Just because

Last night, Dennis took a little longer than usual to get home. When he arrived, I was holding a sleeping child and he peeked around the corner and then presented this beautiful bouquet. He said it occurred to him that in this time of transition, I'd be dealing with a lot of upheaval, so he wanted to do something, "just because..."!

Aren't they gorgeous?

7 months of bad hair is enough

The last time I had my hair professionally cut was on Dec. 1, 2007. I got it cut and I wasn't really happy with it and decided that I was just not going to pay for an icky haircut for the next year.

I made it to last week, when I decided my own haircutting technique (i.e. grab a clump and saw at it with thinning shears) had run its course. I have terrible hair right now. Long haired dogs that have lived on their own in the wild, foraging for squirrels in thickets full of burrs and sticker bushes have looked better. Really.

So, I caved. And I made an appointment at one of the hipper salons in our very non-hip town, asking them for their soonest appointment. I have had to wait until this Tuesday when I will emerge with a new hairdo, hopefully.

I'm excited. I'm not sure what has possessed me to go this long feeling hair-frumpy, but I've learned a lesson -- regardless of the money this experiment has saved, it's really not worth it.

Another piece of the puzzle

One of the most wonderful pieces of this life-change puzzle that has been falling into place is our living arrangements come September. We will be renting the house that my sister, Lil, and her family are vacating when they move into their new home.

This house is not just any house, however. It is an absolutely gorgeous, amazing, and very large home built in the early 1900's. It has been in the family of the current owner since shortly after it was built. It is wonderful -- two stories and a walk-up attic, woodwork everywhere and chestnut pocket doors, gorgeous big windows, a gracious front porch, an amazing entry and banister, lovely plantings... these things are just the beginning. The owner is a man who has taken very good care of the place. He is a meticulous caretaker and his house shows it.

Living in this house is sort of a dream for me. When I was growing up, my grandparents lived just down the block from it, in another large house on Main Street in Eureka. I used to walk by the house we will be living in and admire it. I was inside it once when I was in grade school and thought it was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen. When I was in college, I decided that it was the house I'd most want to own in Eureka. Then Lil moved in and I've lived vicariously through her, coveting that house all the while. No longer -- in September we'll get to be the tenants there!

The only thing that would make this whole thing better would be if we were actually buying it. We've always wanted to have a lovely old house that needs enough work that the price is such that we could buy it, but not enough work that we'd be stupid for buying it! :) Dennis can fix anything and the senseless romantic in me is always much happier with creaky floors and high ceilings around me. Maybe someday...

In the meantime, I plan to cook at the stove and weed the gardens and sit on the porch and pretend like it's mine. I'll be enjoying every moment of it.

It will still be a dream come true.

The BIG, GIANT, HUGE, ENORMOUS news

I have spent the day today calling people to tell them that I am resigning as their pastor today.

I know that's not the conventional way to do it, but I also know that sending a letter first to this congregation who really is more like family would be a terrible way to announce this departure. They'll get the letter on Sunday.

In the meantime, I've talked to almost every regular attendee. I tried to visit face-to-face with some folks who have been very important to me. The others have gotten a phone call and an apology that I'm not there in person to tell them.

I kind of hate to admit this, but I am surprised -- almost shocked -- to find out that people are really, really going to miss me! I look back over the last seven years, and it is the gaping holes that are most obvious, the places where I could-have or should-have. I am glad that they have reminded me of the places where I have. Thank God that they were paying attention.

The reason I am resigning is primarily because Dennis has accepted a position as an engineer in Morton, IL. It is an incredible position at a company with a secure future, or, at least, as secure as one can find in the current manufacturing climate. And they have been very, very generous with him.

I am very excited, especially, because their generosity means that I will get to stay home with the kiddos. I have known since they were born that mothering them was my greatest calling. I am very, very, very grateful that I am going to be able to mother them in this new way -- with no sermons to research, no office to visit or not-visit, no congregants to rush off and pastor.

The most wonderful thing is that we know, we know that all of this is exactly what we need to do. It is clear to us that God has provided this way for us. In fact, it has happened in an almost magical way -- divine, really! :) We were not looking to leave and had actually talked to Dennis' mom about staying here and buying property from her and living out there. Then Dennis got a call from a headhunter and the guy had this position in mind for him.

Dennis had an informal interview with the engineering manager who called the headhunter back and told him that she was sure that the company wanted Dennis. The headhunter gave her a salary figure that was just kind of amazing to us and when she balked at it, he told her that Dennis was very worth it.

The company called him back for another interview and it went very well. He was there for a looooonnnnngggg time. It was only 45 minutes after the interview that the company called and offered Dennis the job at the amazing number! I don't think we could have asked for it to happen in a cooler way!

And since then, and really, before that, everything has just been laid out before us in the most amazing ways. We have had some other miraculous financial news and we are just astonished at the events at hand! In 90-ish days, my husband will be working at a job that will obviously value him and his experience and knowledge, I will be home with my kiddos, we will be living in Eureka, we will have all our debts paid, we'll have a six month emergency fund, and we'll have a very, very substantial savings for the future. It will be a whole new life! Resurrection, really.

I am just so amazed, awed and humbled at how God has answered and is answering so many of our prayers. And I am reminded of the thousands of times I have worried and fretted. What have I to fear, really? I need to remember that He is good to His people.

I may have to tattoo that on my forehead.

And those of you who have told me that all would be well have permission to tell me "I told you so."

But only once. :)