31 Days: Taking Back the Home: Day 12 Hello/Goodbye

Who doesn't love "Go, Dog. Go!" I was a huge fan of that book growing up and love that it's one of O's favorites. I tend to read the "do you like my hat?" pages pretty emphatically. One time we were at a doctor's appointment for Lyla, and O shouted, "Good-bye!" (emphasis on the "bye") to a little boy in the lobby. I felt the need to explain the reason for my son's abruptness to the boy's mother.

The title of todays blog reminded me of this book and now I can explain our busy Sunday. I must have known it was going to be crazy because I had a serious energy slump and a serge of hunger after church. I need to learn to properly fuel up during pregnancy, and whenever I am in my non-pregnant state again. Coffee does not equal breakfast. Good thing we were headed to Costco. I abandoned Mark with the children while I shamelessly scavenged for free samples. Afterward, I emphatically exclaimed to Mark that I would come here more often because I forgot how good free samples are! I worried that the tortilla soup lady would wise up and recognize me since I went to her stand 3 times. Do you like how honest I am being in this entry? And do you recognize how a lack of food can alter my mental state? Consider yourself warned. I did share lots with Owen and Lyla, but going to a stand and grabbing three pieces of french country bread could raise a few eyebrows, that bread was delicious. 

Anyways, we were prepping a lunch for our interim pastor and his wife AND food for our Neighbors Night Out event in our cul-de-sac. Our church has been so blessed by our time with Doug and his wife Nancy. Mark and I have been grateful for the times that we've gotten to know them. I wish we had had them over sooner. They are sweet people who give so much and once they've done their job well, they are then sent to another church to start all over. I hope that they are richly blessed in the next church they serve in. We chatted about family and future plans. I kept trying to steer the conversation back to them but they are like those sweet family members that ask deep questions and are genuinely interested in what's going on in your life and work. I hope Mark and I can grow to be more like this. Cooking food for people and just be two people who listen and invest in others. Mark made his deliciously crisp chinese chicken salad with ginger dressing and shared some gluten free ice cream sandwiches that he made last night. It's one of my favorites that he does. Total comfort food as we are saying goodbye (or just see you later) to two great people. One thing Doug said when he left was that it's good that we'll all be together forever. I love that feeling with friends when you know that whether or not you live in the same town, or see each other every week or once in a while, Heaven really is a place you'll end up together. We get to experience little glimpses of it here and now. 

After Doug and Nancy left we had a serious buyer come over too look at our piano. Yes, we are selling our parlor grand. It has been something that we have discussed over and over. We are saving up for a house. We will soon have three little cutie pies who will be armed with crayons, paint, food, saliva, blocks... This beautiful instrument is a target for kid mayhem for many years to come. 

The buyer brought a professional piano technician with her and 3 boxes of matcha Pocky to give to us. (I'm eating the pocky now.) The technician told us that he has many people get upset with him because he does some serious evaluation of pianos and he is very honest about a piano's condition. He was so impressed with ours and the buyer was very excited too. She is a piano teacher at a local community college and can play amazing classical pieces from memory. It was like she had met her true love, she was so excited to buy it. We will be getting a different piano. This is our third piano as a married couple and our favorite was our very first which we had to let go of because it wouldn't fit up the stairs of our third apartment. Reading that last sentence I feel like we sound like neglectful pet owners but I swear we aren't buying and then dropping these pianos. They seem to find us. We know that the right and permanent piano will find us all in good time. Now we won't worry about the little people banging their heads or breaking hammers. Anxiety and stress lowered and floor space increased! 

Then, (yes it was a busy day) we participated in Neighbors Night Out. I love our neighbors. A lady named Pat and her husband Jim hosted. Everyone was so good with Owen and Lyla. They brought toys out and asked to hold our kids. Even proclaiming it was their turn to watch O as he tried to walk back home. I guess he had his fill of pizza and juice and was headed back to his puzzles at home. We were the only ones with little little ones there. Everyone else's kids were in middle or high-school. Jim and Pat have grandkids far away and said that we could come by anytime and do some puzzles or play cars. I'm sure O will gladly take them up on that since he is constantly trying to steal the Holleman's puzzles. We had a blast. It was such a good reminder of why being a part of your community is important. Even though I was embarrassed and tried to tell Owen to be kind, I didn't need to worry that my son was trying to move a woman off our blanket. They were so gracious and loved getting to know our wee ones and we loved getting to know them. I wish these nights happened more than once a year. 

Little neighbor escape.