It Is Finished ...

Phew, what a ride!  We are done with the house selling ... we did not sell.  Yep, surprised me too.  We received two offers on our house.  Both of which were probably not realistic examples of the buyers that are out there (particularly since we're heading into the "hot real estate market time" in our region) - but they were the buyers that God wanted us presented with.  Without going into the nitty gritty,  God never allowed an offer that fit with where we were comfortable and in doing so made our decision to stay put easier for us.  As we were trying to sell I kept thinking of those Israelites waiting to leave Egypt and remembering how God gave them the extra time there to gather the things they needed for the journey.  So I / we kept chasing the carrot and were waiting for the right buyer.  Well, frankly we got to the end of our ropes what with the cleaning and tidying and keeping neat and all that is so counter to our, honestly, way of life.  God just pushed it gently over the edge for us to make the decision to take our house off of the market and to once again make it our home.  And with that decision - boy o boy did the Relief Dam ever let loose!!

We've learned so much through this process.  Particularly:

1.  When God wants something done - or doesn't want something done - it will / won't happen.

2.  The blessings that are all around you are sometimes hidden in your search for the next "thing" in life - sometimes it takes loosing or misplacing those blessings to realize how blessed you really are.

3.  Family is the absolute most important thing in life, after God.

4.  Good neighbors are a blessing and are not easy to find - if you've got them - do all you can to keep them.

5.  Stop asking God to show you where to go or what to do and open up your eyes and ears to see or hear what it is He's been telling you all along.

6.  Be always grateful for the trip He's allowed you to take and learn as much as possible along the way even if, like Jonah, it's taken you an awful long time to get to Nineveh.

We have made some decisions to live a little differently now that God has opened our eyes.  When we started to look at how much we would be spending on a new house, we kept thinking of how many better uses there were for that money.  We also saw what we were spending our money on and have made conscious decisions to change that to better let God use that money.  We've learned how nice our home is - honestly just because it's double the price doesn't mean that it still isn't base builder grade quality with absolutely NO updates or upgrades.  And we've learned how important it is to our kids to have a place to call home.  Home is definitely where you are all together and it isn't the structure you live in, but sometimes that structure is just the thing that kids need to see to feel safe and comfortable.  

How did I know we made the right decision?  When my oldest said to me (with quite a bit of relief in his voice):  "Mom I'm so happy we aren't moving, I really like our home."  Dust bunnies and all?  They have once again taken up residence ...

And we move to mexico ...

I just pulled together a quick and easy dinner that made me feel like I was in the WARM south!  Rather than the FROZEN north.  Here's my version of easy enchiladas...

2-3 cooked chicken breasts chopped up finely
1 bag already shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 can of refried beans
6 large flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.
Warm tortillas in microwave for 25 seconds - then again for 25 seconds.
Spread refried beans over tortilla then just off center place a small handful of chicken "in a line".
Sprinkle a generous amount of cheddar cheese over the chicken.
Roll it up and place it seam side down in a stoneware baker.
Repeat for remaining tortillas.
Pour can of enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Place in oven and bake for 25 - 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is well melted.
Serve and enjoy with a good beer.

It was a good meal that was quick to prepare after karate class.  I've tried several other enchilada recipes and never had success with them but this one is a keeper.

As for the other moving that's going on in our lives, we continue to have a few showings a week and are just waiting on God's timing.  We found two houses that we like and have found some land that we are considering.  I'm just looking forward to what God has planned - it's going to be so cool to look back and see Him in action in all of this.  Prayers for continued patience are welcomed.  

Blessings and Happy Mexican Cooking!

Lo-coco-naut-ta

I accomplished two things today.  Well many more - I'm a mom - but two stand out in my mind.

We completed the first half of testing for our next belt levels for karate this evening.  My 4yr old will be a yellow belt stripe and my 7yr old (the red head below) and I will be blue belts (then it's just one more belt til black) woo hoo!

