The Really Nutty Part...

... about this upcoming move is the timing.

We close on our old house on December 12th.

We close on our new house on December 28th with a move-in date of sometime that first week of January.

Once again, thank the heavens above for friends!

Since I can't imagine imposing on my parents' home and sanity for an entire month, we will be moving out of our house on December 8th into the vacant house of our very good friends who just moved a month ago, and have not put their old house on the market yet. We will stay there for a week, and then pack up the ol' family van and journey to the Rockies for yet another beautiful Christmas in the mountains.

The kids are praying for snow.

Yikes.

Then, we journey back.... either to close on the new digs and spend another week or two in our temporary housing, or we close "remotely", stretch my parents' sanity, and zoom home in time to move.

Depends on the supply of kahlua up north.

:)

Sure, it would be super sweet if we could move into our new home right away, dumping our boxes and furniture and then heading out to a picturesque Christmas elsewhere. But that's not how it's going to be. That's not in God's plan this time around.

And since He's done a fantastic job on this whole transaction thus far, I think I should trust 'em on these little details.

And keep the Pinot stocked.

The New Nut-House

So, God is good. He found us a home. And He did it in an oh-so-obvious HELLO NUTMEG kind of way... while teaching me an important lesson.

It makes for a great story.

To start off, I have to explain: I am a private sort of person. I know, I blog, but there's blogging to write and blogging to reveal. I blog to write. It's a fine line, but there is a difference. And through the years I think I have that line nailed down pretty well and can trot on it with my eyes closed. There is plenty to write about around here without ostracizing family and friends. Besides, I have nothing to complain about in those departments, as you shall soon see.

Since our extended families do not reside locally, DH and I have surrounded ourselves with about a zillion friends who do a wonderful job as stand-ins for family. They have been called upon for many an ER trip (some happening at midnight), overnight stays while mom had a baby, carpools, doctor appointments, or the standard cup of flour or sugar. We have an awesome support system, and I am so grateful for it.

Lately, I had not been as appreciative as I should be, simply because sometimes my privacy feels a tad bit invaded when well-meaning friends ask me well-intentioned questions about the state of.... (whatever is going on in our lives...) and in this case, about our housing situation. I was becoming claustrophobic, and kept up my evasive answers for quite a long time, while panicking on the inside about our prospects.

There. were. no. houses. out. there.

No joke. DH and I scoured the suburbs looking for something that came remotely close to what we were looking for.

Nada.

So DH and I decided that I/we needed to go looking. Physically get into the car and drive around looking for "For Sale By Owner" signs in the neighborhoods that we were interested in.

And then, I was hit with Divine Inspiration.

Why not ASK MY FRIENDS who live and drive in all of these neighborhoods? Ask them if they've seen anything and could pass along ANY information?

So, I swallowed my pride and did. It was tough to admit that we needed help, that we didn't have a plan, that time was running out. But I begged God for humility and e-mailed everyone.

That day, I got an answer.

A friend of mine heard of an older couple in her neighborhood that wanted to sell their gorgeous 3000 sq. ft. home quickly, and since the market is so bad right now, were willing to sell it at an unbelievable price. DH and I went to see it the next day, and put a contract on it.

It's beautiful. It's big. It has a lovely home school/play room, a huge kitchen, and all four bedrooms are upstairs. The neighborhood is close-knit, with everyone looking out for everyone else, and the street is one big loop, so only those that live there drive on it. The backyard is smaller than we had hoped for, but big enough for a pool and play set. And the wrap-around patio is gorgeous.

All of these things are so important to me, and God knew it.

Of course He did.

:)

My House is a Mess...

... but Flickr has been updated.

Enjoy while I crawl out from underneath the mountain of laundry, throw together yet another what-do-we-do-with-all-of-this-turkey dinner, and buy more packing tape and sharpies.

I have some great house news to share... God is so good!

But, it will have to wait.

:)

Is This Thing On?

Hope you all have been enjoying Family, Friends, Faith, and having a royally Fun time!

We have.

Pictures soon.

:)

This Little Angel...

... is one big trooper.

Go read about this miraculous little one, RoseMary Teresa, who is beating the odds at one month of age after having been diagnosed with Trisomy 18.


And add her to your list of prayer intentions...

Left To Forgive

Yet another story about a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust who is spreading the message of forgiveness...



h/t: my mom

:)

Perfect Present

Yesterday was Action Man's birthday.

