A week after landing back in the US, we were touring rental homes; a list hastily thrown together based on price, move-in timeline, and general location. A week after that, we moved in to the one that had most closely matched what we saw as fitting our family’s needs.
God was in it. It’s been a great house. We have four large bedrooms, a space in which to homeschool, a kitchen that works well for multiple cooks. I actually really like the house. I never would have pictured myself as living in this style of home, but there’s no denying the fact that for us, the layout, the size … it works.
Even more than the house, though, we’ve loved the yard. A big, semi-wild space complete with trees tall and small, a slow creek, and rolling little hills breaking up the suburban feel. On one hand, it’s completely fenced, and completely open to my view. On the other, well … it feels like an adventure every time you crack open the back door.
For a family that called the vast emerald expanse of western Washington home for the bulk of their marriage, it’s been heaven. Coffee out back in the morning. Dinners out back as the sun starts turning the tips of the tallest trees red. Rabbits. Deer. Snakes. Creepy crawlies of all shapes and sizes. Turtles. Frogs. And the birds! Everything from hawks to hummers.
As soon as Momma gives the go-ahead, the door flings open and the children are free. Safely exploring, enjoying, and interacting with nature.
And then, this week…
See it? There, just behind the veil of beautiful green?
In toddler parlance, it’s a digger. And, as Simon will tell you, “It’s ripping out da trees.”
Just over our fence, our beautiful buffer of wild is being removed to make way for store fronts.
We’re sad.
Disappointed.
Mourning the changes this will bring to our little hideaway.
In the end, we don’t own the property. We can move in December, and find another home. But the trees will be gone forever. The animals will have to move on as well. And really, is the world made any more beautiful by the addition of more strip malls? No … I don’t think so, either.