So most of you who read this Blog already know that we moved into a bigger apartment (than our previous one) back in September in preparation of Lucas' big arrival. It's been kind of nice have the extra 300 or so square feet to sprawl out into. Of Course, as we sort of anticipated, the bigger the apartment... the greater the area to mess up. It doesn't take too long, but it definitely takes longer to clean our newer apartment than it took us to clean our first 615 square footer.
Quite often while wandering around the apartment picking up (after my own mess 99% of the time), I inevitably ask myself a couple of the same questions:
1. Why did I put my phone/keys/wallet/BG tester/other frequently used and crucial item in such a random spot? (no wonder i spend half of my prep time in the morning looking for my Intel badge)
2. How did we get so lucky that we have an entire apartment full of furniture and we haven't purchased more than two or three of the items for ourselves?
When we got married, due to the close proximity of our wedding day to the end of Ksenia's last Semester at BYU I had to move into our apartment (the old 615 sq footer) before Ksenia even had a chance to look at the place. I had talked to a few friends about picking up some second hand furniture they no longer needed, but I really hadn't put too much thought into it aside from finding the place and applying to rent it (very poor planning on my part). The day I moved in I had arranged to pick up a full size mattress, a TV that faded in and out of focus, and a couch that had long (very long) ago passed its dumpster delivery date. My future brother-in-law, Drew, helped me move in and it took the two of us less than two hours to gather the stuff from around Hillsboro and move every single item I owned into the apartment.
I remember sitting on the mattress after Drew drove off (no bed frame, just the mattress) and looking around thinking "Wow,if my future in-laws could see me now". I pictured them coming to our place for dinner one night and having to sit on the couch being held together by duct tape and reinforced with bailing wire eating off paper plates resting on their laps and grumbling to themselves about the unacceptable living standard that I inflicted upon their daughter. I slept in the apartment that night (Saturday) and tried to come to grips with the situation and figure out how i was going to make our newlywed nest look a little more like a home and less like an abandoned meth lab.
The next day i went back to my parents for dinner and Dad mentioned to me that someone at church came up to him and asked if he knew anyone who needed some furniture. These kind folks were getting ready to move into a smaller place after raising all their children and needed to offload some of their furniture. Being aware of my predicament, Dad told them he knew someone. That night after dinner I went over to see what they had... tons of stuff, and it was all in great shape.
The next day Dad called a friend with a trailer and six of us moved the stuff into our little abandoned meth lab. Three dressers, three bookshelves, a dining room table with six chairs, queen size mattress and box spring (with frame), a couch, and one desk chair later - our apartment actually looked like a home. I had only met these people once and they completely furnished our entire apartment. Ksenia never actually saw the old tattered couch (which we chopped up and slowly threw out with my parents trash - thanks Mom and Dad for letting it decompose in your Garage for 9 months) or the humble situation we almost ended up living in.
Recently, we have had a similar charitable act furnish our son's nursery. Some friends of ours at church very graciously gave us a crib, rocker, and stroller that their kids have grown out of. They are still in like new shape, and we are so grateful for them. I love to see Ksenia in the nursery with Lucas swaying in the rocker.
I don't know why i felt compelled to write this blog, i guess it's because I don't know if i can ever thank these folks enough for their kindness and generosity... Not that blogging really accomplishes that very well... but it feels like I'm saying thanks in a more lasting way then just letting the words slip out over clasped handshakes as i take their stuff away.
I hope we can one day be in a position where we can be as generous with a stranger in need, or even a closer friend, as these friends and strangers have been to us.
P.S. Speaking of strangers.... someone found this roaming the internets. I got a kick out of it.