His awesome Dad purchased a very cool laser tag set, and a Lego Star Wars computer game. Both were received well enough, but we soon found out what our Bear Grylls enthusiast really wanted:















A "safe" place to practice his fire-building survivor skills. (since his parents did not appreciate the "behind the shed" location)

And, of course, we will be roasting marshmallows tonight.

:)

Bloggy Bookclub

Sorry sorry!

I know I said I would post "the next day" about the book club schedule... but, life got away from me. More details on the latest distractions in my life later. Like, next month when I get around to it.

:)

OK, lots of great suggestions for the next book, so here goes.

First of all, the date. I propose we wait until mid-January. This may seem extreme, but holidays are always crazy, and this year promises to be a doozy for me, with a huge house move thrown into the mix.

Since we will have about two months to read, we have the freedom to choose whatever book we want. If we have to buy it, just throw it into your cart at Amazon while buying your other gifts. Don't worry, if you close your eyes when pressing the "place order" button, your husband won't see it, promise.

:)

Here are our choices:

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
A Memory for Wonders by Veronica Namoyo Le Goulard (is this the right one, Anon?)
The Edge of Sadness by Edwin O'Connor
In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden
The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans
The Secret Cardinal by Tom Grace

Both Emily and Mom of Boys offered to host. (Erin, you have a big move ahead of you, so I thought you'd want to wait...)

So, lets have at it. Emily and Mom of boys, you guys take January and February and pick a book. (doesn't have to be on the above list) Everyone else, feel free to pick a later month and do the same. I'd like to have at least 4-5 months hammered out.

Oh, and invite your friends, the more the merrier!

:)

Priorities

What, oh what could possibly be so important to this homeschooling-mother-of-five fighting perfectly well-behaved children, with a cr*p-load of dishes to do, that finds her crawling under the computer desk, searching?

One of these dropped.


















Yep.

And I am so *crunch* proud *munch* to be supporting my local cub scouts in such a *burp* prodigious manner.

:)

Please Pray (updated)

... for a 17 year old homeschooled girl who went missing Saturday afternoon in Independence, MO.

Here is the website dedicated to searching for her.

She looks so innocent and police suspect foul play.

Lord have mercy.

**She has been found, alive and well.

Praise God!**

:)

A Pictoral Display....

... of a typical day in the Nut House.



















A sweet snack from a lofty height.

















An explanation by Sports Fan.

















The end result of Little Dear's tantrum
(as in, a ~relatively~ clean room)






















Mama's main chore.

Happy Weekend Y'all!

:)

Back to Business

So, who is up for hosting the next Blogger Bookclub?

If y'all don't volunteer, I'll be appointing asking politely, then I'll be threatening.

And, book ideas?

Let's start compiling a list, shall we?

Thanks to all who are participating... it's so much more fun to read books together!

:)

A Happy House*

About 5 years ago, I was sitting in my Aunt's cozy Long Island home chatting about housing choices. Since she hadn't seen our current house yet (the family room pictured above), I described the openness, and the abundance of natural light that the many windows afford the main living areas. The aura seemed to be that of a refuge- a sweet, airy, comfortable home.

"A happy house," she remarked.

Yes, I said. That's exactly it.

And now that our current house has sold, we are back on the road, searching for our next Happy House.

It has been an extremely frustrating time for me.

We have gone three times with our realtor to look at homes in four different suburbs. He's such a good sport about it, knowing that he's in this for the long haul. But after viewing approximately 20 homes, I'm starting to panic, and the what ifs and unknowns are dragging me down. I won't go into all of it here, but just try to imagine not knowing where you will be living at Christmastime. Yes, a bit of panic there, eh?

Now, we have "contingency plans" of living with family if we don't find something before we move. So, no, we won't be homeless or anything drastic like that.

But, I am a Mama. And I want to know where my next hearth will be. And I want to know that my children will be happy there and it will be as wonderful as I hope.

And of course, I know God is in charge, and I really want to give it all to Him. Because, He does really know what is best for us. I'm confident that I will look back on all of this and see how He lead us through it, every step of the way.

Right now, though, I am stuck on the path, navigating the boulders, and straining to see the "promised land"...



*For those "in real life" friends (who know our family name), you can appreciate the play on words here*

:)

Obligatory Halloween Photos...

... coming soon to the flickr badge nearest your cursor.

*I know... the suspense is overwhelming.*

:)

Because my brain feels like mush...

... I feel the need for a little bit of affirmation.

Get a Cash Advance

:)