full house

Nope, sorry SMM, this isn’t a tribute to Danny Tanner and the rest of the stellar cast.  This is an observation about our family.

We like the house to be full.  We seem to operate a little bit better with just a touch of controlled chaos.  Oh sure, we can appreciate–and even need at times–the calm and quiet. I think part of why I stay up late after everyone else is in bed is due to the quiet.  But we seem to thrive in the middle of lots of activity: people visiting, good conversation over late-night coffee, kids playing all through the house, homework at the kitchen table, the chatter and hum of life spinning along…

Take tonight for example.  The bro&sister-in-law from Missouri rolled into town.  We had a fabulous night talking about all sorts of things from parenting challenges (they have a teenage son and 2 little girls), personal spiritual growth, the challenges of church leadership, the call of God to mentor the next generation, the dynamics of spiritual warfare, short-term mission trips, the Great Commission…we managed to work in a delicious pork roast/kielbasa/kraut, basketball practice, and brownies.  The kids all got to catch up and play together while we adults got a chance to find out what God is doing in each other’s lives.  It was truly a night where we got filled up.

We’ll take another run at it tomorrow night when Kim’s former high school small group will descend upon Casa de Sublett for a little reunion action.  We’ve known some of the girls since they were 8 or 9; they’re mostly college juniors this year.  It’ll be fun to see what God’s been doing in their lives.  Kim will hold court in the living room, and there will be pockets of conversation all through the house.  I’ll mostly stay out of the way, but I will (quite innocently, I assure you) make my way through the kitchen at various times during the night.  I’m not lurking, I promise…

I think that’s part of what Josie has found to be so needed:  there is life here.  We’re far from the perfect family, but there’s life here.  Our house is HOME.

The other night I slipped upstairs to tuck the girls in bed, and I found them all crashed in Lilly/Josie’s room.  They all have nice comfy beds of their own, but they wanted to be together.  A few minutes later, Levi wandered in and claimed an empty bed for the night.  He wanted to be where his sisters were.  We don’t make a practice of it, but for a night it was splendid.

We love a full house, and our hearts are full, too.