The bad part is that Chris had scheduled days off this week (Tuesday through Friday) because we thought we would be moving & Nathan starts school on Monday.  We got him registered on Tuesday and if he wants to be in the GT class, then he’s got to go over tomorrow morning to take the Calallen GT test - which would be perfect timing if we could close tomorrow.  But I don’t make the rules.  We have poked and prodded almost everyone to speed this process up - inspectors, lenders, employers, the VA - everyone has done their very best at making things happen so quickly so that Nathan could start school on Monday & thank goodness they will still let him even if we technically don’t ‘live’ there yet. 

We also have our new  bedroom furniture coming today - which by the grace of God we found an awesome seven piece cherry wood bedroom set on ebay (brand new) for under $1500!!!  Free shipping, and if when it gets here we don’t like it or it’s damaged, we can send it back no questions asked!  So - when it gets here this afternoon, we’ll see how good it really is - the pictures looked beautiful though.  So things are really rolling along, and I know that God will work all things together for good!  It’s just the patience that I need to work on.  Chris laughed out loud at me last night.  He and Nathan went fishing and caught a bunch of fish - which of course they wanted to fry and eat for dinner.  Whitley had a little evening cat nap and Gracyn was outside, so for the first time all day, I really didn’t have much to do, so I was sitting down at the table making a list of groceries and supplies that we would need to move into the house and I guess I was tapping my leg and the pencil and strumming my finges on the table when Chris came over and told me - it’s gonna happen…. just relax!  And that’s the hard part right now - knowing that all of this work and money and time that we have spent filling our papers, and building our credit and saving our money (which is now mostly gone to appraisors, and inspectors, and termite guys, and gas on trips over there) is all in someone else’s hands.  And I don’t understand what exactly it is that they are doing - everything is done - they’ve said everything looks great.  Our lender told us that it was an automatic approval - so I’m sitting here waiting for the underwriter’s to underwrite what?  I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!!!!  IT’S KILLIN ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  breathe… relax…. but really…. I can’t stand it….  I’ve got to go find something to do today to get my mind off of this.  I don’t know what though???/

We have decided to keep him enrolled in school at Flour Bluff instead of putting him in Rockport….  I know that this sounds confusing, but wait - we ARE still moving to Calallen.  We just aren’t there yet and we feel like instead of pulling him out of a familiar school and putting him in Rockport for a few days or even possibly a week or two (depending on when we close) that it would be better to leave him in Flour Bluff for a little while instead of having him all over the place.  That way if we are not in Calallen by the first day of school, at least he won’t have two brand new places to deal with.  (All depending on Sylvia and Randell letting us use them for their address of course).

So what do we have left to do?  Well, inspections today, then after inspections, the lender will order an appraisal.  After the appraisal, we will have some papers concerning the loan, after the papers, I’m guessing is closing.  And somewhere in there, we’ve got to pack up the things that are here at my moms, but leave what we need out cause we don’t know when we will be closing, get a UHAUL and move our stuff from storage, have a garage sale, be in a wedding, meet my mom’s fiance, take Nathan school shopping, get bedroom furniture, pick up couches from Sylvia and Randell (which I am pumped up about!),  and all hopefully before the 25th of August - first day of school!!  God, please help me!

This whole process has really caused a strain - kids, marriage, everything and everyone seems to be at a higher level of tension and stress.  So we have reached an agreement and have a new contract on a brand new house!!!  We are in the process of getting some inspectors to come and take a look and then we will move forward with our lender from there and hopefully close before school starts.

Here are a few pictures - like I said earlier - this house is truly a gift from God who is able to do immeasurable more than I could ever ask or imagine - when you see the pictures you will understand why that verse is so true:

See what I mean???  It is beautiful - ready to move in - and absolutely HUGE!!!  I will certainly keep everyone updated as we progress.  Like I said - we DO have a contract on this house right now and are due to get inspectors next week during our option period.  We do not have a closing day scheduled yet - but school starts on the 25th and we are really hoping it will be before then.  Isn’t the kitchen fabulous!!!!

I was laying in bed last night remembering how much we laughed while we were playing this, and as I was reviewing the past few days’ events with house hunting, it dawned on me that this is probably what we look like to God about now.  We have made yet ANOTHER offer on ANOTHER house.  This one is very close to the very first house that we found and the people who live there are pregnant with their fifth baby - so you would think that they would want to get on out ~ however, we can’t seem to reach a purchase agreement, in part because we really need the seller’s to pay all of our closing costs.  If we did not need a washer/dryer, a fridge, and a bed, then paying a good chunk of the closing would not be a problem, and because this house is at the top of our price range, it is not leaving us a lot of wiggle room to roll anything in.  So, they are going to have to realize that if they want to sell their house now, and to us, then we can’t pay closing because we need a fridge and somewhere to sleep.

I know that things are going to work out in the end, no matter where we go, I am super confident that we will not settle for a house that we don’t absolutely love, but in the past month I have tried so hard to listen to God and listen to where he is trying to tell us to go.  And in trying to get inside of his will, I have felt like we have been playing that game.  We’ll get close to reaching an agreement on a house and I think I hear God saying warmer, warmer, hotter - but then all of a sudden he shouts COLD COLD!  And then we turn around and walk away and have to start all over.  And like Gracyn, we are kind of getting frustrated.  But unlike Gracyn, we are determined not to through a fit and quit.  So even though He has hidden the prize so well, we know that we are going to be ecstatic when  we find it, but we are having a hard time getting through the game.

So, as of right now, we’re still waiting.  We’re on like a counter to the counter to the counter offer - I don’t even know anymore.  We made our last counter on this house last night.  We should hear back from them today, and if they say no - then we will start all over with the house that is next on our list.  And that’s ok.  I am just starting to wonder what to do about Nathan starting school.  Do I go ahead and enroll him in Rockport?  Or do I wait?  So frustrating.  It is looking less and less likely that we will be in Calallen by Aug. 25th when they start school - but God is good and faithful and He is able to do immeasurably more than I could ever imagine - so I am still hopeful.   So we press on - what else is there???

Did she really peg her jeans?  I don’t care how cool she makes this look - you could not pay me enough money to tuck and roll my jeans.  This brings back way too many memories from 7th grade.  I thought it was written into fashion law that this could only be done if you were wearing a pair of Z Cavarichis (or maybe Pepes).

For those of you who have asked - I don’t have an address or phone number, but I’m working on it.  If you want to send gifts, they are at the Lower Keys Medical Center in Key West, Florida

ok, here is the address and phone number -

Lower Keys Medical Center