I have wrestled with posting more of my family life on this page. I have decided it just makes sense to me. Time is one thing I have quite sparingly. Maintaining our family blog and this one is just not realistic and honestly WorthEveryOunce is all about life with my children. So here is my first post just about us.
The last 9 months I have been off an on looking for a home to purchase. Regrettably I have rented for the last almost 10 years since the time I divorced from my first husband. When my second husband left two years ago I was left broken and afraid. I have been a stay home mother for the last two years and had a 9 month old nursing baby plus my three older children.
Over the last two years, I worked hard. We have sacrificed. I dug myself out of a financial mess the departure of my husband left me in. I also managed to save what was needed for a down payment on a home. For the most part I live debt free.
That said, looking for a home in my price range and meeting the needs of 4 kids has been discouraging. If I liked a home it was on the wrong side of town and wrong school for the kids. If it was in my price range it needed far to much work to fix it up. I was just at a loss.
Long story short....in October I found a home on craigslist for sale by owner. We close next week....finally. Today the sellers dropped by my work with the key and said I was welcome to start moving everything over (so nice working with amazing people and not having to deal with a go between -realtor....not that I don't love all my realtor friends!!!!!!!).
With the kids not knowing about me having the key I created a plan.
When I arrived home this evening from work we had plans to head right over to the gym together. Knowing the kids were ready, I changed into my gym clothes and asked them to meet me in the kitchen before we went out to the car.
I asked them to think of one thing they would want to take from our home if we needed to leave suddenly. It could be anything they wanted. They just needed to be able to carry it themselves and get it in two minutes. The kids looked at me stunned. I could tell they each had many questions to ask. Even worried looks. I then said.....GO.
And off they went. Miss Olaya was the only one that needed help so I took her in her room and asked her to bring one favorite thing. She picked two. Her Dora pillow and her glass miniature dolphin. Each of the older kids took off in different direction, yet all returning with the same item. Each child returned with their personal set of scriptures. (Maybe this mom is doing something right.) It did not even cross my mind that they would get that item and certainly not all three of them. (Although later my oldest did tell me he didn't go get his iPod because it was already in his pocket.) Now, feeling a little unworthy, I showed them my item, a picture of my four kids.
From there I simply told them to take their item out to the car. And off we went. We stopped at Subway to get dinner. The kids kept saying we are going to eat at the gym or maybe we are going to grandma's. They didn't know what I had in mind.
I drove them to our new home. We went in. I had them rest all their items on the kitchen counter and I shared with them that I wanted the first item we brought in the home to tell the new house who we are. Then we would leave out item at the house to greet us when we returned. Each of the kids took their favorite item to their new room and I placed the picture of the kids on the fridge.
We shared a picnic lunch right there on the living room floor. It was fabulous. New paint and carpet smell all around us. The kids talked about where to put this and where to put that and what they would do here. I was in heaven. We ARE going to have a home.
Just before we left, we completed our 40 squats for the December squat-a-thon challenge. Great way to break in the new house. With no curtains on the windows, I am sure the neighbors already think we are freaks.
We have waited for this for a very long time. Although I know I have worked very hard to place myself in a position that we could purchase a home, I am also profoundly grateful to my Father in Heaven for always protecting me and giving me the ability to work and think and progress. I keep having to remind myself that this is actually happening.The next two weeks are going to be hectic. I want to maintain my fitness goals. However, I sing with a community choir through the university and our Christmas concert with the symphony is Fri and Sat night of this weekend. Four hour rehearsal last night and another tomorrow night. And now packing and moving on top of that. I may just have to count box carrying as my weight training.
And let me take a moment to acknowledge all our supporters. You all give me strength when I don't think I can go on. Life is good. Life is better when shared. Thank you!!
