Can I Climb the Tree?

I used to go to the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver. Right out of high school, I moved into an apartment in Denver and got a roommate I had never met and started school at the Institute of Art. My area of study was Interior Design. I LOVED it. I learned about architecture, furniture history, color theory, space planning and home design. I loved everything. One of our projects was to design our own home. It had to be up to current architecture specs, blueprints and everything. I had such a fun time designing, space planning and drawing the floor plans. Someday...maybe I'll still build that dream home.

Fast forward to 1999. My husband and I were driven by the Spirit...not moved or subtly hinted by...but driven, by the Spirit, to join the Navy, leave Utah and leave school. We are enlisted, medium man on the totem pole, with everything we do based on rank...including housing.

Other than 12 months in a tiny apartment in San Diego and 6 months renting an old house in Japan...we have never lived anywhere but in Military Housing. We have never owned our own home.

We've been pretty lucky in military houses. Mostly clean, fairly new and pretty good neighbors.  So, as I posted in my last post, dealing with Navy Housing in Newport has been the bottom of the barrel for me. I just have been frustrated and annoyed at pretty much everything that has to do with this house and with housing.

(As I type this, I'm waiting for my oven to cook a batch of cookies...I'm at 45 minutes and counting...ridiculous thing).

About a week ago, I had worked all day trying to get boxes unpacked and things organized. The living room felt a bit bigger after some of the boxes were gone. We had finally sat down to eat something and watch a movie together and one of the kids said, "I like this house, it's cozy, I feel closer together."

Cricket...cricket...

Wow. All I can say is wow. I have been that stupid? I have been that selfish and ungrateful that I failed to see the house through the eyes of my children. It's cozy, close together and a place for them to feel safe. It's a place for them to learn, feel loved, and play.

We have a small backyard, but beyond the fence, there are no other houses. It's just a big hill full of grass, about a stone's throw from a park and a basketball court. And lots of trees.

 

 

The kids have been running, playing, laughing and climbing trees. They've been outside breathing clean air and playing together and coming HOME to their cozy house.

I think it's okay that I'm annoyed by how dirty the house is. But that just means I know when I'm done with it, that it's really CLEAN. My kind of clean. I think it's okay that I don't have enough space for everything...then I can get rid of extra stuff that is taking up precious space and valuable time. I think it's okay that I have to call housing pretty much every day for some other problem to be fixed, then I know things will get done better this time. (I'll be calling about the oven tomorrow).

Shame on me for not seeing things through the eyes of my children. I hope and pray that I can understand the blessings of being a cozy family and not worry about that "dream house". I hope I can make my dream house be what my kids and husband need from me.

My true dream house is one that is clean, welcoming and warm. I want the dream house to be a place where we all feel love, service and strength. The dream house should have music, smiles and loving words spoken by all. No, it won't be that way every day...but as long as I'm grateful for the everyday dream house then it will be okay.

And I hope I can be thankful that the kids are asking every day...can I climb the tree?