Moments of Moving and Settling In

As we moved load after load and tried to settle into the new house, it was fun to step back and think of all the firsts and how we were beginning to make this house our new home.

So here are memories I hope to remember:)

Complete boredom.... no toys, TV and too hot to go outside, so Anna makes a ramp with the books she was allowed to keep with her, her pillow, a shoe and a ball we found moving furniture;)

Loading up the van (and the blue car) to the max:)

{Funny}

And yes, even Grandma and Grandaddy's car was packed!! Nothing like 2 adults, 3 kids and 2 cats :) LOL!!! I know I heard some stories from that trip:)

{Pretty}

We are loving the beauty of the property and some of the new furniture that we had purchased for the house. So far the favorite is the pub height table for the eat-in kitchen. Brian had been wishing for one for YEARS:) 

Anna and Lydia settled in with some coloring at the new table with the window to the open backyard behind them.

{Real}

A Late Spaghetti dinner.... late dinners are getting to be the norm around here.... hoping for some earlier meals now that we're all moved in!

And as much as we have tried to keep everything looking clean (except for boxes still everywhere), finding finger and yes, even hands prints are inevitable:/ Thankfully wipes work wonders:)

{happy}

 The one thing that kept us all happy (if that is possible for a 2 yr old) was that we had Grandma and Grandaddy with us for almost a whole week to help us move:) They helped with moving heavy furniture, cleaning both houses, with the kids, in the kitchen... ok... so they did basically everything!! :)

They were so incredibly helpful and it really would have been extreme chaos for us to moved without them! We would NOT be in the place we are now without their help.

So a huge THANK YOU to Grandma and GRandaddy!!
We have plenty of memories with them helping through the week and not many pictures :( But they were here and a working hard with us each day!

We are so very happy to be all moved in;) There is a huge sense of relief of a burden that had been hanging over me for a long time! It's nice to be able to begin to enjoy what we had hoped for these last few months!!

There still is plenty to do around the house.... plenty of boxes that need to be stored or sorted through and the school room... phew! But for now we get to do a little each day...

And enjoy our new house! Our 1st  pancake breakfast was nice as well;)

Linking up to {pretty, happy, funny, real}, Moments to Remember and Weekly Wrap-Up.

Labor, a Roller Coaster and Camping and how they Relate to Moving

A couple of months ago I was using the comparison of this "move" season to being pregnant. No one looks forward to labor, but by the time it's about time for the baby to be due, the pregnant woman is ready for it... she'll take it pain and all:) Sorta;) Well that's what I was feeling like with this upcoming move... I HATE packing, but I've been waiting to move for over 11 months now... I've was beginning to look forward to packing:)

But this week the comparison to our "move" season is more like a rollercoaster!!!

And honestly, I'm ready to get off the ride.... to be done!!

My heart has been unsettled for too long. I'm emotionally drained from all the highs and lows. I'm looking forward to the end of the ride when my heart isn't pumping sooo fast waiting for the next "low".

It seems like the whole process has been highs and lows.... times of excitement and then feelings of dispair/frustration at a new "situation" with the house. Like when we were just about to close on the loan a few days before Christmas only to find out from the bank that our lot was in a flood zone. That status took a MONTH to work out... surveys, statement to the bank....

yes, that took a MONTH!

Then there was the rain that prevented the foundation. The plumber that quit due to the distance to the job. And the special order door made backwards:/

I've been frustrated... shedded tears. Prayed with friends for peace and joy through the crazy times:) It's been a hard 11 months.

This week finally broke me though... I was angry, frustrated..... emotionally exhausted!!

After spending two weeks (3 of those days while my husband was a time zone away) busting my tail and dragging along my kids, spending HOURS cleaning the house and bringing over 9 loads of stuff (clothing, toys, books, kitchen stuff) to the house... I was really looking forward to getting "the green light" to move in.

The green light for us is a document from our county stating that our house passed an inspection!


