This probably has just as much to do with preparing my heart for this journey; as it is just the serenity of "The Garden House". That's what I have affectionately named this place, "The Garden House" on Moon Road, although we are a hop, skip, and jump away from Moon Road... Everything about it is like that of a story. We jokingly say, "It's like living in the Shire". The breeze blows the trees and makes an ocean-like sound. The array of birds chirp and sing and squabble. Even the hornets seem to have a tune they play. The soft purple of the wisteria on the gazebo is wanting to burst any moment. And the thorns on the antique roses are starting to green.
The Garden House feels alive too. Like she sighed with relief when our boxes arrived. Settled. Secure. Home again. Like she knew this was the family that would live, eat, breathe here again. The family that would laugh, cry, sing, dance, and die here. I'm a woman of sentiment... and the idea of cutting our Christmas tree from this land makes my heart dance. I can already smell the mulling spices heating on the wood stove, and see the candlelit stockings hung nearby... The boys bounce on the trampoline now smiling and giggling. They walk in the grass and I just see the excitement of a new adventure in their eyes. Well, mostly mischief in Josiah's eyes, and the need of a nap in Jude's, but still... Possibilities.
There are still boxes to unpack, the garden needs tilled and planted, and there's still a few things on the list to check off, but finding a home isn't one of them. I'll always remember mom looking at pictures of The Garden House online and saying, "This is our house! THIS is the house God has for us.". And here we are. In the "happy place" we always imagined. What a privilege and a gift. Our needs have been met. And there are only God and the Desmond's to thank.
This made me tear up - so glad to see the Lord's provision for you in all of this.
ReplyDeleteAmber ~ thank you for your kind words and sweet heart. When the time came that we had to truly consider selling our place (I was in denial for a very long time), we prayed for just the right family to buy it and live there and love it. This is just one more way God has confirmed to me that He knew from the beginning who that family would be.
ReplyDelete"The Garden House" will always be our home in so many ways (we struggled to name it from the time we built it -- don't know why we didn't see the obvious!). I pray that you and your family will make and have as many wonderful memories as we have. A I write this through tears, I can say that I am so very thankful ~ not only for all of our years there, but for the years you'll have there, too.
Thank YOU. All of you - for building this place and for starting the story of this land... We only hope to care for and love it as well as you did and write more of the story.
Deletei cried a bit. This was really great.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I hope you will let me come see my old room too~
ReplyDeleteAmber,
ReplyDeleteJen sent me your blog, please thank her for me, again. I am impressed with your voice, your writing, you have a gift. I loved your reaction to TX and your new home on Moon Road. Your words allowed your readers a window into your heart, thank you for that. There is absolutely no money in it, but you might consider writing, if not for a living, then for the satisfaction your prose gives to you and to others.
Take care, Amber, enjoy all the good things of my Texas. I am glad you found peace there, it grows steadily more elusive for most.
All the Best,
Jerry