Finally Home

 

We have finally moved into our new house.  By the grace of God, the paperwork somehow came through in time for us to close and get our keys last Monday.  How the funding was able to go through after the Fed closed and how the title lady had the willingness to stay late in order to get our documents put together on that rainy day I will never know.  Only God could work it out. Thank you God for answering our prayers.

We listed our home on May 16 and had the movers physically move us into our new home on July 16.  The entire process was a headache, nerve-racking, and an inconvenience to say the least.  Yet, it only lasted 2 months!  And now we are home!!!  (Can an Aggie somewhere give me a "whoop?"  I'm not an Aggie, but the whoop feels appropriate under the circumstances.)

During our first week in Derby House (doesn't every house need a name?) we've managed to unpack all but a couple of boxes, paint the laundry room, flood the laundry room twice, host a birthday party with the family, discover and fix a leak from our boys' bathroom, get the downstairs AC unit repaired, set up TV and internet, and actually eat home-cooked meals almost every night.  In addition, Dear Husband started his job with a new law firm and our oldest son turned 5.  Since we were kind of in the mood for change last week, we even upgraded our TVs and cell phones.  We kind of felt like we might as well rip the Band-aid off in one fell swoop and make as many changes as we could at the same time.

I cannot tell you how relieved I am that Dear Husband and I did not buy a house that needed "work."  I'm talking about the houses you see on HGTV where the new owners have to rip up floors, reconfigure kitchens, and update bathrooms.  People who buy project houses are amazing people.  I admire them and their accomplishments in transforming their homes.  But we are not these people.  We are both lawyers who know how to read and write and problem solve.  We are not handy.  We seriously considered buying a major project house, but common sense prevailed when we calculated the cost of contractors and subcontractors and inconvenience. 

So ultimately, we bought the barely lived in house--the couple who built it and owned it for the last 4 years didn't have kids! Thankfully, the only change that our house really needed was some color.  (Who really wants to live in a beige and brown house?)  The fact that our house only really needed paint is good, because the ONLY handy skills that Dear Husband and I possess involve a paint brush.  So, one of these days when we get our painting done, curtains hung, and furniture delivered, I'll share some pics.   Until then, there is more work to be done.  But at last, we're home!   

For those of you who might need my new address, feel free to shoot me an email or text and I will be happy to share my new contact information with you!!!

Mommy Got a Surprise!

 

What a surprise to find my Baby G standing up in her pack-n-play yesterday!  She's only 7 months old.  I'm not ready for her to become independently mobile quite yet.  And now I'm starting to have 2nd thoughts about the huge curved staircase in the house that I'm buying on Monday morning.  What have we gotten ourselves into?!

God is Handling the Details

If you decide that you want to do something where you pretty much have no control over the process, then try to buy or sell a house.  It won't take long to realize that nobody seems to really care about set dates--even when they're negotiated and in the contract-- and nobody seems to get the concept of good communication. Let me just say, that if I practiced law the way these bank and title folks work, I'd be disbarred.  I mean, how hard is it to meet a deadline?!  Or to return a phone call?!

Dear Husband and I are slated to close on both of our houses on Monday morning.  Only by the grace of God will this happen.  (I know, theologically speaking, only by the grace of God does anything happen.  But trust me, dealing with all these people would be 100% impossible without God.)

I've always heard the phrase that "God is in the details."  I just didn't really understand that phrase until now.  I totally get that God is in control.  But this entire real estate experience has demonstrated to me that not only is God in control of the entire process, but His timing is perfect for every single element of the process--as in every single piece of paper required for this to all go down.   He doesn't always allow things to get done a few days in advance (like lawyers prefer), but God always makes things happen when they're supposed to.  What a relief that He's in control and I'm not!

All I can do at this point is wait and trust that God is going to work it out.  I've packed all my boxes.  I've set up utilities for Monday morning.  I've booked my movers.  And I'm just letting God work it all out.  What a relief to know that He can do the impossible!

Oh Happy Day...

 

Music is a huge part of my life.  I've always loved music.  And more specifically, I've always loved church music--gospel music, hymns, praise songs, etc.  So it shouldn't be a huge shock to those who know me that I'm trying to make music a part of my children's lives too.

When many of my friends have asked me how I trained my kids to sleep through the night, they're often surprised when I say that I music-trained them.  Each child has had his or her favorite CD's of church music that I turned on each night as I tucked them into their cribs.  Within a day or 2, they would fall asleep to their music.  Or in some cases, they would sing themselves to sleep while they listened to their music.  So precious!

As the boys have gotten older I haven't done a great job continuing the church music exposure at home.  At night, they talk to each other before they sleep instead of listening to music.  In the car, I have historically forced them to listen to talk radio (as I am a political junky).  And at home, I just haven't been playing much music in the house.  It recently occurred to me that I really need to crank up the hymns and praise songs more when we move into our new house.  I'm even converting the designated "media" room in the house to a home music studio/fine arts room.  Doesn't every family need a sound-proof room to make music?  And doesn't every happy house need to have praise music flowing through it's halls on a daily basis? 

Anyway, despite my failures to promote musical awareness with my oldest children, last weekend I was pleasantly surprised.  As Dear Husband pulled into the church parking lot on Sunday morning, he said that our oldest son started singing Here I am to Worship.  Dear Husband was quite impressed! 

