"Laughter in the Walls"

The house seemed strangely quiet when I came in from work after having been filled with so much life and fun these past couple of days. And by tonight the dirty towels have been washed, the games and craft box have been brought downstairs, the living room furniture that was rearranged for movie nights has been pushed back into place.

Isn't God good? Doesn't He have so many gifts tucked up his sleeve for His kids? Nancy's visit didn't materialize until just a few weeks ago and I seriously kept having to pinch myself this week to realize she was really, really here in this house.

The girls slept in both mornings and Nancy and I had some time to talk over a cup of coffee. To talk about where we came from and how we landed up where we are now. To share the things that stir our hearts. To once again appreciate our common dreams and our different gifts. And it made me wish that these times together could be more frequent.

Now her six girls are distinct in my mind with their unique personalities. Each one so beautiful and precious. Living so far away from each other I've never had the chance to get to know the youngest ones but now we share memories of Clumpies ice cream, the spray of Ruby Falls, the sight of snow in Tennessee, the gooey goodness of Mellow Mushroom.

Now the house settles down and so do we. But there's a little bit more "laughter in the walls" as Bob Benson used to say and we are grateful.