Well for some reason I have been slacking in the photo department, and for now all I have is text, so here goes. I will attempt to make it short and sweet and if I get lucky, I will even add in the link to the house we just bought.
Which brings me to the news that that pipe dream of a property we were hoping to bid on is ours. We finally got approval for this loan on Thursday, the day we were hoping to get out to the farm once and for all. By the time I got to the realtor's office, there were 2 offers on the table and one other one coming in besides mine. Unfortunately that led us to offer over the asking price, much to our dismay, but we still ended up getting it for a deal. The people counter offered and by then we were at the farm. Only at the farm do places close up around noon so when we needed to print something to sign and fax to the realtor, not only could we not find a place that was open, but we also couldn't find a place with computer services and a fax machine. Only at the farm do you have to go to the grocery store to use a fax machine. Funny!
So we have a house that needs work, but I am so excited about it! When it is all done, whenever that is, It will have almost doubled in value, according to the area it is in. That will be awfully tempting to cash in on, but I love the area and am tired of moving. It is an area we could NEVER afford to be in at full price, the home owner amenities are fantastic and the school system, should we choose to go public, is supposed to be the best in the area! Thank you God for making this impossible thing happen. I am so undeserving but am excited to use the gifts you have given us to glorify you!!!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Faith
So maybe this particular house thing isn't going to happen. It looks like we cannot get a conventional loan because of the shape the house is in and the only other option they are accepting is cash, and we can only come up with 1/3 the cash until we can get the mortgage...we need a rather large, temporary, personal loan. Sure, like that happens every day.
I talked with my grandpa today and it is always refreshing to do that. I was just discussing how it is in my nature to "DO." By that I mean that I am an able bodied young woman and when I see something that needs to get done, even if it's impossible financing for a home that I really want, I do all I can to make it happen. I went so far as to write a letter to the sellers today, explaining where we are coming from and basically asking them to consider us, even though they were burned by someone on the house already, etc. This time around, there is nothing I can do. I have to wait. I have to be patient. I have to wait and see if this is something that God will work out for me. He may not see fit for us to live there.
I am learning to trust wholeheartedly that NOTHING is too big for God. Nothing. I tend to limit Him so much and I am ashamed of that. Why do I put the Almighty in a box and ask Him to come out only when I am requesting something I believe can happen, but on something like this house, as impossible as it humanly is for us to get money when there are people out there with the kind of cash we need in their own accounts, why don't I have faith that He can make this happen? I don't mean to say that we will get this house if I believe God can do it. He can do it whether I believe or not. The point here is that I put limits on limitless God and I am grateful to be learning not to do that, even if it is taking all my energy to do so! Here I am looking at a possible "forever" home for our family and God simply sees it as a way to show me where I lack in my faith. Thank you, God!
I talked with my grandpa today and it is always refreshing to do that. I was just discussing how it is in my nature to "DO." By that I mean that I am an able bodied young woman and when I see something that needs to get done, even if it's impossible financing for a home that I really want, I do all I can to make it happen. I went so far as to write a letter to the sellers today, explaining where we are coming from and basically asking them to consider us, even though they were burned by someone on the house already, etc. This time around, there is nothing I can do. I have to wait. I have to be patient. I have to wait and see if this is something that God will work out for me. He may not see fit for us to live there.
I am learning to trust wholeheartedly that NOTHING is too big for God. Nothing. I tend to limit Him so much and I am ashamed of that. Why do I put the Almighty in a box and ask Him to come out only when I am requesting something I believe can happen, but on something like this house, as impossible as it humanly is for us to get money when there are people out there with the kind of cash we need in their own accounts, why don't I have faith that He can make this happen? I don't mean to say that we will get this house if I believe God can do it. He can do it whether I believe or not. The point here is that I put limits on limitless God and I am grateful to be learning not to do that, even if it is taking all my energy to do so! Here I am looking at a possible "forever" home for our family and God simply sees it as a way to show me where I lack in my faith. Thank you, God!
Kevin...our medicine of laughter at the end of the day.
It has been busy for us lately. And crazy. And stressful (I think). And trying. And tiring. And exciting. And adventurous. And fun. And I'm sure a slew of other adjectives, but due to the aforementioned adjectives, my mind cannot think of other ones. Just know it has been a different time in our lives.
Many of you know that when we sold our beautiful 1945 Cape Cod home in Merrillville almost 7 years ago, we intended to be in the house business. We wanted to build a house, live in it for a couple of years and then sell it to do it all over again in the hopes of working down our mortgage. That was when we had 2 kids. Now we have 5 kids and the same dream of working down a mortgage, but the economy and medical bills and the simple cost of kids has kind of halted our progress in that area....mostly the housing economy. Humphf.
Still, we sit at another crossroad of sorts having just sold our home again. We are [technically] living at the farm now and initially had no intention of looking for a house all summer. However, we have found a house in the most unexpected area. Actually, we didn't find the house. A family friend told us about it a couple months ago, but the house was already marked as sold, so I wrote it off. The other day I was looking at houses online again and accidentally did a search I didn't intend to do and this house showed up and it was active again. We were looking at the best house (a fixer-upper) in the worst neighborhood. Now we are looking at a fixer-upper in the best neighborhood.
