Our home

I don't have any photos yet, but I wanted to give a little update on the home God provided for us. it was a long process (!!!) and we actually tried to get several other homes, but something weird always happened. (back taxes owed by owners or something that would take a really long time and make it difficult to buy it) In the end, we ended up with the perfect home for our family.

It amazes me to think that we "own" a home again. Well, I guess technically the bank does for quite a few years.......lol. We sold our home 9 years ago to go to seminary and then on to the mission field. I never dreamed we would one day be back and have a home of our own again. I guess it's a little bittersweet too, because the reality is that we're no longer on the field. We have a "new field" now and it's here in the States.

God gave us the perfect home. We have 5 children and one on the way (through adoption). You know how it is when you're looking---- you have your dream list of what you'd like a home to have and then the reality list. Well, this home hit pretty much everything on my dream list.

It's an older home with a central hallway floorplan, so it doesn't have a huge greatroom or walk-in closets or bathrooms with big soaker tubs or whirlpools...........but........
It is a 24 year old house that has been completely remodeled inside and out in the past 2-1/2 years. It has 5 bedrooms (!!!), 3-1/2 baths, a 2-car oversized garage, lots of storage, a finished basement, almost 2 acres of flat land that is cleared off and perfect for the kids, an above ground pool, a playset and partially fenced yard around that and the pool, and tons of room for parking. The kids love it! The street is a dead end and they can ride bikes or scooters outside safely.

The bedrooms are all "official" bedrooms because the 2 downstairs have windows and closets in them. The kitchen is beautiful and very modern. I have 14 drawers and 21 cabinets in the kitchen and counterspace on all 4 sides. Sam and I love to cook, so even he said that he wanted a kitchen with room to cook in it. He got his wish! I have a double oven too. woohoo!

There is plenty of room for our family to grow here. I imagine we will have lots of kids hanging out here over the years. We already had 2 parties and have tested it out. lol It's perfect for sleepovers!

Now that we have our home, we can finish our adoption home study and the last few things on our checklist. I wonder if Carmen will remember us? Speaking of "my girls"..... Marisol's family had to back out of her adoption process. She is so precious. I wish..........

It brought tears to my eyes when we actually got this house. I figured we would buy a fixer-upper and then take years to make it comfy. God is so good. He provided above and beyond anything I ever dreamed we would find.

Our church has been so wonderful. They even showered us with gifts. That was an embarrassing story all in itself, but it was a true blessing. (The people who organized it asked me to go register--- well, kind of more like, "it's in the bulletin that you're registered at these places". If you know me, that is so "un-me".) God has provided over and over the many needs we have had as we moved.

We did not bring our beds or living room furniture or anything like that back. It has been so neat to see how God has pieced that together for us. He has provided every single thing we need. Even the week we were moving, I was short one twin bed still. I had bought one for Meg from someone, but I knew I would have to replace the mattress eventually. The people we were buying the home from called our agent asking if we would be interested in 2 twin beds and a refrigerator they had in the basement. She asked how much and they said they just wanted to give them to us! When we got here, I wanted to cry. The mattresses and boxsprings were like new! I doubt their children used them long at all. And a 2nd refrigerator was not a true NEED, but definitely on my wishlist for down the road. It helps with a large family. I can keep extra milk and such around. yeah! God never ceases to amaze me.

There's more to the story but I won't bore you with it right now. Let's just say that over and over again, God continues to provide exactly what we NEED, exactly when we need it.

Now I'm praying for our adoption process. It's been kind of on the back burner during the housing hunt/delay. Now it's "real". We have to put down all of the money and make the major leap of faith and committment. I am praying for clarity and wisdom in our decisions so that we DO NOT DO anything that is NOT led by God. Would you pray for us in this process? It will be a small miracle to bring our princess home. It's been one of those things "in the future..." or "one day...." but now that day has come. We need to hurry with the process now to get her home this fall. The process is long for international adoptions and there is a lot of red tape. I'll give an update on that later.

Well, off to clean my new house.
(I guess the fun has to wear off sometime, right?)