Simple Pleasures

Chris has been home one week today. In spite of a case of malaria (we think) we've been doing well.

I'm not kidding about the malaria, within twelve hours of being home he had flu-like symptoms and I thought he may have food poisoning. By the time I got off work on Friday at 1:00, he had 102.8 fever, which sent me into a panic. After calling my sister the pharmacist in a tizzy and running through through the streets of New York in order for buy simple pain killers I was feeling much better. Chris was feeling better after alternating Tylenol and ibuprofen every three hours. After forty-eight hours of aches and pains and no appetite- things were back to normal (with 1/2 a burger and fries.) So, after testing next week, we'll know for sure. But all signs point to yes.

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Chris is settling into his new position quite nicely and I am very happy to have him back home. I really am. Time away made me think of all the times from 1996 until now; of proms and proposals and moving across the country. In the past almost five years of marriage we've grown and matured and learned so freaking much. It's hard to know what has been a result of marriage, and what has been a result of moving to a city like New York, and what has been just a result of growing up period.

We've made some tough decisions and fought some hard battles. We've cried and stood hand in hand looking out at New York from our living room window and said, "I can't do this anymore" and yet, here we are. I've cussed this city, I've begged God to send us anywhere else. I've prayed for a fenced-in yard and a home (even a small home) and a garden and a child. But that's not His will for now. And knowing that we're doing what he's called us to do puts everything else in perspective. Not that I'm never gonna whine, but overall I'm at peace. It's His story that we are telling here- not our own.

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The past week with as a couple I've been purposefully working on talking through my feelings, and settling into our new place together. It's hard at times, but doable. I know God will take care of it all... like where we'll put our bikes, for instance. AND...I melted into the floor the other night when the new baking pan I just purchased was too big for our smaller than average oven. How will I ever do this?! I simply wanted to roast my zucchini, eggplant, corn and onion.

Suddenly it's wasn't about the small apartment or small kitchen or even smaller oven or even the fact that I have to now return the pan and buy another one... it becomes everything. (This is where that mediation thing comes in handy.) It takes me some time, but I do finally realize that I'm being irrational & making broad sweeping comments. This is not, by far the worst thing ever. But it feels like it, in that moment.

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On Chris's first day to work, at his new job, he insisted on taking a raw ear of corn to lunch with his turkey sandwich, string cheese and nectarine. I could only imagine the custodial staff coming through at the end of the day to find a corn husk in the trash can. Or even worse, someone walking by his office only to see him gnawing on raw corn, bits of corn in his hair and those little silk stings hanging off his beard, thinking, "Who have we hired to minister to our students?" That's him; 100% boy. Mountain Man.