Lots of words.

As we unloaded the cache from our weekly trip the market, the grocery and the still surprising secondary market wunderkid, I commented that Saturdays are when we hit the reset button around here. By the weekend, our small fridge is little more than a cooler for ketchup, a shriveled carrot or two, some yogurt starter and some leftover steak from the tacos on Thursday. The bathroom is long past time for a scrub. The dog hair is ready to sweep up and spin. On special reset days, like this one, as the rain falls and breaks the heat of a difficult summer weather pattern, Nicole and Kedzie are both able to embrace meaningful naps (Kedzie, at the time of this writing, is approaching 3 hours and 10 minutes), and I can rest in a quiet moment that is so hard to find during the week.

It seemed like a good day to hit the reset button on this little journal as well.

When we embarked on this blog, our hope was to take this trip with you beside us. I don't know how many of you there are, it doesn't matter really. The point was to expose our hopes and failures and commitments and joys and fears, to be accountable and buttressed by the publicity of this very public place. Then, life happens.

But, finally after 33 years, I'm beginning to understand that life is for living not for reacting to. This little blog is a mini-representation of how I chose to live my life - intentionally pursuing community, remaining vulnerable and honest and open. I must, I am painfully aware, make that choice every day. So, be it.

Now, let me catch you up on a few things:

1. Nicole is just about ready to pop. She's struggled through one of the hottest summer's on record, limped after an energetic toddler and held together a home with grace and beauty. It's safe to say, 38 weeks into this pregnancy, it's been a challenging second-go. She's amazing. We'll keep you posted on the results. If anyone has tips on how to help a sensitive, mama-centric 20-month-old adjust to a whole new life, we're all ears.

2. Interest rates are low. Really, really low. When we jumped into this journey, we settled into the notion of settling into this tiny house for the long haul. There was, I will admit, a bit of self-congratulatory arrogance when I explained to family and friends that our 780 square feet was more than enough - look at families the world over...we're living in luxury. Our mortgage is such that we can be a family free of anxiety while still working toward our goal of being a family free of debt. Interest rates, though, are really, really low.  The thought of finding a home that could be ours for decades rather than years, one that could let our friends sit on something other than the bed in our living room, is a nice thought. As the real estate market is prone to do, we're nervous that in 10 years, when we're debt free "things" will have "recovered" and we'll be priced out. But, if we find a house now, our debt bombs will be much, much less and our debt load much, much more. We spend a lot of time at night looking at each other saying "arrrrrgggghhh."

So, friends, walk beside us. What do you think? What would you, a piece of our sacred community, have us do? Let's hit this reset button together.