1000 Gifts: A whirlwind few weeks of life changing decisions and experiences

I haven't had much time for blogging lately, but I hope to resume soon as I have so much exciting news and fun thoughts to share.  Since my last post, the following events have transpired:

• My husband's parents and beautiful niece from Oklahoma came to visit. Having them here was gift #311 on my 1000 gifts list.

• While his folks were here, we gave an impromptu little music concert.

• We cleaned the house from top to bottom in preparation for listing it on the MLS again even though we were content to stay here and had already spent a lot of money on curriculum and re-enrollment fees for the kids' school near our current home but no where near our target location.  Listing our house on the MLS is our yearly "fleece" unto the Lord.  We put it out there with no anticipation of having it sell until He is ready to lead us out of this place.

Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. (Exodus 33:15)

• My husband and I traveled to Ireland for 8 days to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary and 40 years of earthly existence for each of us. That trip was filled with gifts from God, but I'll consider the sheer opportunity to go as gift #312.  Expect more on this trip in future posts.
• Meanwhile, the kids enjoyed a trip to the beach with their grandparents from Oklahoma (Gift #313) whom they don't get to see nearly enough followed by two nights with Nana & Pops (Gift #314). 

 

• While at the beach, our son lost tooth #4 which is appropriate since our daughter also lost a tooth while at the beach with Grandma and Grandpa.  Apparently, the tooth fairy pays more at the beach because our son said he got paid twice (and more money than he gets at home with each payment) for that tooth.  I'm so glad Grandma and Grandpa were able to notify the tooth fairy in our absence. (Gift #315)

• Much to our surprise, the weather was perfectly gorgeous, sunny and warm (no rain) in Ireland during our trip even though it supposedly "always rainy and cold" there (#316).  However, the weather at the beach was unusually stormy with even a few tornadoes which my in-laws had assumed they had left behind in Oklahoma.

• While staying with my parents for the weekend, our high maintenance daughter had the following conversation with my mother:

9-year-old:                I want to go on a real vacation.
Nana:                       What about all those trips to the beach?*
9-year-old:               No, I mean a REAL vacation..like to ITALY!

(*Plus 1-3 trips to Oklahoma per year, several trips to Disney World, Williamsburg, etc.)

• Two days before our trip, I threw my back out worse than ever before...yes even after all my previous posts announcing my miraculous healing. My doctor says I'm like a finely tuned race car with a high sensitivity to small subluxations instead of adapting to them which would be much worse for my spine in the long term. Still...this increased pain level stinks.  For two nights, I don't think I ever fell asleep at all because the pain was so severe, and since it was during a weekend, my doctor could not help me, nor would anyone on his staff answer my calls to their emergency hotline, so I scheduled an appointment with him on our way to the airport Monday morning which provided a little (not total) relief. I'm so thankful I could get in on such short notice. (Gift #317)
• During our flight to Ireland, we had our first home showing of the year (after 5+ years of attempting to sell it on/off) and that showing resulted in an offer to purchase contract (#318) which the buyers actually signed this time! (#319)
• While in Ireland, between sight seeing trips, we negotiated the contract, signed it, and began looking at homes for sale on-line as we realized we would actually be homeless in a month.
• Our trip was quite an adventure, but the nights were largely sleepless because that's when I had enough downtime to process the housing situations and myriad of life changing decisions before us.
• We flew home to a rough spell of jet lag, more sleepless nights, and a frenzy of home sale activities.
• We completed 4 different inspections (one lasting over five hours), passed the appraisal, and filed due diligence paperwork.
• After searching all over the county for a house to buy only to be shocked by the exorbitant inflation in home prices since this very recent real estate boom commenced a few weeks prior.
• We gave up and decided to build.
• We secured a lot, selected a house plan and all structural changes, and signed a contract with a builder.
• During the four days following our signing of the build contract, we watched mortgage interest rates climb a full percentage point, the largest increase in at least three years.
• So we went ahead and paid extra to lock in a long term rate before rates went even higher even though this lock-in rate was much higher than we ever anticipated when we decided on how much house to build. We are praying for the opportunity to float down later.
• We hunted all over for temporary housing only to discover that rental homes require a one year lease, and short term apartments less than 1/3 the size of our current home rent at prices over double our current mortgage at 15-year amortization.  Then when I considered how much we are losing on the sale of the home, I realized we could have rented out an entire apartment complex during those years and still come out better, so rent prices didn't seem so bad anymore.
• We finally found a small apartment that would allow our bunny (if we kept him in a cage) and give us a 3 month lease at only 50% more than our current mortgage with POD storage fees bringing us pack to double our regular payments.  (Gift #320)
• Our bunny had to be neutered to live in the apartment (hormonal bucks spray to mark their territory and are difficult to litter train), so that surgery was completed this past Friday.
• Unfortunately, he was the most well-endowed bunny possible, and his breeder who boarded him for us while we were away determined that he was a 10+ on the hormonal scale from 1 to 10.  She keeps around 100 bunnies at any given time, so she knows! For that reason, the surgery was a much bigger deal for him than for most, and he is still ridiculously swollen, on pain meds and antibiotics, and in need of much attention.  He's still a little feisty and super smart, always finding a way to get out of that cone, so we took him with us to sign the apartment lease yesterday where we could make sure he didn't wiggle out of his cone and mess with the incisions again.
  