On Monday, the inspector when through and the house didn't pass. We had some minor issues... insulation not thick enough and ventilation needed to the schoolroom. Early Wednesday afternoon the crew came in... sweated their tails off in our attic and got everything ready for the "final" inspection. Our contractor even showed up to be sure the house was ready :)

Looking forward to the possibility to move in this weekend, we began to arrange for a moving van. It was stress city trying to get a van for our use this weekend, in fact the company called with apologies and a credit since they couldn't find anything for us.

On Thursday, I packed what I thought would be our "final" load before the "big" move... Brian had secured a private van from a local company. I loaded all our dishes and most used cookware:) While I knew our house was no where close to being packed and ready, I was ready for the "green light"... at least saying we could "live" at our house.

And I was very excited with the possibility that we could spend the next night (Friday) in the house:) So fun!

You can imagine the shock when I got the kids in our l.o.a.d.e.d. mini-van and read a text from Brian saying that the inspector wasn't going to make it to the house until Monday afternoon... maybe!!!

WHAT!!!????!!

Anyway, I didn't handle it well.... not at all!! But it was all the emotions and frustrations coming to a head. I just thought of all rushing and late nights I had had with the kids. And the things we had let pass us by this spring and early summer because we were thinking the move was going to happen more quickly.... like Anna's 8th birthday, our 10th wedding anniversary (nope, we didn't do anything, no dinner, no date.... nothing... just packed and ran errands with the kids to get the house ready), Mother's Day, Father's Day and we almost didn't go to Wesley's 1st Birthday!!!

it was a "low" :/

Sometime that night (Thursday) Brian contacted a church member asking to borrow his truck and trailer to run a few bigger things to the house to at least start the moving process so when we'd get the documentation to move in we could and would have less to move with a moving van.

Our sweet friend agreed!!

What started as a few things turned  into... 2 days of insane moving in 100+ degree weather!! 6 truck/trailer loads (insane we have that much stuff) and many men and hands helping. A HIGH for sure!!

As I look around the house tonight, there is very little;) We are all sleeping on mattresses on the floor. We're eating off paper plates;) No dryer or couches, a couple of outfits for each person in suitcases, a few lamps and a TV:)

We're now officially camping out in the parsonage until the house can be inspected and pass!! LOL!!!

 But as we look at the holiday week, we quickly realize that we could be here "camping out" until Friday:/  Please pray that this "final" step happens soon and we can move ourselves and mattresses to the new house...

and be off the rollercoaster:)

BTW.... I will not take lightly how blessed we are. That we can move into a wonderful house! That we have amazing friends and neighbors willing to come help us... some stopping as they passed to help load!! Even in tears of frustration to a friend after receiving that text from my hubby, I was reminded to how blessed I was... that she would remind me to be "joyful" when she knew I wasn't !

And while it's been crazy the last 2 days with the trailers and men loading up almost everything in the house.... I am so very grateful for the ability to move loads at a time versus packing a whole truck at once and unloading it all at once!! A blessing to be moving nearby.

And that each time I want to complain that we can't be in our house.... I am reminded of the people who have lost their homes to floods and fires in the last 2 weeks!!!! And the amazing community we have around us that I will be leaving ( but not be too far from) and get to enjoy a few more days!!

We are blessed!!

Pictures from our 2 day packing SPRINT!!

How Grandma keeps them cooled off and out of the way of the packing crew:)

Our Week of Cleaning

In my life this week...
We are really in the thick of moving.... but first was the cleaning. There was a contract-cleaning for the house, but the amount we would have paid was kind of ridiculous especially since we were told by a few people that they had to re-clean because the paid cleaners didn't clean cupboards, blinds,etc! So we thought we'd to it ourselves and get the credit... a few hundred dollars NOT on a loan is good:)

While Brian was out of town Monday through Wednesday night the kids and I packed a closet or two, unloaded our stuff and then spent hours each day cleaning... H.O.U.R.S.!!! We came home exhausted each night, ate a quick meal and then headed back to the house for another day of cleaning.