Both boys did good - I think I did too - but I'm a bit biased.  It's such a good experience to have to show what you know in front of others.  It builds confidence that will be useful when the boys have to give speeches and it let's them realize how much they've learned.  I'm very proud of both of them.  My 7yr old even got to "help" with some junior belt testing where he did the form or steps with them and was the "cheat sheet" for them.  I can tell that he's very proud to be the one "teaching".  As I watched him I realized how much his brain and he have matured.  He remembers so much and he is now working on doing the steps well, not just keeping up with the steps.  I can see him developing into a young (very young) man.  And I'm proud.  At the end of my youngest sons testing he ran across the mat to me arms outstretched - huge smile on his face - saying - yelling - I did it mommy I did it I did my testing did you see?  He was proud, I was proud and taken over by such a sweetie!

I love that they learn confidence and can be proud of their accomplishments I pray that I'll be able to teach them to also be humble and not become too prideful.  How quickly that can become the case and how quickly we can turn a good experience into an idol standard.  God guide me in brining up these boys - please.  

Oh yeah, my second accomplishment was my uncovering of a well kept secret.  They now make coconut m&m's and Oh My Word they are too good to contain any calories what-so-ever!  Good thing I got that karate workout ;-)

Blessings,

Heather

Christmas the easy way

This past sunday my husband and I concurrently spent about 4 hours on the mac and ipad surfing for kids presents for christmas.  After we'd consolidated our lists of ideas I went to work on amazon.  I found everything we were wanting, save one item.  All included free shipping, again save one.  So for all of our stuff I think it was something in the range of $4 shipping.  I can do that - since I would have spent that much in gas and time running to stores.  

As for the item we didn't find, well, that involved two (count them - two)  edge-of-your-seat-nail-bitting-Ebay-bid-offs - yes, shamefully, my hubby last second out bid the other contenders and is now the proud owner of four die cast Tonka trucks - yippee - and I hope that our almost four year old appreciates the angst and excitement with which those trucks were absconded with!!!

So the boys are done - without the frustrations of the crowds.  Admittedly, I am not a Friday after Thanksgiving shopper by any means.  In fact, when we do shop at Walmart my husband has to coach me on the walk into the store to take deep breaths and relax... deep breaths ... patience ... God's love ... relax ... etc ... etc.  

I think this (amazon) is my new mode of shopping.  Yeah it took a bit of effort - but significantly less effort than the stores and the driving and did I mention my dislike of crowds ...

My other focus this Christmas has been on the true meaning of christmas.  Christ was born, that's what we're celebrating, not the presents, not the man made Santa - Christ!!  In a bit of wisdom I learned from a friend, we bought each boy three gifts - like the three gifts Christ received when he was born and we bought three "family" gifts ( ok they are three gifts both boys will enjoy and mom and dad will enjoy through the indirect result of the boys playing quietly with said family gifts).  So, we'll set out cookies for Santa but we'll hopefully give the best gift we can back to God - that being - our belief in Him and in His Son Jesus who came to earth to die so that we may live forever in God's glorious realms.  Praise God for His faithfulness to His creation.

Blessings as always and may your christmas gifts list include the most important gift you can give ...

It's been a while ... No?

Time to update? I should say so...
Well we had a buyer and went through a few rounds of offers and counter offers and offers and counters ad nauseum. Finally we put our foot down and said here it is buyer - calling your bluff we'll accept your offer of X (even though we thought he was blowing smoke) and it turned out .... He was blowing smoke - so we've moved on and are back in the groove of pristine showings.
We had another showing today - read encouragement. I'm recognizing this first go around as preparation by God. I'm teaching a Sunday school class that is currently studying the Isrealites exit from egypt then their much wonderings in the dessert and their final conquering and moving into etc of the promised land. In all of it - the living under slave rule - the wanderings - the campings and conquests God is patiently teaching them to trust in Him and wait for the blessing from Him in His time. I'm learning and recognizing this in our current state. God is giving us the time - graciously - to prepare, to rework, to frankly wait for the timing of the blessing He has in store for us. I know that we could have made the last deal "work" in a worldly sense but then we would have missed the blessing of God's plan. It's up to Him and I'm sure that He'll let us know when the deal is right and when it's time to move. Dare I say it, I'm certain He'll ... Call us.
Praise God who is good all the time.
Blessings while waiting for the call from Him. Heather

Keeping up is so much easier when there's less to keep up with...

