Nine Days :)

My little yard is trying something special... there are beautiful little grass seedlings growing! They are quite lush in the front yard, with a few spare patches. In the back yard only the tiniest shoots are starting. I would liken it to a balding head in reverse... first  it is all empty, then tiny sprouts appear in different locations before finally erupting into full-on hair! hehe (That was possibly not the best analogy, but I digress.)

Today marks nine days of living here, if you recall that we arrived in the evening hours on Wednesday. (That single fact is why I do not consider us having lived here that first day, even though we took possession that night.)

There has been little visible progress in the days since Monday, but we all feel more settled every single day. We have brought in more things; each room has the basic look it will be given, but most have not been painted and there is still much in boxes. Moving in slowly has proven to be a good idea for us, and has taken what could have been a stressful event back down into what I would refer to more as 'easing' in, rather than moving in. 

Yesterday I was able to enjoy time outside with my daughter. She wanted to play out after school, so I made us a little picnic of tuna sandwiches with lettuce, pink lemonade and Little Debbie oatmeal cream cookies. I admit to not sitting on the ground out back (I ended up seated and standing on the cement out front about an hour later for around an hour) but even so, it was a pleasant experience overall. 

Afterward, I had the pumpkin put on her bathing suit and we dragged the hose out back to water the lawn the good old-fashioned way. Imagine our surprise when every cricket and grasshopper around began to hop frantically towards us and the house instead of away from us to the trees!! For a few minutes there I was spraying them madly, with Becka dancing all around!

That plague in miniature introduced her to the fun of chasing and catching crickets, which she promptly neglected water-play for. We have a lone cricket in a jar with holes in the lid as proof. "Crickety" has not chirped at all, can you imagine? My little one expected him to sing happily even after being chased, cupped, re-captured repeatedly and finally enclosed in glass... bless her heart!

The day ended with me sore and stiff all over, but beaming inside from the fun and rollicks of the afternoon. Even better, today began with the same sense of joy, and to my surprise (as mentioned above) the grass in the back has begun to spring forth! Home school went well (and quickly), and it is time again to break out the yard shoes and take in some fresh air. I cannot promise that I will not overdo it again today, but the mere fact that I put in over two hours outside yesterday (something a week ago I would have said was impossible) has me encouraged. Maybe this home will be a place of recovering my strength after all. 

Thank YOU, Lord, for giving us this gift. Help us to continue to both earn and afford it and may all things be done to Thy glory. Amen.