On Tuesday we did attend the library's reading time and then a program in the afternoon. We also had a picnic at the park... we all needed a little break. And on Friday we spent the day at the beach with family:)

Honestly our week has been packing and cleaning, unpacking and cleaning! The BIG move is this weekend;) I'm really hoping that after another week of cleaning, packing and unpacking, we'll be able to sit back and finally enjoy some summer days:)

Helpful home schooling tips or advice to share... 
I'm slowly learning through schooling my kids that sometimes completing a task/assignment with them turns out to be more a heart issue exercise than an academic one. I need to recognize those moments as teaching character moments and not push for a completed assignment but encourage their hearts instead.

I am inspired by...
Empty closets. There is soo much to pack, but seeing an empty closet pushes me to open the next closet/room and start again:)

My favorite thing this week...
Besides our beach trip, was  seeing Chris on the couch "reading" for fun!!!

I had to see what he was soo quieting "reading" :) I think he is my non-fiction reader!

What's working/not working for us...
Really late getting home, dinner and bedtime! We have been out soo late this last week... like getting home after 9pm and then having to feed the crew. They haven't been in bed before 10 each night. And that means the parents stay up even later:/


The good thing is that they have been sleeping in until 8am or so:)


We're reading/learning....
We've been reading about Lewis and Clark and their adventures! It's very interesting the travels and experiences that they had.

I'm cooking...
Barely. It's been very simple around here and it's only going get easier as I move more of the kitchen stuff to the new house.


I'm grateful...
Our school/play room at the new house. It's the only room with new carpeting and that was almost clean (that is the task for this week's visits). The kids used this room a lot this week as "their" room as I cleaned. It was nice to have a place for them to hang out:)

I'm praying for...
Good attitudes! It's been a challenge to balance all that needs to be done and all we (the kids) want to do... they really want a "summer break"... swimming in pools, playing at parks, chasing a new batch of kittens our neighbor has, etc! It's impossible to be outside with them and inside packing.... so it's requiring balance!

A picture to share...

One "fun" task for the kids was to test all the light switches and electrical outlets. Armed with sticky dots, Anna tried every outlet with a clock radio and Chris flipped all the switches being sure they all worked. They marked the ones that didn't work with dots. Thankfully not many dots were used:)

Nate got a hold of the leftovers;) I had to take a picture though when one rubbed off onto his ear:)
BTW... his old shirt is a hand-me-down from Chris. Nate loves this shirt. He calls it his "ah-ah" shirt... monkey sounds;)

Here's to 5 more days until moving day and grandparents coming, too:)

Linking up to Homeschool Mother's Journal and Weekly Wrap-Up.

Down with the Trampoline

We have NO idea when the house is going to be ready!

A few weeks ago, our contractor slipped in a conversation with Brian and said his crew would be out of the house in two weeks!!

When Brian brought that time frame up in a conversation, the contractor immediately corrected himself and said 60 days! Booo!! But like we've been told there are always things that take longer or new problems...

like the plumber quitting due to distance issues
the outside construction plans changing
legal documentation needed for more utilities to get to the house

Just a part of building.... I now know;)

But.....

just in case it is WEEKS and no longer months before our house is ready for us we are starting to  prepare:) And we started with the BIG stuff.... LOL!!

It was a sad day when out trampoline came down...

obviously  the kids didn't mind, too much!!

They even enjoyed washing some of the toys that had been in the "homemade sand box" (LOL!!) under the trampoline!

What a difference though with the trampoline gone!

It will be interesting to see how much longer we have until the BIG moving day:)

More Wordless Wednesday at  NapTime MomTog, 5 Minutes for Mom,  Mama to 4 Blessings, Go Graham Go

and Live and Love...Out Loud !!!

House Update: The Land is OURS... now waiting on the house!

The last time I shared about our house I was discouraged.... days after the "day I thought would never come" (aka the loan signing) we were still waiting and still "jumping through hoops"!

And as I've continued to say (and remind myself) we really aren't in a rush! I mean we are renting and know that we can't live in the parsonage forever:) But there is a deep sense of wanting to be "settled".... wanting to wake up and not have the pressure of having to pack up 7+ years of our lives soon or wondering where we really were going to move (since everything has seemed soo up-in-the-air then).

