The Silence has been Broken

The quiet week has ended. I pick up dd in just a few more hours. My father and I have a bet going whether the chatter will begin as soon as I pick her up or if she will be so tired that she will just konk-off in the car. I’m betting she chats most of the way, but she has already surprised me by calling me multiple times this week. I figured that she would wave goodbye and I would hear from her again when she needed to be picked up. The calls were all good ones (not like the notes I once sent from camp begging to be picked up). She sounded like she was having fun and just wanted to share.

Last night she surprised us with a third call for the day to tell us that our minister’s eldest daughter’s boyfriend had proposed during dinner. While proposing in a restaurant with 75 of your future father-in-law’s congregation after a week of working in the hot sticky state of KY may seem odd to some, it holds special meaning to them as this trip several years ago is where they started dating. The extra special part of this match is the closeness of the in-laws. Both his and her parents have been friends since our minister first came to town 20 years ago.
I can’t wait to hear what other stories DD has to share. Silence while appreciated occasionally is very lonely. DD brings a life to our family that feels lost when she is gone. We all have our blessings and hers is a palpable life that fills the house energy. I’m going to try to remember this blessing the next time she is driving me absolutely crazy.

Speaking of blessings, here are a few more that I thought of yesterday as I raked the yard:

1. The fact that the lawn mower was fixed and that maybe the neighbors no longer wondered what low lifes moved in next to them.
2. The wheelbarrow, a left over when my brother-in-law down sized, was a great time saver. It may have a little rust showing, but it still carried all the grass.
3. A blue sky (although I have to admit that about half way through I did make a small prayer for rain to give me an excuse to stop)
4. A cool breeze
5. A strong and capable son, who mowed and thereby cut my work in half
6. A DH who, despite his bad back, got the mower working