A Great Time

I remember this time when I was a kid when my family went on a rare vacation. Growing up as one of many kids of a preacher of small churches, vacations were few and far between. They were much appreciated though, when they happened, and oh so memorable.

One particular memory was on a trip that took us over several states, visiting old friends of my parents in Sun Valley, Idaho. I remember it was beautiful. I remember we drove through mountains and through some amazing valleys. I remember natural hot springs and lots of awe-inspiring river rapids.

One of our adventures was a mini-ride on one of those rivers. Our host had tied a rope to an innertube, taken us down to some river rapids and was giving all of the kids (they had some too) a chance to ride the rapids while being hauled back to safety if fear got the best of us or it was just someone else's turn. It meant the adults got to sit on the bank and watch us kids have a great time. At some point they talked my mom into a ride - she got on the innertube and they let her out into the rapids. She rode them for a bit, I remember her squealing with fun ...we liked it.

Then, the rope let go.

Mom was whisked away on the rapids. Before we knew it she was gone - and the daddies were racing down the bank to get her. I remember one of them jumping in the car and following her via the road that lead beside the river.  Before we knew it all of the kids were standing on the bank of the river with someone else's mommy, no daddies and one momma down.

We were terrified. I remember that something bad was gonna happen if my daddy moved that fast.

By the time the daddies came back with mom, my little kid brain had imagined all kinds of horrible fates for my mom. Anything from never to be seen again, to a giant waterfall at the end of the rapids where she plummeted to her doom. Kids brains are good at that kind of thing.

When she did get back though, I was relieved all at once - mom was grinning ear to ear.

 I remember very clearly her saying .."That was so fun. If I wasn't worried about how I was gonna get back I would have had a great time!"

Its funny the times when things like that come back to our present mind. I have thought of those words about 100 times in the last three weeks. 

We have been in our new Tennessee home for three weeks today. We have honestly loved just about literally, every minute of it. In these three weeks we have worked to set up our new home, cleaned up the property we will be borrowing for a bit, painted rooms (the "princess room" had to go ..per a couple of little boys), explored our new area and had a blast doing all of it.

Meanwhile, we have been working on getting a job. I think in most other areas, this would not have been a problem a one since both my husband and I have ICU nursing experience. This is most of the time a hot commodity and not often do we have to look to hard for positions anywhere. Positions here have been a little harder in coming, being as the small town pace we have committed to means that things move very slow. People come, get jobs and then don't leave. They come and stay...which is great ..unless you are looking for a job :)

Things will pan out, but not in the time frame we had hoped. We are looking at 4-6 weeks from now until we have an income, if the hospital closest to us offers us a position. Otherwise, we just don't know. Instead of moving here and starting work immediately, we are settling in for the long haul of no income forthcoming for the immediate future.

These are the rapids of life, I think. The ones when things start getting bumpy and rough, when things start getting a bit bouncy and holding on tight seems more necessary. Yet, I can't help but remember mom's words ..."If I wasn't worried how I was gonna get back I would have had a great time!"

Not having a job does have its benefits ...like, unlimited time to get acquainted with the new amazing landscape around us. Lots of time to get our home and property in order, making it ours. Full attention from daddy, who gets to sleep in every day if he wants to. No time schedule. Fishing whenever the boys want to. Evenings, as late as we want to, catching fireflies and sitting around a fire. Lots of time to explore. Naps every day.

If we werent worried about how we were gonna make it, it would be a great time! :)

Really, we are gonna make it just fine. Looking back I can see now how God has been preparing us financially for this time.While we wont be spending our savings on things we had planned on, things will still be working out just fine.

We are learning to live without things like a new microwave, paint for the pink master bedroom (seriously, THAT will be my "yay we have a job!" purchase), unlimited supplies of wasp spray, 10 different kinds of cereal, karate lessons, and another boston fern for my front porch (there is a hole ...it is screaming for a fern). 

Even without an income, though, we have been blessed with a very nice dinner out with friends AND a trip to the Lego store (thank you "Luke's Gaga"!), a trip to the chiropractor for daddy (yay for FSA money that MUST be spent by next week!) and an upcoming trip out of state rerouted to our front door so we wouldn't have to spend the money to visit with some of our favorite people.

The trip is great, even still. God is good. His plans are good and we are grateful for rides like this - that can be SO fun, if we are able to not worry about how we are getting back.