So you can imagine that Wednesday night when we got word from the bank that our loan had been approved! All we had to do was wait to meet the lawyer and start signing.... ah, I can breathe again:)

One of the first things I wanted to do was to visit "the land"! I knew visiting it would have a different look to it. No more was it  "the land we are hoping is ours", but the land our house will be built and our home will be established.

{pretty}

And the woods our kids would (and already have) play(ed) in!

{happy}

They call this the "Indian hut" and you can always hear them spying out English settlers and ships;) They have already spent hours playing in those fallen down trees;) Nice to know they ARE on our property.. sorta!

Our yard is still a wild "field"... very wild! In time maybe it will be tamed a bit:)
Until then, we have some major mowing to do... Chris suggests a better method than "by hand"!! LOL!!

{funny}

{real}

This is more of a statement than a picture.

The reality is that we still have some waiting time, but there are glimpses of stuff happening... the building permit is getting finalized and into the hands of our contractor this week, and there is talk of laying a foundation soon;)

And there is a sense that this is all a "dream"! I think the reality of us living in "our" house is not sinking into my head. I doesn't feel "real" yet!

{ready for the reveal of the house.....drumroll, please.........}

the crooked look is from the bad photographer (me!!)

Quick house facts (no pictures because the decor was for showing the house and my house will be no where close as nicely decorated... I'm deficient in that area!) It's a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house. There is an unfinished 3rd floor (think storage!). The second floor contains the 3 bedrooms and the 2 full bathrooms. The first floor has an open floor plan in the back. The kitchen, breakfast nook, living room and dining area are all basically connected with only one wall dividing the kitchen and the dining "room". The front where you'd walk in from  has an open staircase to the 2nd floor and an "office" room to the left. There is also a hall that has our laundry nook and a half bath;) The house is unique because it was built with a finished one-car garage... insulation, carpet and crown molding... a little strange? Sounded like the perfect school/play room to us;)

I'm excited about  everything.... can't wait to start putting my dishes into the kitchen cupboards or organizing our school/play room! And especially feeling "settled" at home!

But... one day at a time...
First things first.... like a solid foundation! :)

And there is a great story behind how the house found us ... one day it will be shared. Right now we're just thankful for the ways things turned out and the final decisions that were made! And all the ways this house (and land) "fit" us:)

Thank you for praying for us! For those that extended words of support and encouragement!

The light at the end of the tunnel looks a little closer!! And maybe, hopefully,  I've grown in trusting and waiting for the Lord for our needs and desires!

Update on our New Home :: Still Jumping Through Hoops

I haven't mentioned much about our searching for a home and moving :(

Honestly.... it's been a very stressful time.

I've had many people tell me to "enjoy this exciting time". I try to smile and share the latest developments. But none of this has been very enjoyable.

While we searching in the city in late-August, we questioned over and over our decision to live soo far from Brian's work and whether we really were "golf course" (where the house site was) people.

And then when we searched in the small town, we questioned whether this would be a long-term move for us. Whether we should just rent or find our dream home or how our kids would have other homeschooling friends (since at that time we knew of NO other homeschoolers).  After searching the available homes, we also felt like building was a better option for us.

Finally in early October we found a home. A modular home, already built, on clearance and needing some land and a family. Seriously, folks, this home is a "dream" home for us.... if it wasn't for the fact that it's on sale AND the economy is in our favor right now, it wouldn't have been even a remote possibility.

Then we began a search for land for our home;) Between soccer games and Brian's late nights, we found a piece of land that fit BOTH of us!  A quiet, isolated, wooded area (Brian) in a neighborhood (Kelly)... total opposites, LOL!!... seriously, it didn't seem possible. And then for the land to be in our price range and close to town where Brian worked, too!! Perfect!

The family marking out where to put the house for the contractor's plans

We started the loan process at the end of October.... just days later we were pre-approved!! After 2+ months of searching it looked like things were really moving... right??

Since starting the loan process, it's really felt like "jumping through hoops"! One day we'll get an email asking us about our parents' addresses... the next week it's getting some document from town to finalize our contract.

