Done.

kitchen

Hello, hello! I have so missed being here and interacting with y'all! It's been a long three months and I am so happy to finally say...the house is on the market! We are finished with projects! (Well, almost...we're finished with projects on our house, but not our neighbor's...more on that later.) The house is clean. Every closet cleaned out. The yard cut and edged with fresh straw. And it's been a looooooong time coming! At least it feels that way.

master bath 

Looking at these pictures almost makes me shudder. I am so thankful not to be there, doing all of that. Living life in the midst of it.

upstairs guest room

We've been in survival mode. Only. We didn't even go to church for a month. We sent our kids with our dear neighbors. Word was out - our ox was in a serious ditch!

 upstairs bath

Last night I fell asleep on the sofa around 6 and moved to the bed, literally turning out the lights for the night at 8:30 and sleeping heavily until 6:45 this morning.

  upstairs bath

We pulled one all nighter...that night I composed a little poem in my head...er...the beginning of one...

"Twas the night before inspection, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, except me and my spouse.
We hammered, we painted, and with love we did care,
In hopes that a buyer soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of their parents playing with them danced in their heads.
And mamma in her paint pants and daddy in his ball cap,
Were busting it hard knowing they'd not even get a nap.

When in the library there arose such a clatter,
The Engineer sprang from his ladder to see what was the matter.
Away to the den he flew like a flash,
Twas only his wife, lost her balance on the neighbor's old step stool and made a great clash.

The moon was on the breast of the new fallen snow mosquitos
While the weary workers were snacking on bud light and fritos.
When, what to my exhausted eyes should appear,
But a gray diesel truck and lights flickering in the house just near.

It went downhill from there...all that to say, there's nothing like bud light and chips and salsa in the early morning hours while you watch your neighbor 's kitchen lights flicker on and then you see him drive past and realize the rest of the world is drinking coffee. 'Cause it's morning!

 life

8:30 came and our realtor knocked on the door and we were still sweeping up the last piles of debris. We were greasy and smelly and he looked at us like we'd lost our minds. He asked if we shouldn't just wait another week? We told him definitely, "NO!" We had to finish. The madness had to end.

 kitchen

The stress levels around here have been high. Like, HIGH. We've had some really awesome fights. Lot's of "I'm sorries" and lots of just swallowing pride and dealing, helping, going, doing.

 back of house

The children were with the grands when we pulled that all nighter. Thank goodness. We had a sweet college student staying with us then, too. She worked until 11 that night. All hands on deck! There was just a lot of detail work to complete.

 The Engineer in action

But it's all over now and the house is beautiful and I'd love to stay here forever and ever. But...I am excited about what God has for our little fam. And we are praying for the future owner(s) of our home - praying that it will be a blessing to them like it has been to us. Praying that they will love it here. That this little home will be a safe haven from the cares of this world...an oasis in the desert.

 A little mo action

They'll certainly have more yard than we've ever had. (that's the garage above...)

 happy girl

We are all just happy. Happy, happy, happy to be where we are. Happy to be a family. Happy our dining room table isn't covered with paint cans. Happy strangers aren't in and out of our home all day every day. 

Now I've just got to manage homeschooling and keeping the house spotless and Little Bit missing lots of naps while we are out for potential buyers to walk through. YAY!!! What a fantastic problem to have. 

I hope you're are all well. I've missed you lots. I'm glad to be back. And I'm thankful for you!

PS It's been a hard day in terms of missing our little one. I look down at my belly, and there's no baby there. And my children keep telling me I look "a little bit pregnant" and asking if I am. I came across pictures today of me, pregnant with baby, and my heart sank. And I longed for our little one and my dreams for baby flashed across my heart and the tears, they came. And it all happened moments before we had a caravan of realtors walking through our home. My eyes were red and swollen. I was embarrassed. Yet, try as I might, I couldn't get it together. And I keep learning of friends expecting. And when I hear that "so and so is pregnant", in my head I hear "and I'm not." I'm so happy for them. I really am. And I know to stop and thank God for that baby or my heart will harden. It just hurts. Deep. 

I've been listening to this song again and again, loving this, because I know that He is good. I know that He uses the pain, the tears, the sleepless nights (which by His grace haven't been too plentiful). I know He is so merciful. So gracious. And I love Him. And more than that, I know He loves me. And I know He is good. And sovereign. And I rest in that. (the verses below are my favs)

Blessings by Laura Story

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears?

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is the revealing of a greater thirst

This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise?

Blessings to you, sweet friends.