Every year brings its life lessons. I think 2008 taught the Raber Family that …
- the trying of your faith really does work patience.
- there truly is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother, and
- if you water it and it dies, it’s a plant; but if you pull it up and it grows back, it’s a weed.
We are a project-oriented family—there is always something in the planning stages or under construction or in need of tweaking. We have been building a tree fort in our backyard, which started out as just a two-story tower built a rou
nd a tree.
Now it has taken over the entire northwest side of our yard.
It is built completely out of recycled wood from construction sites and demolished decks. The kids help us reclaim the wood by pulling nails.
We’ve stopped asking Mr. Raber who he is building it for and have started to wonder if it is going to need its own zip code.
Other projects this year included rescuing some hardwood flooring from a home remodel and using it in our schoolroom.
What we are really excited about is seeing our firstborn when he comes home on leave for the holiday. He’s done well for himself, in spite of the many mistakes Dad and Mom have made. In other words, he survived the grand experiment that most firstborn children are for their young and inexperienced parents.
Otherwise, the holiday season isn’t much different from the rest of the year for us—we will be starting, in the middle of, or finishing any number of projects. So if you ever visit us, don’t bother knocking on the front door. We won’t hear you over the sound of hammering and sawing. Just come on around back to the yard I’ve dubbed “Little Kentucky” and give a holler.
