Counting on a Tuesday...

Just when I believed it could not get any hotter and muggier outside, it did.  A couple of weeks ago now, our little family of three loaded up and set out driving across the state of Kansas in hopes of making it to the cool (but smokey) mountains of Colorado for bedtime.  When we left our home it was 102 outside.  Gross.  And with the humidity, the heat index read 109.  Would our weather ever change? Even a little bit?   As most of the nation knows, large portions of our country have been blistered by heat wave upon heat wave coupled with months and months of drought.  Where we live, we have been straight in the middle of it all.  But I digress...

As we gradually made our way across the plains of Kansas, with each stop the temperatures were creeping higher and higher.  It felt almost unbearable outside.  Close to Lily's bedtime, we pulled into a McDonald's in Goodland, Kansas ( it's a very nice one by the way, in case you are thinking of traveling along I-70 through Kansas any time soon!).  And as we pulled up, the clouds that had been in the distance seemed to be rolling ever closer toward us. Rain was no where near our radar of expectations, but stepping out of the car, we could feel the energy in the air that is present before a really good thunderstorm breaks free.  It was lovely and completely unexpected!

As some gentle rolls of thunder grew gradually louder and closer, we fed Lily her dinner (don't worry, it wasn't McDonald's) and her bedtime bottle.  Everyone inside McDonald's was talking about the storm and seemed to be in a lively, smiley and friendly mood.  We got everything organized in the car and set back out onto the road and within minutes we were engulfed in a downpour of rain like we have not seen with our eyes for months!  It was beautiful, unexpected (have I mentioned that yet?) and refreshing. Most startling of all was that literally within minutes of driving into the storm front, the temperatures outside went from 106 to 67 degrees.  I kid you not.  I tend to be a pretty big weather geek and in my entire lifetime, I have never experienced a temperature swing that rapid or that complete.  God was bringing relief, and we drank it in with full and thankful hearts.  I remember thinking at the time as we watched with incredulity as the numbers on the temperature gage of our car just started falling, that this was God showing up- reminding me as I wallowed in my own "pit" of discouragement about our house, that He is able to change circumstances in an instant- and usually when I least expect it.  

Nearly two weeks later, I was reminded of this storm on the plains, when right in the middle of my haircut last week, I received a phone call from our realtor saying that a young couple had made an offer on our house!  Huh?  Seriously???  I literally could not believe it...all of the sudden things were different.  We went through several rounds of negotiations with them and finally late Thursday evening, we landed on a number everyone could agree upon.  WE HAVE A CONTRACT ON OUR HOUSE!!!   Unexpected total relief.  Again, God seemed to bring the "rain", and the relief just when it was needed the most.  Of course we still have inspections and appraisals to pass, but if things work out, we will be moving in September.  

Back to our road trip, we made it to the mountains later that night after driving for nearly 12 hours (especially long trip for a 1 year old little gal!)  and enjoyed a week of relaxation and refreshment thanks to my parents who were there with us as well.  At the time I still had no idea how much longer we would be waiting for our house to sell, so my spirit was still feeling heavy and in great need of some mountain-assisted relief (not to mention a break from keeping the house scrubbed down all the time!).  

Now back home, we are neck deep in inspections, appraisals, loan pre-approvals, house hunting and trying to survive this incredible heat wave outside.  Looking back, I feel like God blessed us with those lovely days in the mountains because he knew that when we arrived back home, we would experience some relief (a contract on our house), but would also still have many more proverbial mountains to climb before this whole story is over...

368.  Safe, protected travels

369.  The incredible break in the weather a thunderstorm can bring

370.  the beauty of sky over mountains reflected in a placid lake

371.  long, gentle afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains

372.  an afternoon date of mini golf in the rain with my sweetie

373.  the river walk in downtown Estes Park, Colorado

374.  watching Lily love and be loved by her grandparents for an entire week

376.  a signed contract on our house

377.  sunset over the mountains

378.  a sundog in a cirrus cloud over our road back home