A Spring Full of Change

Our entire family with both sets of grandparents

I just noticed that my last post was February 19th, and it seems like a year's worth of exciting changes have taken place in that 3 month period. I am so full of blessing right now,  I could burst. I know that these sweet seasons of life don't always last for long, so I am committed to savoring this one. I have a tendency to let myself feel guilty when I am experiencing good things, because I know so many people are struggling. But I have also been in those tough seasons, and when life is good, it can be a time of sharing and letting your overflow lift others up. So I hope that someone will be encouraged as they read about our spring.

We welcomed our first grandbaby, Esther into the family in December, born in Seattle. We were delighted to learn that her parents planned to move to North Carolina in April. I was able to take another trip to Washington to help them move (aka, hold Esther while they packed and loaded the truck). I. Can. Not. Imagine - being here while Esther grows up in another state. I know that this is a likelihood in my future (that at least some of my future grandkids will live far away) but from the time I first held her, I've known about them moving here so I've always felt pretty relaxed about not having to say goodbye. Esther is a sweet, sweet baby who smiles and laughs easily and is just incredibly cute all the time. I love having her in my home so much. And of course her mama and daddy.

Love having ALL my kids here!

About the same time we were welcoming our daughter's family, my husband had a huge breakthrough in his extended family relationships. I don't want to go into details on this public forum, but suffice it to say that 35 years of struggle has become a delightful and blessing-filled relationship. The joy and relief related to this reconciliation is beyond words. It has taught us both that nothing is ever impossible, it is never too late, and hope for any situation is always a possibility. It has given me hope for many other situations.

Motorcycle ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway

And after 7 years of travel and trying to hold our building business together, Kirk was able to leave his corporate engineering job and come back to our company full-time. We have had an unprecedented spring in terms of contacts and leads, so much so that leaving his j-o-b was a no-brainer. I have not seen my husband so happy getting dirty and sweaty all day for so, so long. He wakes up at 5:30 every morning excited to put his hands to the work he loves so much, and then sleeps deeply and peacefully every night. I love so much having him home, cooking for him, taking walks with him, watching him work. We are like newlyweds again and spend every minute together we can.

       

Another family dinner

Our sons have both moved on to new phases of their lives as well. Our older son and his freshly minted dentist of a wife have bought their first home in their new city. Our younger son and his wife are moving this week to a new town where he will return to school to pick up a second degree. Big decisions for both of them, but it is so rewarding to see them growing into such fine men.

ASU graduation

And our baby girl graduated from college Mother's Day weekend. She is temporarily living at home as she looks for a job, but we love having her delightful self around.

Good and deep lifetime friendships abound. We are in good health. Our vehicles are running well. We have more than enough in so many areas of our lives. Our home has been full of visitors this spring, and we have hosted so many interesting people. I was reading through our guest book the other day and reflecting on the privilege of hosting the world here for overnight stays and meals. Our guests have been from South Africa, Scotland, California, Poland, Nashville, Washington, New Hampshire, Italy, Swaziland, New York City, Korea, Uganda, Texas, Florida, and on and on. Students, professors, pastors, worship leaders, missionaries, orphans, families, friends old and new. This is certainly one area where it is possible to let this overflow spill out to bring refreshment to others. So many people need a restful, quiet place to recharge, and we can provide this.

I am grateful.

Esther and The Guv'nah

PLUMBING ALERT: Dutch Oven Bread

My husband is a champ. I mean, men end up having a lot of the nasty jobs at home, but this one took the cake. My kitchen sink has been clogging lately, and like the wonderful handy guy that he is, he set about finding the problem and working a solution. Fortunately, all the guts of my kitchen plumbing are accessible from my basement ceiling, and it was easy to get to. Otherwise, this would have been a nearly impossible fix.

(Warning: the next paragraph could turn your stomach...not meant to be read around meal times.) I was upstairs putzing around while Kirk commenced the sleuthing. I heard some banging, and sawing, and then a loud, groaning, gutteral sort of..."UGGHHHH!!!" I raced downstairs, to find him doubled over, gagging and groaning in disgust. I saw the nasty in a pan, but he said, "I know you've had babies and all, but don't look up." Of course, I looked and it was absolutely the most disgusting sight I've seen in the United States. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say that it was not what you would have expected to see in the drain line from a kitchen sink. He had cut the 3" PVC pipe a few feet from the bottom of the sink, and found it solid with a thick white-ish substance, with a few beans, pieces of corn and other various pieces of food thrown in. It was filled like this for about 10 feet. And the smell, well, I don't even want to begin to describe it, but we both covered our noses while we worked to remove the offending mess.

We were baffled.

What could it possibly have been? We got it cleaned up and the pipe changed out after a good 2 hours of hard and foul labor. He took a long hot shower and we literally threw away his clothes.

 

The next morning, I was working at my newly well-drained kitchen sink when it dawned on me: the dutch oven bread. I have just started making this bread in recent months, probably ten times, and each time I make it (as those of you who have tried it know) there is a fair amount of residual dough left in the bowl when it is dumped onto the counter to rest before baking. Because this recipe is a very wet dough, it doesn't come out of the bowl neatly; there is always a bit left sticking to the sides of the bowl that must be cleaned up. I had been washing this in the sink because it is so liquid. For the past few months, it has been collecting in my drain line, rising, and filling the line, fermenting...over and over again. And then consequently collecting other small bits and pieces of things that make it past my mesh stopper. I have a septic system, so I don't have a disposal, and this may have been contributing to the problem, but if there is any clog at all in the line, this dough could greatly complicate things quickly.

If my drain line had been under the house or the ground or buried in a concrete slab, it would have been a HUGE, wildly expensive repair. I am wondering if others have suffered their own mystery clog, and thought I'd better pass along our experience. I hope I am the only one, because I wouldn't wish that repair on my worst enemy.

And a big shout-out to my hero, always, Kirk Metty. I love you. I love that you can fix stuff. I love that you love me enough to clean up all the nasty stuff in my life.