  

  Coming home after surgery

  

  True love is holding an iced gel pack on your bunny's privates to help the swelling go down.

• Even though he loves his hutch, we bought him an inside cage with bedding to live in while we reside in the apartment. He's much calmer now and seems to really enjoy being inside, especially on these hot and humid days.
• The kids started gymnastics at a fabulous Christian gymnastics center where the motto is, "We pray first".  This gym offers a full boys program from kindergarten through competitive high school which our boy loves, and our girl is on a competitive team.  It will be so very hard to leave this wonderful gym next month, as there isn't anything quite like it anywhere near where we will be moving.
• The kids also started golf lessons with a fabulous coach (who has an awesome Caribbean accent) in a location near our next home. (Gift #321)  Our daughter doesn't love golf, but she has a great swing with impressive power.  She was born into a golfing family, so she will at least learn to play, but we won't make her stick with it if she doesn't love it.  Our son seems to enjoy it more and has good balance and form.

 

• We decided to transfer our kids from their current school to the private Christian classical school near our next home despite the fact that all the fees we already paid to their former school are nonrefundable.
• I completed approximately 30 pages of application materials and requested references from pastors, teachers, etc. for both kids although they currently only have room for our daughter.
• We decided to homeschool our son until a spot opens up for him, and he miraculously agreed without any complaints whatsoever. (Gift #322)
• We collected report cards, EOG scores, and texts from their former school and said our goodbyes to former teachers and administrators.
• I delivered all the PE and Field Day equipment I had been storing for the home school classes I had been teaching and tried not to be too disappointed that I will not be able to teach those classes in the future due the new school schedule and location of our next home.
• We scheduled screening interviews for the kids at the new school and are praying through all those school related decisions, changes, etc.
• We chuckled over our daughter's first initial reaction to transferring to this school:

"I don't want to go to that fancy rich school.  I like my simple school in the country!"

• We marveled at her ready willingness to change schools even though it will require her to leave her favorite teacher and her best friends at the school, She cries rivers of tears over whenever she must leave this school for Christmas, spring, or summer break, so to be so willing to leave it permanently is miraculous! (#323)
• I have praised God for the kids' helpful and optimistic attitudes over these changes.  They have been troopers and are handling the changes better than I ever imagined even though they are leaving the only home they ever really knew.  (#324)
• I was most concerned about how my daughter would react to all these changes, and all glory to God, she has responded by giving Him praise. (#325)  I have been finding praise & worship tunes scribbled out on scrap paper throughout the house. Some she is composing tunes to the songs on the piano or guitar.  Here's one as an example that she has entitled "What If".

What if it didn't rain?
What if the earth dried?
Where would you be?

Chorus:
Over me healing me through
Showing me the way.
A mighty God!
Creator of all things. (2x)

What if God is holy?
What if He is mighty and merciful?
What if He is loving and caring, saving me?

(repeat chorus)

I love God. He loves me
Saving me, helping me through."
(repeat chorus)

• I realized that we have lived in this house for seven years, which is longer than either my husband or I has lived in any other home or apartment except for our childhood homes.  Ironically, we have been trying to sell this house for over five of those seven years, but I am thankful for that stability knowing full well how often others have to move or how frequently we would have moved if my husband had remained in the military. (Gift #326) 
• We have begun giving away clothing, toys, furniture and trying to sell some of the larger items, and I have been reminded that there is great joy in giving that outweighs any return from selling. (Gift #327)
• I enrolled our son into the home school class at LAMBS so I can continue with the Bible study fellowship that means so much to me.  What a miracle it is that they actually had room for him this far past the enrollment deadline. (#328)
• God has been so faithful to give me just the encouragement I need at just the right time through Scriptures (like Matthew 6:33) the Spirit brings to mind, daily quiet time and Bible study, inspirational blogs, sermons and classes.  It's simply amazing how all those lessons tie in perfectly with each other to speak directly to the deepest needs of my heart during this period of great change.  (#329)
• We've interviewed moving companies and selected one to help us move.
• I have schedule the first POD to be delivered next weekend.
• My husband has assembled boxes, and everyone has begun packing.
• We traveled to my hometown to celebrate my father's 72nd birthday (Gift #330) and Father's Day.
• I feel so incredibly blessed to have  such a dedicated, giving, supportive father.  (#331)  

• My husband has turned out to be an even more amazing father than I ever dreamed my kids could have.   (#332)
• Today as our family drove to another softball game for our son only to have it rained out yet again, I made the following observation:

You know that man who makes his son suit up for the game even though it's pouring outside? He makes sure his son shows up for every game even though he knows this particular game will eventually be cancelled just like 70% of the other games have this year.  That dad..the one who waits in the parking lot with his family as the rain hammers down with another system moving in behind it...continues to stay until everyone..even the coaches..have left before giving up and heading back home. Some may consider him stubborn or foolish, but he is truly wise, for he is teaching his son the meaning of commitment and faithfulness to his word and to his team no matter what storms of life may come. I'm so glad I married that man! (#333)