Finally on Wednesday before Christmas we got an email asking us to finalize how the loan was to be distributed.... YEAH!! We talked with the bank and our contractor and started making mental plans of when we could meet the lawyer to get everything finalized. What an awesome Christmas gift!!

Then the next day, Thursday, we're contacted by the bank that a portion of the  property is in a FLOOD AREA.... WHAT??!??! Seriously?? Isn't that something we should have been told in October when we were looking at the land or when we were signing contracts about the land???

Another curveball, with more hoops.... getting the land surveyed, looking for property markers...

it's been emotional, stressful....

see... we even had neighbors and HIGH grass;)

definitely NOT "enjoy this exciting time"!!

Makes me wonder if we really are making the right choice with this house, this land, right now?

or

Maybe I am needing to learn perseverance and/or  patience??


While I'm trying to share this without whining, please forgive me if it sounds like that!! We're just tired and ready to be "home" wherever that is. And let me also say that I know that these feelings are probably what most people feel and go through during purchasing a house or other big decisions.

So I really have tried to combat the stress and discouragement with being thankful for this opportunity....

just the fact that we can even look at purchasing a home, that our needs are taken care of and that we have a hope of  being "home" sometime soon!!

And by being hopeful (and yes, a little excited) about "our" house and property!!

Until everything is finalized.... we'll just keep jumping through hoops!





356. learning patience..... some more :(
357. ability to afford a home
358. a place to feel at home... one day
359. new homeschooling families nearby
360. that the process is going forward
361. learning to parent in light of God's Grace
362. a part-time job at home
363. warm soup
364. snuggling a sleeping toddler
365. a chorus of  "forgiven, forgiven, forgiven, again"
366. cornbread with a pat of butter and a little syrup
367. a baby joke (calling me "Da-da" on purpose) with giggles
368. tromping through "our-hopefully-future" yard
369. hearing the Indian calls as the kids play in the woods
370. hope... in the midst of fear, sadness, stress and exhaustion

His Last Sermon

Sunday Brian preached his last sermon at our church.

For 7 years (since August 2004) Brian has preached at our church Sunday mornings, Sunday nights and Wednesday mornings.

Truth be told I am glad for this day to have come...

not because I'm glad he's done pastoring or that we'll eventually be finding a different church (one closer to our new residence... wherever that might be... LOL!!) In fact those two things I will miss the most!!! I know I'll be missing sitting under Brian's teaching! And I love our church members and definitely miss being with them (when that time comes).

but because since Brian started working part-time and then full-time... he's been soooo busy!! Too busy!

From leaving the house a little after 7:30 each morning, working until 2 (or now 4:30) at the college.

Coming home he went to his home office... to return calls, check on church members, prepare sermons, visit with deacons, hospital visits, event organization and set up. And work on the TWO classes (last semester he taught 4 in one semester!!) is teaching!

We'd usually see him emerge about 6:30-ish to catch the national news and eat dinner. Usually he was with us until the kids went to bed about 9... and then it was back to work!!

Weekends were the same... just getting everything done. Saturday didn't include any time at the college, although he usually has a book with him to keep up with his classes :(

In Brian's words "I have no weekend, no breaks" and he didn't! And that meant we didn't either... at least not with him :(

So his last sermon hopefully lets him have some downtime now... although his plate is still pretty full... working full-time at college, teaching one class at the school on week night, one online class and trying to find us a house!!

But it is sad to think that "this season" has come to an end! We have enjoyed our time at our church.

We came to this church as a young couple holding their one little babe in their arms.



LOL! ..... has our family changed in these 7 years!




We have often said that we have grown a TON from serving this church. Learning about pain and loss. Encouraging those struggling and giving generously. Growing in maturity, knowledge and love for others. And serving.... in a small church everyone does their part... big or small!

Brian's last Sunday sermon marks the end of his pastoral service to our church. But because we do not have a house picked out or ready for us, we are staying!! The church is being soo gracious by allowing us to stay in the parsonage a little longer while we make permanent housing arrangements!

We are soo thankful for their generosity!! And excited to be able to stay, worship and serve with them now as regular church members!!

