Recently, Ryley was filling out some sort of questionnaire, and she listed “home” as her favorite place in all the world. Ryan read it first and then brought it to show me.
“Even more than DisneyWorld?” was my response.
“Yes,” she answered, with no hesitation.
Honestly, we took it as such a compliment – that with all its shortfalls, our sweet little house has become such a haven for her from the ickiness in the world. We consistently invite God to dwell here, and we pray that our home is filled with His peace.
In the weeks before Thanksgiving, we gave the house a scrubbing -- the likes of which it had never seen. And somehow, despite the fact that yes, we need new carpet/flooring all over…and we could really use an updated/expanded kitchen…and our second bathroom isn’t really working…and our yard needs serious landscaping, the cleaning we did seemed to have breathed new life into what we do have. And in light of what others don’t have, God is speaking to us about being content.
Today was one of those afternoons where my drive to get things done simply pushed Ryley too far. I was trying to purchase some various gifts for a few upcoming parties, and looking ahead, I realized this would be the best night to do it. For more than three hours we traipsed from store to store, fighting icy parking lots, wielding heavy coats, and waiting for slow cashiers. We broke two ornaments in Hobby Lobby, spilled custard all over the backseat in the van, and upon arriving home, Ryley clumsily broke two plates in our living room. I was so upset with how things had gone, and poor Ryley just sobbed at my less-than-patient snap at her from across the yard when I heard the sound of breaking glass: “What did you do?” They were all accidents, of course, so we curled up together in our cushy chair, and she said, “I’m so sorry! Please forgive me! All that time we were out shopping, I just wanted to be home.”
Ryley is becoming my buddy. She quite excitedly accompanied me to visit my friend Katie and her baby in the hospital last week. She offers unsolicited but appreciated advice when I’m shopping. She is opinionated about everything, yet enthusiastic and encouraging. She sorts my groceries into piles and, when we’re shopping on a gift registry, she hogs the registry list and leads the way. Very type A. Though she loves her daddy to pieces, she chooses to ride in the car with me -- because I will listen to Christmas music, whereas with Daddy, she has to listen to sports talk radio. Some days she’s eight going on thirteen; other days she’s simply eight going on nine.
What she wants more than anything else for Christmas is a pair of comfy jeans with an elastic waistband. Second, she wants a wall clock that plays hymns at the top of each hour. I love it. We might actually have to get them both.
At school, she was given an assignment to create a PowerPoint presentation about Cleopatra. It’s not due until next Monday, yet she’s been working on it faithfully for the last week. It’s actually pretty good, though with its tales of adultery and suicide, the Cleopatra subject matter is a little interesting.
“Did you know that Cleopatra and Julius Caesar had children, even though they were not married? They were loving each other the wrong way!”
Ryley was diagnosed with eczema on her hands a couple of months ago, and it’s been so hard to watch her struggle with it. At its worst, right before we took her to the doctor, her skin was bleeding at school, and she could hardly hold her pencil. With the weather as cold and dry as its been in the last few weeks (below zero this weekend), we’ve been vigilant with the lotions and creams, and sometimes she sleeps with gloves over her lathered-up hands. My heart just breaks for her. Just when we think we’ve got it under control, it flares up again.
Well, today is our dog Juliet’s third birthday. She sits here at my feet, contentedly chewing her Dingo and passing gas. Lovely. My Scentsy warmer is working hard to combat the odor with its blissful “Festival of Trees” fragrance.
Leahh and I had Yolanda’s Tacos for lunch at work today because A) there is nothing like their deliciousness in all the world, and B) I’ve noticed I lose another pound every time I eat them. I can’t figure why, but we’re just going to keep that up!!! :-) The weight loss has slowed down some. I finally reached 30 lbs. this past weekend, so I cheated in celebration, and back up to 28 I went. Ha ha. It really does take constant work. Back on the wagon I go…
Our lives are imperfect. Our house is imperfect. But it’s cozy, warm, and Christmas-lit, and we just have so, so much to be grateful for. Ryan is almost home now, and we will probably watch some TV before bed. Then we’ll start again tomorrow…another day of traffic and work and school and errands and traffic, all with the goal (or reward) of coming home and being together in the evening. It’s what we work toward all day long.
I have to agree with Ryley’s (and Dorothy’s!) sentiment that there’s simply no place like home.
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