Hovering above the din and chaos

Gorgeous picture, no?

I love the zoom, because what you don’t see 4 feet below this picture is my backyard, torn to bits thanks to landscapers, plumbers and AT&T, who “forgot” to lay the cable lines for phone service before our new house was built…9 months ago. Do to this little oversight we still do not have a phone. I do have a cell phone. Do you know how many minutes one can use calling contractors etc? No? Try over 1400. 1400 minutes of phone use. I am sure if the urban legand that states you can get brain cancer from cell phone use is true, then I am doomed.

Today I have 2 plumbers, 6 AT&T workers (who have torn the yard to hell and are in the process of shooting a 10 inch diameter pipe under my driveway), one termite man who seems a bit too excited about the rare termites we have in our yard (is that a insect spray gun in his pocket or is he just happy to see them?), sheet rock installers, 5 men installing a sprinkler system, 3 men laying grass, and I swear I saw the “Can you hear me now?” man from Verizon walking around my house.

My yard looks like someone, who went just a little bit insane, decided I had buried treasure somewhere in my front or back yard. Trenches small children and dogs might get lost in.

In spite of the insanity of dealing with all of this by myself with 4 kids (Daddy’s home has been busy saving lives, literally) I realize how fortunate we are to have a roof over our heads and contractors to worry about while others south of us are still recovering from Hurricane Dean…..some sleeping on the beach in tents. My friend Kathy and her family are doing an amazing job of helping to provide essentials to those poorest of the poor down there. If you have a few dollars to spare, please go here and donate to the cause. Kathy, Jamie and the kids are working with others to get your money where it is needed most.

Do to the fact that I don’t have a phone, I also do not have internet service. **GASP** This in and of itself has been a Very Good Thing. Honestly, this move has been the hardest we have ever done….and we have moved alot. It was a bear. Looking back, it is really amazing to see how it all just fell into place logistically, but emotionally it was very rough. We left a town that we dearly loved. People that are like family to us. On the upside, my friendships have survived the upheaval and for this I am very, very thankful.

The kids are fantastic. Cory was made quarterback of the football team at school, and he is on cloud nine. Cody is having a bit of a hard time, but we are doing everything in our power to make this okay for him. He really misses his friends and wants to go home when he is not busy in the backyard collecting tree frogs and standing very still while hummingbirds land on him.

Quinn is still a rascal…..he handled everything in his easy-day manner and is happily bouncing around the new house chasing green tree frogs all over the yard.

Mia loves it here, and as long as she can find make-up to play with and Barbies to dress, she is happy.

The funniest thing happened for Bill. When we were working with the lady who handled our mortgage, she threw out that her brother-in-law was looking for a PA for his practice here in town. One thing led to another, the doctor tracked us down and Bill landed the job of his career. No joke there. He starts October 8th. He will continue working the ER job as a contract PA here and there, but will be full time here in our new town. I can’t go into too much detail about the job, but we are very, very happy. His office overlooks the bay. ‘Nuff said.

It is just amazing to us how everything just slid into place for this move to happen. We are simply awestruck with how God works. I mean, go way, way back……the stroke, our wake-up call to how short life can be. The changes that started, much like the pebble rolling down the hill, causing the landslide of activity. Turning down the jobs in Galveston, finding the job in the ER, bringing the trailer to the coast……falling in love with this town. We could never have made this move if he had not left his job back home and started in the ER up the coast.

Stepping stones placed strategically in our path. Stones that helped us cross over from dreaming to reality.

To be frank, the stroke, for all of the sorrow and fear we faced with it, was really the first stone. We stepped lightly on it and began the journey.

Now we live here. I drive down the beach every morning after I drop the kids off at school. I watch the sunrise over the salt water I love so much. My children frolick with great blue herons and dolphins.

Tonight, we will sit at the marina and toast the sunset with margaritas.

Thank you God for allowing this…..and Thank You for the trials that are placed along our path to give our lives depth and meaning.

It is ALLLLL good folks.