Funny though that they are just as happy to have us stay as we are happy to stay:)





281. a delicious meal fixed in Brian's honor
282. church members happy to have us stay
283. tokens of gratitude
284. tears of joy and sadness
285. families attending church together
286. good memories
287. friends to share burdens
288. church family that "holds up" those struggling
289. wise men and women of the faith
290. a nursery volunteer;)... thanks Sue-sue... I really needed THAT!
291. boys room totally cleaned
292. answer to prayer for a family member's health scare
293. hearing children practice memory verses on their own
294. a new loved series for an emerging reader
295. possibilities

296. a gift of fall mums

Weekly Wrap-Up: Lots of House Hunting, Some Basics and Shakespeare

Our week started in the dark with no power :/ But our town was one of the VERY fortunate ones that had it's power restored by Monday night...

of course we weren't sure when the power returned! Once Brian figured out that the college was closed for the day, we jumped in the house hunting machine and went on our way. We walked through some model homes and log cabins... ummm??

And then we made our way to the "big city" to drive down a few more streets to see the homes for sale that we had googled! We did that 2 days in a row;/  House hunting is a full time job.... between searching for property, homes, modular/log homes,etc.... phew!

Tuesday morning, and then the rest of the week... we schooled:)


Bible
We are continuing to read through Psalms... one chapter at a time, finding clues that tell us more about God. The kids aren't picking up all the "clues" but I have to say that we're all learning... and it's great the conversations that come up !

On Friday, I got the idea to start reading through The Book of Virtues by WIlliam Bennet.... I feel like I drop the ball on intentionally teaching the kids about having good character, morals and faith! Teachable moments come up all the time, and I attempt to seize the moment... but taking moments to read a poem or short story that teaches us about good virtues would be a great way to start:) BTW... the kids loved the story:)

Language Arts
Anna is loving First Language Lessons #3... I mean LOVE it... she asks to do lessons!! So I think she's done 4 lessons this week! She's been working hard on Spelling Power... neither of us are sure we like it, and I"m not sure we're even doing it right :/  She's been reading children's versions of Shakespeare plays and a Romona book by Beverly Clearly!

Lydia and Chris did two grammar lessons. Chris missed out on spelling b/c of my lack of planning... although he learned a new set of words during his reading lessons and I noticed he was trying to read and spelling them afterwards!  Lydia is still working on her color words... she'll finish this week! Both completed a few reading lessons... Lydia more than Chris... she's a motivated little kiddo!

Math
Everyone worked hard on math...
Anna's lessons are starting off WAY too easy! She's zooming through each lesson, nice for the confidence level though:)

Chris and Lydia completed a couple lessons a piece! And both got to make pictographs this week;)

And Lydia worked on Left and Right:)

It's always fun to have some hands-on lesson;)

History
We continued with the Elizabethian period by studying some about Shakespeare! The kids really enjoyed reading simplified versions of MacBeth and Twelfth Knight. We also read about staged sward fights... Chris was really into that:)

Science
The Chemistry experiments in Adventures with Atoms and Molecules are super simple!!

I'm hoping to add some more reading into our science days, but the kids really have enjoyed the experiments!

This week we put a little bit of vanilla and mint extract in some balloons and blew them up. The kids could smell the extracts in the balloons...
meaning that the molecules of the extract had "come through" the balloon! Simple but important concept!!



Momma's Thoughts on the Week


We are still not "into" our schedule!! I have found it's VERY hard to school in the schoolroom while Nate is awake... he wants to be right with us... into everything :) So I'm going to have to rethink the schedule, start school later or pick the activities that can be done with him outside of the schoolroom:)

I know that I'm soo distracted by housing hunting and moving. We're in the early stages with no where to go yet... but I'm really having to discipline my mind NOT to be consumed with the hunt and all the decisions to be made. Brian and I are also staying up at night WAY too late... in the quiet we look over floor plans, available lots or the next night homes for sale and their location!

Picture of the Week Nate meeting our neighbors' new cat....
Nate loves animals. He'll get really close and then stop and be afraid of petting them;)