when it rains, it pours

We must really like drama because we tend to clump all our crises together. The past month has been absolutely exhausting for us. Both big kids settled into school well. After the tough time Joshua had starting kindergarten 2 years ago, we were shocked at how easily Patience adjusted. Garty transitioned well to being home alone with Mommy. It looked like it was shaping up to be an easy fall, when...

Everything started going wrong in our house. The old drain in the corner of the basement that used to help rid us of the water that pours in when it rains decided to start giving water back-- dark, smelly, disturbing "water." When a plumber we know told Peter how to plug the old pipe up, the "water" started coming up through cracks in the floor instead. To add to the problem, every time it rained more water would pour in from the back side of the house. Without anywhere to go, a polluted lake was taking over the basement. As a result, Peter regularly puts on a mask, sucks up the lake with a shop vac, and carries it out in buckets. The 2nd plumber told us we just need a sump pump. Peter was pretty sure that was only a temporary bandaid on the problem. Today's plumber actually thinks our pipes are all fine and the actual problem might be in the other half of our twin. He's our favorite plumber ever! If he's right, we probably have a long road ahead because the landlord next door isn't terribly helpful, but at least it won't be our expense. In the meantime, we're burning candles to mask the scents rising from below.

The basement lake moved the roofing problem to the top of the list. In an effort to try to stop the flood that pours in every time it rains, Peter spent Monday hanging off the side of the roof removing the old gutters and boards. This morning the roofing company came and did the rebuilding. They claim they've got us covered now for the long haul. We're anxious for rain to see what happens downstairs.

Oh, and the roaches heard about all the great water in the basement and came back. We've been on maintenance with the exterminator since we got roaches 2 years ago or so. No problems at all during that time. Then we threw a roach party in the basement. They couldn't resist.

While poor Peter has been dealing with the house, we've also been dealing with Joshua. He's been having a tough time recently with his attitude and behavior. It's very unlike him, and it's exhausting for us when he has a bad day. It seriously impacts all 5 of us. We're getting some help and are optimistic that this will be a short phase of life. We have to be optimistic or we'd just sit down in our smelly lake and cry.

So if you're wondering why I haven't posted about back to school or Patience's birthday or happenings in our ministry or all the cute things our kids say and do every day, it's because we're just a tad bit overwhelmed. But God will sustain us as he always does, and we'll be back soon.

Last night's story from the Jesus Storybook Bible was well-timed:

"Little flock," Jesus said, "you are more important that birds! More important than flowers! The birds and the flowers don't sit and worry about things. And God doesn't want his children to worry either. God loves to look after the birds and the flowers. And he loves to look after you, too." ...

Even though people had forgotten, the birds and the flowers hadn't forgotten - they still knew their song. It was the song all God's creation had sung to him from the very beginning. It was the song people's hearts were made to sing: "God made us. He loves us. He is very pleased with us."