Diane S and Nancy H, please read this entire post. Thank you.

From yesterday:

I know, I know. Pictures are lacking, considering how many new places and spaced I have to photograph. Truth be told, I’ve run into some technical difficulty (namely, my complete idiocy regarding anything technical), and I can’t seem to charge my batteries correctly for the camera. How does someone manage that, you wonder? Oh, I’m not sure. It’s just one of the frustrations we simple-minded folk must live with. (Or, decide you won’t live with it, and insist that your husband help you figure it out before you just cry.) Ahem. Back on track.

As alluded to previously, a touch of hankering for home has set in. It surfaces at fairly random moments. You know — when the baby is crying and in my hurry to get him I bash my knee in just the right [wrong] place and want to just crumple up on the ground, but instead succumb to tears and crying for my own mom… You know. Those sorts of random moments. In those moments, I remind myself of two things:

1. As my dear friend Diane R. encouraged me to do, I say to homesickness, “Aha! I expected you, and guess what? God is bigger, and God will get me through.”

2. I look myself in the face, and with my best you-know-what-fat-chance-means-kid sort of voice, say to myself, “It’s only been 3 weeks, and honey, it’s gonna get a lot worse before it gets better.”

In other news, I am loving having Ryan come home from work. Some evenings he doesn’t even bring his laptop home. I know that eventually a bit of reality will return, and he’ll have work to do or books he needs to read, and other work-related obligations to perform in the evening once in awhile. But for now, I’m so enjoying just being home together. As much un-fun as unpacking is, it’s much less un-fun when we get to do it together. I’m enjoying every minute of it.

Jameson was 10 months old yesterday. His ninth month was definitely full of leaps-and-bounds development. The week we arrived here in California, he began wrapping his little arms around my neck and giving me tight, tight hugs. Oh.dear.me. How sweet and wonderful can being a mama be? The next week he began clapping for himself whenever he thought a hearty round of congratulations were in order. Adorable! He went from crawling around on his tummy in the hotel, to climbing up onto the air mattress when we first moved in, to pulling himself to standing at the piano (and soon, every other chair/couch/box he could find!) and walking from chair to chair! On the one hand, I have to keep such a close eye on him, because I never know what he’s going to get into, but on the other hand, my life gets easier and easier the more he’s able to entertain himself.

I can’t remember 10 months with him, and am having such a hard time watching the one year mark approaching. Sometimes the fleeting nature of Time really and truly infuriates me, and I wonder why God bound us to seconds and moments, days and years. But without Time, we would never understand priorities and wise choices and good investments. We need Time, ultimately, to cause us to recognize our need for a Savior. More on that later.

I love our little house. I really think I do. And it’s starting to feel like home. I know I keep saying this, but I can’t wait to be all settled in and get a chore schedule printed and taped to my fridge. There’s something about mopping on M-W-F, laundry on T-Th, changing the beds on 1st and 3rd, etc, that makes a place start to feel familiar. Maybe it’s just that you have to clean the stove a certain number of times before you’re really convinced that the only dirt there is your dirt, and all of their (prior inhabitant) dirt is gone. (Or maybe I’ve just got issues?)

********

today:

Ann and Colin just left. Their visit was short but wonderful. We talked and laughed, ate, and laughed some more. Specifically, we had dinner in the chic downtown of Palo Alto, and afterward Ryan and Colin indulged in some iPhone worship at the Mac store. Back at home, we had strawberry shortcake, which was de-li-cious-yum-yum-yum. Mmm. And then we talked and laughed and finally went to bed. This morning we drank coffee and had a nice brunch. Do you know how much fun I have setting the table for company? Or how much fun it was to have a breakfast “party”? So much fun. Jameson had as much fun as I did. Company is his favorite, and he decided that he especially loves Ann. Cute.

So it was great. Friendship is such a God idea. So refreshing.

Come visit me. I’ll make you brunch, too.

(Especially Tom and Diane, because it kills me that we didn’t get to see you at the wedding!)

(Oh — speaking of wedding, could Ben H. please post some pictures on his flickr so I can pretend I was there?)

3 Comments Diane S and Nancy H, please read this entire post. Thank you.

  1. nancy

    I’ll get right on it.
    this boy has a few chores to do, I’ll say. But this one will be quickly done,
    and will bring joy to someone dear that lives far away.

    Reply
  2. sam

    My e-mail delivered a notice from airfarewatchdog.com announcing flights to San Francisco for $134 roundtrip. If only I could figure out how to get away, I would have jumped on that in a moment. Now that I think of it, a mother/daughter get away might be in order before that oldest daughter of mine graduates… Hmmm… things to ponder…

    I think of, and pray for, you often. I can so identify with the homesickness part. Yet, on the other hand, isn’t setting up a new home so fun?!

    Reply
  3. Ann

    Oh it was so much fun. Thank you!!! And now, here I am, surrounded by my own boxes and unfamiliar rooms. But I too, shall get my new house in order, knowing that it will soon feel like home. And I won’t feel badly if I change my silverware drawer three times. :) We have not seen a lot of people since we’ve been back, but anyone we do see greets us like this, “It’s good to have you home. How was it? How are Ryan and Danica?”

    And Ry, I sure do love the new lay-out of your page. ;)

    Reply

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