The bad with the good

Things have been kind of rough here lately.  It rains 6 days out of 7, which wouldn't be so bad if the sun ever shone in between.  It's expensive and busy and hard to make friends because our ward covers an area the size of Lethbridge, so no one lives remotely in the same areas.  Our car needed major unexpected repairs and our washer drained into the bathroom sink and overflowed everywhere.  Dan's schedule has been a bit crazy because they are working out the kinks for the transfer students, so it looks like we might be here an extra semester and still need to work out a 3 months practicum afterwards (as long as we can actually find a certified Rec Therapist to do it with).  I can't get work and we live in a very small space that can seem very confining when the weather doesn't agree.

But just when things seem to be oppressive and unbearable, I am reminded of all the blessings we have.  Driving home from Langley last week the sun came out and the snow-capped mountains were there, clear as a bell.  Then Clayton piped up, "Mom, aren't you glad we get to live here for a while?  We have the ocean on one side, the mountains on the other, and lots of bridges and lots of trains."  What a positive perspective in a dreary month.  We are lucky to have this experience.  So many people don't get the opportunity to finish their schooling once they have four children.  We have seen and done lots of things we otherwise would only have experienced as tourists, if ever.  We go to the beach in November and play in the sand.  We fish for crab.  We will be here when the temple is opened and we are seeing what it's like to live where the gospel is definitely a minority.  Dan has a job that allows him to choose his hours based on his school schedule, not his school schedule based on his work hours.  I get to stay home with our kids and we still manage to make ends meet.  We get to learn how to love each other even in a small space and, hopefully, realize that our family really can be our best friends.  We definitely have to depend on each other more and learn to compromise.

This is mostly for me, I think.  Just getting my thoughts down.  But that's where we're at out here on the West Coast.  Miss you all terribly, but trying to find the silver lining in all the "experience" we're getting.