Workload

When we bought our house, we were told there "had been some water" coming at one point in the basement, but it was a gutter issue and was fixed. Eight years later, we finally fixed what was really a crack in the foundation - NOT a gutter issue. I grew up in a house with a basement, and I know, living in Kansas, the issue with basements/dirt that is more like mud/water and all it entails. It means that close to 60% of houses with basements in this town have had to have some type of foundation work. Ours not excluded.

We originally thought the crack was small, and did a smaller "job" to fix it in the spring. Found out a couple months later that the crack was in fact larger. And a bigger job (which equals bigger cost) needed to be done to completely fix the problem.

Enter this:

Yup. The front of our house was dug out last weekend, that wall was patched with three different types of patching and there is NO WAY water can come through that wall anymore! It was a big job, one that been weighing on Eli's shoulders especially in the last few months. Once we realized the job was so big, we took the For Sale sign out of the front yard and made the hard decision to take the house off the market until next spring.

That means that for four days, the little boys thought climbing around on a huge dirt pile was tons of fun: "Mommy, can we keep this dirt mountain until Christmas???" And I watched my front yard become a mound of dirt, and now a flat yard of dirt. When we get home from anywhere, Matthias still points his little fingers around and shakes his head: "Yes, Bubbs," I have to respond to his concern. "It's a big mess".

The outside job in done, big sigh of relief. We have work to finish inside as we had ripped out sheetrock on that wall and that all has to be re-done ... but if we can keep our hands to the plow, then the house will once again be for sale in the spring.

Some moments feel exhausting. Why why why???? I think I have asked God a millions times "why" on this one ... why not sold last spring? Why the big job on the basement? It could go on forever. But, I have had to lay my "whys" to rest. And come to peace that I may never really understand the "Why" ... that my imperfect understanding only sees such a short moment in time, when He sees the entire picture. And find trust in my heart and contentment in my home. A home where little heads sleep in peace and we are warm and safe. And why should I ask for more?

May I be thankful. Thankful that the work could be done, the problem fixed. Thankful we have a home. Thankful as I look towards of week of busyness that my family will be around, my sister and I will cook and get messy together, little cousins will laugh and play together, and that even when circumstances are soooooo not perfect, I can say that my heart is full.