We've cleared our house of all the nick knacks and stuff that make it lived in and that just seem to find their way in during every day life.  It amazes me how much time I save now in  quickly wiping down surfaces and vacuuming floors when I don't have to first move stuff to get to them.  There's something to that old saying "a place for everything and everything in it's place".

We have had several showings of our house in the two short weeks it's been on the market.  Awaiting an offer now ... or maybe it's just been a lot of nebbers / look-see-ers and what have you.  It is encouraging seeing quite a bit of traffic come through ... it means that at least we're priced where people are interested.  

Now I'm just waiting on God's timing to provide the people who should live here next with the showing and the means to - well - live here next.

We found a house that we like very much and that is on a nice amount of land.  It's our standard and will probably be our pick if something happens with our house soon.

We had a professional take down some, honestly a lot, of wallpaper and replace it with a nice neutral paint. 

It amazes me how that transforms the look of a room.  Combine that with cleared surfaces and minimized stuff and wow - I like this house.  It just goes to show how deceiving the staged home can be - once you actually live in it it probably shrinks faster than that little door in Alice in Wonderland.

But I'll play the game and honestly, if my skills are up to par - with enough practice - I'll be able to hopefully - prayerfully continue this minimized theory and not accumulate so much stuff after we move.

Your Pumpkin Is Showing ...

It's been a whirl wind day.  The incongruity of the title goes to show how my mind has been processing ...

It was my oldest sons field trip day to Triple B Farms today - and I went along with several other parents.  It was a really great field trip.  Really fun activities and really informative and still fun for the kids.  Plus the weather was BEAUTIFUL so that always helps.

First we went for a ride on the slides...

Then we went to the Education Barn where Mrs. B of Triple B farms taught us about donkeys and honey bees.  My son goes to a christian school and our field trip group was with a public school.  Since we were two schools in the same group - Mrs. B kept us back to tell us special stories since we were from a christian school.  Like -  all donkeys have a dark mark down the center of their back and a second dark mark across their shoulders - forming a cross!!  And to think that Mary road a donkey to the Bethlehem to birth our saviour ... then later Christ rode a donkey on Palm Sunday - God's great plans...

Second she shared with us after the honey bee lesson to think of how great God made the honey bee and they are just a little bee and how great God is to make them so intricate and so powerful in helping so many foods that we eat grow by pollination like apples and pumpkins.  The sad part is that she isn't able to share these stories with groups that are non christian schools.  Sad that in a free country on a family owned farm, they are not allowed to speak of Christ.  It really saddened Mrs. B too - so touching.

We then had some lunch and then saw the goats that "worked" for their meals...

The kids shouted "pull the rope" and the goat pulled the little feed can up!!

 We walked through the pumpkin patch where familiar characters were "made" out of pumpkins ... here's Noah and his minions ...

And then we took a hayride ...

And I quickly got my phone out to be ready for pictures and had received a text from our realtor that our house would have a showing in an hour - thank goodness I made the beds this morning!

So that's when doing this ...

... picking pumpkins mixed with trying to remember if I'd picked up the runaway socks and I realized that my mornings are going to be MUCH more busy - taking stock of the house to determine if it is showable or if the potential buyers would rather see a pumpkin.

Obviously, prayers are welcome, however I've reserved myself to the fact that if someone is really going to be that turned off by a rouge piece of laundry, perhaps God is leading them to another house or pumpkin anyway.

Blessings ...