After 4 years of me asking (or maybe begging) Roy for a new house, he said yes. I wanted more space for our growing family to work, play, learn, explore and entertain. We started getting our house ready to sell mid February. We replaced a few doors, got new carpet in the living room, Roy power washed the exterior of the house, I packed up lots of toys and kitchen stuff to help open up/clear out some space, repainted a hallway ceiling, did touch up paint around the entire house and did a deep clean. Thanks to Mimi for having the kids for the weekend so we could work on getting the house ready. We listed our house through FSBO Homes (For Sale By Owner Homes) and they came in and took professional pictures. Our home went online March 3 and we sold it on March 11. Thanks to Nana Sue for showing our home to the future owners while we were out of town. We figured our home would sell quick and we are thankful how God brought the right couple to our front door, who said the house was “just perfect” for them. We were on our trip to Arizona when it sold so upon our arrival home we were eager to begin the house search.
In an attempt to document the events and happenings of our house search, but yet not overshare all the details, I made a list of gifts/blessings to give God the glory for His faithfulness and provision along the way.
*Our relator Ingrid (former coworker of mine) was such a blessing. She was patience with us, checked in with us often, led and encouraged us during our search.
*Roy’s work schedule is so incredibly flexible and he was able to join us for every showing (except one), no matter what time of day it was.
*Friends helped out with our kids from time to time so we didn’t need to drag them along to every showing.
*The blessing of the internet and the ability to look at homes any time of day and from almost anywhere.
*The prayers, support and listening ears of so many.
*God closing and opening doors to direct us to the right house at the right time.
*I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit’s prompting and affirmation.
*A text from a friend making this home come to our attention.
*A friend stopping by at just the right time with a hug, a bag of chocolates, a bowl of fruit and 30 minutes to stay and help pack.
*A text from a friend making this home come to our attention.
*A friend stopping by at just the right time with a hug, a bag of chocolates, a bowl of fruit and 30 minutes to stay and help pack.
*So many late night talks discussing, processing and evaluating with Roy.
*The muscles, sweat and servant hearts of many friends on moving day.
*Moving cost us basically nothing (boxes for free, 2 moving trucks for free, storing our stuff for the month for free).
*The generosity of our dear friends to share their unfinished basement to store all of our boxes for the month.
*We had two options for temporary housing, which gave us freedom to take our time in the house search, to find the right one, yet know we had a place to go after our house closing on May 25th.
*Discernment and clarity of family goals, finances and time.
*Roy’s parents opening their home to us for a month while we are in transition and helping us set up their basement as our temporary home.
*My mom making a full meal of food for the entire moving crew.
*Friends offering to host the kids for playdates so I could pack.
*Friends offering to host the kids for playdates so I could pack.
*My parents watching the kids for 4 days over the moving weekend so we could focus on the making the move and getting our space at Roy’s parents set up.
*Patience and perseverance along the journey, even when it seemed a bit hopeless that we would ever find a place.
*The chance to look at about 30 houses during our search, to educate ourselves so we could make an informed decision when the time came.
*The answers to prayer in our new space…4 bedrooms, finished basement, park close by, quiet neighborhood, 3 car garage, updates in the home, a “bonus room” for more space on the main level, established landscaping.
*The journey of knowing we didn’t need to find something perfect, but that would cross most of the things off of our wish list.
*Location closer to Roy’s work, our church and several friends.
I am so proud of Roy for all the extra work he did to sell our house by owner. He led the way and fielded all of the phone calls. What a great guy and a gifted leader.
Enjoying a picnic on the driveway on one of our last days together at the house.
We said good-bye to this tree. It was given to us as a wedding gift and we planted it shortly after our wedding. Look how it has grown, not totally straight I should note, yet proves to be a home for birds, a place of shade and an outward example of God's faithfulness.
Checking out "Pirate Park" by our new house for the first time.
We will be able to hop on the bike/walking trail system just minutes away from our house.
Hudson had a playdate with his buddy Thomas on a Friday morning so I could pack.
That same morning our friend Catherine came over to play with Greta (and she introduced her to the SnapChat app).
Playing with friends for the morning so Mommy could do a few errands and pack moving boxes.
The moving truck was available on Sunday, May 21st so it was declared Moving Day. We started around 1:00pm and Roy and I dropped the truck off just as it was getting dark Sunday night.
We had over 20 friends show up to help on moving day. What a blessing!
Our boxes filled up about half of their basement space and a lot of hands helped get them down there and make it all manageable.
The 2nd load ready to go out to Nana and Papa's house.
Feeding part of the moving crew after finishing their work.
My parents hosted the kids on moving weekend but I was excited to have them back.
Our last family photo on Westgate Drive.
God has been so faithful to us. I am forever grateful for this home and the many blessings of the 10 years we lived there. We filled its walls with songs of praise, lots of books, some tears, good food, celebrations and thousands of memories.
