South of Sunnyside

Kim and I stopped by Belmont Nursery on our way home from breakfast. This is probably one of those “I guess you should have been there” stories, but if you know Kim and me well, I’m sure you can imagine the tone and facial expressions in the following conversation.

Me: We’re looking for a fast-growing shade tree to plant next to our front bedroom.

Nursery owner: Well, how tall do you want it to grow? How tall is your house?

Me: (thinking)

Kim: (in serious tone) Well, it’s a single-story house. I don’t know—100 feet?

Nursery owner: (looking at Kim like she’s crazy)

Me: (looking at Kim like she’s crazy)

Kim: (with a look that acknowledges that her calculations are a little off) Oh, no, it’s probably more like 65 feet.

Me: Let’s go with 15-20 feet.

Nursery owner: Right. Well, maples are probably what you’re looking for.

I love her more every day.

My first trip to California was in exploration of two things: a relationship with Kim, who had been a friend since our time at YWAM, and of what life could be like were I to apply for a graduate program at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. Kim and I toured the campus and fell in love with the city, but I never applied (we’ll save that for another postblog.

Fast forward a few years: I left my role at Community Food Bank to take on a newly-created role at Fresno Pacific University. I worked down the hall from Kim’s father, John, who has been vice president of finance there since 2003.

I left the university in February to pursue my own business; two weeks ago, an announcement circulated around campus that John would soon leave, as well, after accepting the job of vice president of finance for…wait for it…Fuller Theological Seminary.

(Didn’t see that one coming, did you?)

Obviously, this is an exciting time for John and the family. The transition will be slow, as Kim’s twin siblings will finish high school here, but within two years we’ll be the only family members left in Fresno—since that seems to be one of the re-occurring themes among boomerangs and creatives, this could get interesting…

When Kim brings home a new dog, it’s usually one she finds on the street, and she either tracks down the owner or hands it over to a shelter within a day or two. Maggie, however, came from a shelter.

Kim promised me we’d be foster parents for only two weeks. That was over four months ago.

This week, I discovered that the City of Fresno only allows four pets per single-family household. Maggie puts us at four, so we’re in the clear of potential violations, but I’m afraid Kim’s becoming too attached.

Kim’s also wanting a baby, so eventually we need to make room for one more. That’s a good reason for you to adopt Maggie, right?

In case you need more:

• She’s darn cute.
• She burps (but in the cute, abnormal way).
• At under 35 pounds, she’s portable.
• You won’t find a sweeter, smarter dog¹

¹I’m not kidding. Maggie has been accepted by all three of our dogs—including Darla, our alpha. She has never growled, barked or bitten, and would love nothing more than to curl in a ball in front of someone. (That someone could be you…)

Friday night, Kim and I had a craving for cookies and milk, so I stopped by the grocery store to pick some up. One of the cashiers came over to bag my groceries, and after seeing them, noted that we’ve “gotta keep the kids happy.”

Yep, those are for the kids…