our village

Yesterday morning after we finally got Ivory to school in the rain, Laura came over to watch the boys so I could go over to Edelstein and work on painting at the rental house. It was so kind of her to offer, because she just as easily could have done the painting, but I really appreciated the opportunity to walk into a project space, drop my keys in the silence, and pick up some sandpaper and a bucket of primer. 

I expressed to Grant not that long ago that I cannot take progressive steps forward in any given area of life without help, at this stage. I can go over to Edelstein and paint, but someone has to watch my children. I can take one child to a special event, but I need help with the others. I can care for my children and meet all of their needs, but then it's likely someone else will have to pick up my slack in other areas - cleaning my house, helping me can my peaches, bake my cookies and bars for church lunch, etc.

And so, I'm very grateful for our village.

There's our families - my parents, my in-laws, my sisters, my sister-in-laws, my brother, my brother-in-laws - all of them offer advice, encouragement, childcare, and listening ears on a very regular basis. They step in so that I can step out, occasionally, to recollect my thoughts and vision, and do something besides sweep the floor under Elijah's high chair seat and keep him from playing in the toilet water.

There are those wonderful women who texted me those first few mornings... women whose children are almost done with their school years, and they shared their wisdom, and their prayers, and their encouragement. I felt so embraced by the body of Christ. They were in tune with the spirit and in tune with our family, my sisters-in-Christ, and they were willing to take time out of their days to think of us and to let me know about it. I need them.

There are those teachers who will teach my children. Ivory's is a gift to us... a wonderful communicator who works hard to meet the needs of her students and communicate with parents.

There's those generous people in the community who throw the neatest stuff up on the garage sale sites I'm a part of on Facebook, for FREE - claiming they want to pass on the blessing.

There's those other people in the community who organize fun events for kids and families - who build parks and playgrounds, and who make life a little brighter and a little less mundane. 

There's those people who let your kids sit in their kayak with them, so that you get one all to yourself. :) 

There's those people who give you a hand when you're too tired to keep going... and who have ALWAYS done that - always, always always. 

There's a pretty incredible daddy who takes everybody along with him so that mommy can do something else... whatever that was. 

There's those people who invite you to do fun things... not because it's fun or easy for them but because they want to give to others. 

There's those people in OTHER communities, who organize fun events, so that my kids can experience things I'd never have the patience or time to carry out. 

There's those people who build and operate local coffee shops so that moms can survive above experiences. :)

There's those friends who always, always, always encourage you to make time for a playdate, remind you not to take yourself so seriously, and bring you pizza when THEY are the one 40 weeks pregnant. 

There's those people who let you crash at their house for a weekend, make you blueberry pancakes and serve them to you on their back porch, and just let you sit there on a Saturday morning. 

There's those people who come just to hang out and who are always up for an adventure of sorts... and always willing to carry more than their fair share of the load.

There's those people who patiently go on walks with us every Wednesday, when we're at our best or at our worst, and always stay cheerful and kind. 

There's those people who give good gifts to our children. 

There's those people who make the best cakes and make celebrating birthdays fun and always do it in full force so that the kids can have memories. 

There's those people who own land, and work hard to grow things and maintain it, and share it with others so that we could have a joy-filled Saturday of swimming and blueberries and relaxing. 

There's those people who show up every. single. time. I'm painting and help. (and often when I'm not painting, too)