Pins & Needles

I'm sorry I post so infrequently these days. It's just that when I finally have some down time there are so many other things that need doing. Right now, for example, I should be emptying the dishwasher and re-loading it, folding laundry, cleaning bathrooms and spending more one-on-one time with Melody. Then I have to wake Joseph up and go pick Julie up early from school for an eye appointment. No wonder the blog usually gets relegated to the bottom of the list! It's a good problem to have though. I am deeply grateful for the dishes, laundry and especially children that make my life as busy as it is. :) :)

So, what about pins and needles? Well, we are set to close on our old place this Thursday! Can you believe it? Everything looks good to go at this point. We're going to sign papers after Julie's eye appointment this afternoon. The buyers have their financing and have already sold their old place. It has been amazing to watch God take care of us in this whole process of moving and change. Also, the same day that our buyers' financing came through, a house went on the market around the corner from where we're renting. I took one look at it and fell in love. It seems so perfect. We have yet to see the inside, except for the 16 photos in the online listing. Still, we've walked past it about 20 times and I like it more and more. Julie is convinced it is "our house." We keep telling her that we need to pray about it and that we don't know if it is where God wants us to live. She just looks at us and says "I know!" She keeps wanting to dance in the driveway when we walk by! So, this is why I am on pins and needles. We haven't been in any rush to look for a house, but it was definitely in our near-future plans. This one kind of popped up in front of us. I am trying really hard not to rush ahead or get too attached, but I am also anxious about another family snapping it up in the meantime. We've put in a call to a realtor and we're waiting to hear back. I'll post updates as they come!

Do you see the resemblance?

Hee hee...

Yes!

Yes, Joseph was touching an elephant in the previous post's picture. We went to the zoo here for the first time and had a great time exploring and learning. I had never seen an elephant so close before. Their skin is much hairier than I thought. It was amazing to be so near such a large animal. Here are a few more pictures of her:


Julie was so excited to pet her. I got that on video. Melody wanted nothing to do with it! Here are the girls with the new friends we went to the zoo with:

All in all, we're settling in more each day. I hope to share more thoughts on that soon. Plus, there are some big decisions going on here regarding school issues. I don't have the time for all of that right now, but I will say that God is definitely using this move to break down our routines and comfort zones and rebuild our family and identity in new ways. I feel like we will look back on this time period as a landmark for us. One more thing. If you are led, would you please pray for the sale of our condo. We are in the midst of negotiating a contract with potential buyers and it would be SO great if it went through. If we can sell the condo, we can start looking around at homes to buy here. I can hardly contain my excitement at the thought of living in an actual house with space for all of us and a yard for playing. Thank you and I'll keep you posted!