Josh's book. Basically, Josh is not a fan of any Mexican food. So staples like beans, that I cook a pot at a time, don't go over very well. We just studied in Science about our tongues and taste buds. I did the fun taste test of being blind folded, and holding your nose and trying to figure out what you are eating. So, this past week, I have forced Josh to eat his veggies, and told him if he really doesn't like the taste, to just hold his nose. So far so good. Unfortunately, he is such a picky eater that he is holding his nose at almost every dinner. Oh well, we won't be eating out at any five star establishments any time soon. I so hope this is just a phase!