Our younger son also got our attention on Sunday night.  We overheard the boys playing in the room when the younger one started singing, "Oh happy day, happy day..."  As we heard him singing on key, Dear Husband and I gave each other those smug, we-are-such-awesome-parents-looks.  But then my 3 year old continued, "...happy day, when I washed my hands and rubbed them together..."  Okay, so he doesn't exactly understand the song.  He was close; but he missed the theology in its entirety.

What a good reminder for Mommy of something to work on at home.  We shouldn't leave the singing and praising God for just at church.  Wouldn't it be awesome if our homes were characterized by praise and worship on a daily basis too?!  I can't think of a better environment for raising a child.  And I think it's a great way to teach our children how to praise and worship God.

They're Starting to Get It

There's nothing more exciting than those moments when you discover that your child "gets it."  You know, those days when you overhear your child talking about God or praying when you're not around.  Lately, Dear Husband and I have been in awe of what God is doing in the life of our 4 year old.  Hallelujah!  What a change we're seeing in our formerly strong-willed son!

In addition to being very vocal about his faith lately, my son has also been on a spiritual high ever since his week at Vacation Bible School.  Not only has he been vary conscientious of his need to obey, but he's also been very quick to repent for those moments where, as he describes, "I had a dirty heart." 

It's been so fun to hear our oldest tell his little brother about the lessons that he's been learning. One night we even caught him teaching his brother the slogan that they learned at Bible school.  We overheard the two boys saying "Facing fears, trusting God" over and over again until the little one figured out the hand motions.  Later, as the boys were playing with their medieval castle and their knights, one of the boys told their daddy that the knight had just saved his wife, the Queen, from the Philistines.  My son quickly explained that the knight wasn't afraid of the Philistines, because he trusted God!  I was truly amazed at this statement.  Not only are my boys memorizing biblical truths, but they're even understanding the application of those truths.

In the midst of all the craziness that comes with moving, changing jobs (Dear Husband starts working for a new law firm on the same day that we close on our house), parenting, homeschooling, and everything else we do, it's so great to see that God is not only working in our lives.  He's also at work in the lives of our kids.   How awesome!

The Healthcare Surprise

 

I got a letter in the mail last weekend.  It shouldn't have been a shock, but I wasn't expecting this to actually happen so soon. 

My health insurance company is kicking the kids and me off of our plan.  Yep, no more group coverage through Aetna as of January 1.  Thank you President Obama.  That insurance that you told me I could keep is dropping not only my family, but their entire plan!  Aetna suggested that I seek individual coverage for myself come January.  But come on, by then no insurance company will be offering individual coverage. 

Thankfully, God is good.  My family still has the option of employer-based health insurance coverage.  So at least our entire family will be covered.  But what about everybody else?  What about those people who rely on plans like the one I've been on?  What's going to happen to them? Let's just say that U.S. healthcare is going to be a mess.  It's going to get expensive.  It's going to get ugly. 

I actually watched a legal continuing education course by some experts who couldn't even predict what's going to happen when the so-call "Affordable Healthcare Act" takes effect because there are so many rules and unknowns.  This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who watched the ridiculously huge health care bill get passed without having even been read.  Obamacare is the ultimate example of our political process gone completely wrong. 

All of those people who were told they were going to get to keep their plans and their doctors have been deceived.  The only thing we get to keep is government officials who are pushing garbage down our throats, illegals who are still crowding emergency departments, and high premiums and deductibles. 

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next 6 months.  Thankfully I was given a heads up about the change that's coming my way.  Please don't sit on your hands and wait around expecting to not feel anything come January 1st.  Change is coming whether you want it or not.

Mommy Overload

So much has been happening.  I've created a number blog posts in head lately, but my blogging can't seem to keep up with my brain.  At this point, I'm not even sure what to blog about.  I think I'm on Mommy overload.

Too much is going on and I'm having attention problems.  I've tried desperately to not sit and stare at the news for the last few days, but I can't help getting caught up in the Zimmerman trial.  (Despite terrible jokes, his lawyer is making an excellent case for self defense.)  I can't help tuning in to my radio to hear the latest and greatest about the feud between Governor Perry and Wendy Davis (Still can't figure out how she can argue that the Texas Bill is bad for women--it actually protects both women and babies!) I can't seem to stay off decorating websites and HGTV shows.  (Can you blame me?  I'm practically living out House Hunters in real life!)  And on top of all this, I'm packing up my house, planning my son's birthday party, working on some legal cases, keeping up with my 92 day New Testament read-thru, attempting to cook meals with half of my kitchen in boxes, planning out all the logistics of moving, and still trying to be kind to all those around me who seem to have an opinion about everything going on with my life despite it being none of their business. 

Okay, that may have sounded a little harsh.  The truth is that I'm not good at being micromanaged.  I like to figure things out on my own.  And when I want help, I ask for it.  Other than that, I like my space.  The problem with moving is that nobody gives you space and you are completely at the mercy of all other parties involved.  Plus, you get unsolicited advice and opinions from everyone and their brother about what you should or could do with regards to everything from setting up utilities to decorating the new house.

The combination of dealing with other people plus accomplishing everything that  I actually have to do are starting to get to me.  I have to keep envisioning myself in my happy place--standing on the street corner in Waikiki outside of the Coach and Tiffany's stores sipping a latte and listening to IZ's Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  And then I have to give myself the pep talk.  "Just 2 more weeks." 

In 2 weeks, the hard part will be over.  It will be like Finals Week in law school when you've taken your last final and can at least pretend to forget everything you've jammed inside your brain for the past semester.  That feeling of "I can finally relax because nothing is pressing or pending at this time."  Oh how Mommy can't wait to finally relax!  Just 2 more weeks.