We don't know if the house is going to be ours or not, but we are praying for wisdom in this area. If we get the house, this could be our forever home. It is also priced at well over $100,000 under the neighborhood comps, so we also have a good investment, should the housing market bounce back up. God knows what's going on. We don't. We are praying! Feel free to do the same if you think about it.
The other thing we are doing is getting a new [to us] vehicle. Tim's grandma passed away on tax day, of all days (one thing to smile about) and she left us "a little something" that we are splitting between a house and a car. It's quite a sucky way to get a new car, but we are thankful and wanted to use the gift as wisely as possible. Tim may be flying out to Mannassas, VA this weekend to pick up a 2005 9 passenger Suburban with 38,000 miles. It is a fabulous truck and I can't say as I am not excited!!!
We have never had so many decisions to make in one week, much less decisions of this importance, but again, we are praying for wisdom and plain ol' divine intervention if necessary, so feel free to pray to that end along with us. In all of this I also lost my voice for a week and we have been waiting for our house to close. We are now on our 3rd closing date. Grrr. Thankfully we have a dog who brings us something to laugh at when the kids are in bed and have already come to the bedroom door 5 times [at least] for one reason or another. He is sound asleep and was snoring, but oh, what a site for weary, haven't laughed all month (maybe not that long) eyes!
Many of you know that when we sold our beautiful 1945 Cape Cod home in Merrillville almost 7 years ago, we intended to be in the house business. We wanted to build a house, live in it for a couple of years and then sell it to do it all over again in the hopes of working down our mortgage. That was when we had 2 kids. Now we have 5 kids and the same dream of working down a mortgage, but the economy and medical bills and the simple cost of kids has kind of halted our progress in that area....mostly the housing economy. Humphf.
Still, we sit at another crossroad of sorts having just sold our home again. We are [technically] living at the farm now and initially had no intention of looking for a house all summer. However, we have found a house in the most unexpected area. Actually, we didn't find the house. A family friend told us about it a couple months ago, but the house was already marked as sold, so I wrote it off. The other day I was looking at houses online again and accidentally did a search I didn't intend to do and this house showed up and it was active again. We were looking at the best house (a fixer-upper) in the worst neighborhood. Now we are looking at a fixer-upper in the best neighborhood.
We don't know if the house is going to be ours or not, but we are praying for wisdom in this area. If we get the house, this could be our forever home. It is also priced at well over $100,000 under the neighborhood comps, so we also have a good investment, should the housing market bounce back up. God knows what's going on. We don't. We are praying! Feel free to do the same if you think about it.
The other thing we are doing is getting a new [to us] vehicle. Tim's grandma passed away on tax day, of all days (one thing to smile about) and she left us "a little something" that we are splitting between a house and a car. It's quite a sucky way to get a new car, but we are thankful and wanted to use the gift as wisely as possible. Tim may be flying out to Mannassas, VA this weekend to pick up a 2005 9 passenger Suburban with 38,000 miles. It is a fabulous truck and I can't say as I am not excited!!!
We have never had so many decisions to make in one week, much less decisions of this importance, but again, we are praying for wisdom and plain ol' divine intervention if necessary, so feel free to pray to that end along with us. In all of this I also lost my voice for a week and we have been waiting for our house to close. We are now on our 3rd closing date. Grrr. Thankfully we have a dog who brings us something to laugh at when the kids are in bed and have already come to the bedroom door 5 times [at least] for one reason or another. He is sound asleep and was snoring, but oh, what a site for weary, haven't laughed all month (maybe not that long) eyes!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Sneaky little someone...but who?
I have been noticing lately that I can't find my wooden spoons. I had at least half a dozen or more and it seemed like they disappeared over night, but I thought nothing of it. Well, being that we are moving, I was in the girl's room packing up when I decided to pull back their dresser. This is what I found.
Much to my surprise and laughter I saw 6 spoons lying all together, nice and sweetly on the floor. Why would anyone want to hide my wooden spoons? Perhaps because they double as spanking spoons. There was a sneaky little someone, but who? My guess is Titus as he rendezvous with the spoons most often. I don't suspect I will ever find out for sure.
Micah...sweet little Micah Joy.
Somewhere along the way (like in the womb) each of my girls developed a DNA strand that draws them to shoes. Ever since they could reach a shoe, it was on their foot. It doesn't have to fit. It doesn't have to be theirs. It doesn't even have to be a girl's shoe. It just needs to belong on the foot and they'd put it on.
With that, we were at a friend's house the other day and Micah found these plastic dress up shoes and wore them all throughout the house, even though they were too big and she almost broke her ankles at least twice. They ended up giving her the shoes and she wore them the rest of the day and then again today.
She came downstairs and walked into the kitchen (wielding a can of Pringles) and said "Is this okay?"
Not one to miss a good blogging opportunity, I laughed and got my camera to snap this shot before I told her no, it was not OK to wear slippers to the store.
Knowing full well what I wanted her to do, Micah decides to come downstairs wearing Eden's pink "Dorothy" shoes, a good 5 sizes too big and asks again, "Is this okay?" then flashes me a cheesy grin.
I snapped another picture and then sent her off to get her crocs. Once she got them on, Imelda was finally ready to go to the store. Oh my Micah. My sweet little Micah Joy.
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