One-upping Denethor: Not that that's hard

With all the stuff happening in our family right now, with selling the house in PA to move to Michigan, and Ethan and Rebecca moving out to Utah (despite their distaste for "the Holy Land"), and a lot of things hinging on what God has told us and not exactly what we can see with our mortal eyes in the current frame of time, it's always nice to see kind of a completed picture for once. Or in this case, more like what I can only assume is a brief snapshot into a much bigger picture that I can't appreciate even now, but it's a snapshot at least. Sometimes in comparison with the grand vision of God, it's amazing how short sighted we regular people are some times.

As the summer's gone by, there's been a sense of impending dread at the thought of Ethan and Rebecca and Baby moving! Darn it, why couldn't Ethan and Rebecca just be like the rest of millennial college graduates and hang out for a while after graduation while they figured out what they want to do now?!(: (Oh wait, they're married and have a year and a half old baby, of course they're more fiscally responsible) But it's been very sad thinking about them leaving. I remember when Hannah would go over to their apartment on Sundays and brag over the family text about how good it was to have family near by, and as ironic as it is considering I was in Ann Arbor at the time, I longed for her experience.

Then, in a very appropriate moment of the stars aligning, the notorious Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh came to Michigan, and brought along quite the recruiting class, Ethan and Rebecca included(: Between early morning drives to campus together, and impromptu dinners at their apartment, and movie nights watching Guardians of the Galaxy and going to a couple midnight premieres (Star Wars, GOTG2, etc.) it's been the experience that I was jealous of Hannah for. And that doesn't even count the two seasons of Michigan football games, and that time we drove up to Ann Arbor just for the Ohio State game that was terrible Ethan, and a couple basketball games, and Tigers games, and going to Pretzel Bell for Restaurant Week, and getting signatures at MDen, and being around for Baby growing up. Yep, I've definitely been spoiled a little bit during my time(:

Who knows if they remember this, but we all met up at the Ford School to record a Happy Birthday
video for Hannah(: And I took a picture, trying to start a recording....

So it was a pretty sad night last night when I went over to take whatever groceries they had leftover that I wanted. Since all the furniture was packed, TV included, there wasn't any TV watching or me draped over the red chair while baby runs around and Ethan and Rebecca chill on their grey couch. Nope, we just sat there, on the floor, they with their phones charging, and me surrounded by a bountiful haul of vittles. And I just had a moment of introspection, of how the apartment was empty, but I felt like it was still home for me. Like old homes where you used to live, it might look differently, but the memories are everywhere.

Come to think of it, as long as they don't have sketchy people living in them, if memories were currency, apartments would be the millionaires of homes. All the people, all the friends who would visit, all the stressful situations apartment renters are probably under as low income people, new married couples just starting out, new college students trying to figure out who they are... yep, random thoughts(:

Anyways, it was while I was thinking about this last night while salivating about all my newly acquired fridge fillers and cabinet collects that I realized the bigger picture. Here Ethan and Rebecca were, leaving the next day, and giving me more than enough food for a month when I was wondering when I would have the money next to go buy groceries at all. And how when Hannah left for BYU and was worried about having any friends, Ethan and Rebecca were there to help her adjust to life on her own and supported her when she felt alone. And now that they've been here for two years, they're headed out to Utah AGAIN despite not wanting to, and conveniently will be there to help Glo adjust to BYU as well. I mean lets be honest, Glo will make friends within a day or two, but they'll be there for her whether she wants them to be or not.

Homemade shamrock shakes baby. Twice as good, twice as healthy(:

With how close knitted our family is, it was beautiful to notice that true to oldest child status, Ethan is taking care of his younger siblings. He probably doesn't do this on purpose all the time, but I think more like inherently feels it. And Rebecca's like the grenade launcher attachment to Ethan's regular rifle: the same, but packs a whole lot of whopping punch. Together, between Rebecca's financial know how and Ethan's politics and Rebecca's interpersonal skills and Ethan's job finding skills (rowing job anyone?) they make for quite the helpful, caring team.

I also remembered as soon as I realized all this that Ethan's name means steward. And not a Steward as in Denethor, Steward of Gondor kind of way(: For me personally, with State Department stuff and Russian scholarships and getting my rowing job and figuring out how we'll work out football tickets and stadium seating and whatever, Ethan's always been the example and leader for me. And it's not a leadership role where I really recognize it at the moment, but while hanging out with them the last night they were here in Michigan, I realized that Ethan has had a huge role in pointing me where I want to go here at U of M. As a true steward, he's been there for me and showing me the way.

I don't think when Ethan and Rebecca decided to move here that they really factored all of that into the picture. Particularly that I would be the second sibling they would live nearby and take care of. But seeing what they have done, I sure am glad the Lord pushed them this direction, and I'm jealous of Glo for all the help she's going to get(: We don't see a lot of the times the complex, intricate plan God has shaped for us, but it sure is beautiful when we get a good glimpse at it(:

So good luck Ethan and Rebecca in the "Holy Land". And don't forget, but whenever you want to come back to Michigan, there will always be a hoMe for you here(: