Let the planning begin

So, my first appointment with a nutritionist due to my newly developed gestational diabetes went fairly well. She explained everything so that when I left I felt, "I can do this." It wasn't too overwhelming and all the materials were very helpful, so I thought I could successfully create a meal plan without too much headache.

Now, I am at home, feeling overwhelmed. It's mostly a lack of food already at home that is the issue. My choices are in no way limited, but my budget, sadly, is. So, therein lies my challenge-finding things that fit the parameters that I already have or that I can afford to buy. At least I have the upside of a wide variety of choices. However, I'm pretty sure if peanutbutter and crackers or cheese and crackers are all I have for snacks all week, my nutritionist will have something to say about it! Maybe I will feel more creative later. At least I have my first breakfast and snack decided...

Staying home thus far has been fairly tolerable. I like to watch movies, read, and play on the internet. Overall, I'm naturally reclusive, so it's working pretty well for me. Having regular visits from my close friends and family has helped with the social neglect, so thanks :) (You know who you are) I admit though, there are times I miss the hubbub of work life, even though I complained about it occassionally. I miss seeing certain people everyday, even if it centered around the simple and mundane requirements of the day. Yes, that's it. I miss seeing certain people everyday where our relationships required no maintenance. Just going about our daily lives, we were allowed to enjoy one another's company. Now, I find myself in this awkward place of communicating in ways we never had, simply because they're my friends and I want them to stay that way. Sigh.

I'm also trying to look at the positives to this short season of my life. I get to read more than I ever made time for (because I could always think of something more productive to do). I can watch tv online and just enjoy a show and perhaps crochet (which I rarely did because I could always think of something more productive to do). I can surf around the internet reading articles and news and perhaps whatever other fluff I find to lose myself in... All things I would have felt guilt-ridden indulging in, but now am allowed to do little else. So, with self-release, I allow myself to just enjoy this time. It will come to a swift close when we have 2 little ones absorbing every moment that we might allow for such self-indulgent things.

Remember me?

So, glad I started this blog - one more thing to remind me that time is zooming by and I can't keep up! It's been forever since I had a few moments to reflect on my thoughts.

I'm having a lot of fun unpacking the house and finding a home for everything. I really wish I had more time and energy for it! Usually I'm so exhausted by the time we get home from work I'm rather unproductive during the week, so the weekends are all we have. Of course, then I can't just go at it all day, I have to take breaks... sigh. It seems like so long ago that I was the energizer bunny when I worked.

I know lots of women have miserable pregnancies, so I certainly won't complain a lot. I mean, I didn't get morning sickness, I'm carrying twins and still working in my third trimester, I'm not on bedrest...it could be significantly worse. However, I can't say I'm one of those incredibly happy, bubbly women who "just love being pregnant!" I mean, I miss free movement, being able to bend down and then stand back up on my own, no painful stretch marks, and of course, the consistent heartburn is a real plus. The other side is, the end of all this means a whole other reality... I might think peeing 6 times a night is annoying now, but that only takes a minute. Somehow I think what I've got going on now will be pretty minor...

Today is friday, and I'm super happy about that! I really look forward to our weekends at home. There's so many things we want to do with the house. I wish I could do more fall gardening - now's the time! I might just have to wait until next spring to find a home for my peonies. That really would be okay, because I have no idea what's in that yard, and I might have some nice surprises come spring! Last week I noticed a whole bunch of iris buds coming up. (Totally random location, but I can fix that.) We also want to get that giant tree outta there, so hopefully within a couple years the yard will look much nicer. :) Yay for a yard!

Catching up

I tell you what, when it rains, it pours. I have been so busy at work, and it's just not letting up! We're still packing up a little every night with the hopes of being done by next weekend for the big move. YAY! We're so excited about everything going through and having a house. It still seems surreal... We're still having to work some things out with the flood insurance, but such is life I suppose. It was supposed to be worked out at closing, but we just found out there's another form we'll have to have involving hiring a surveyor or something. I haven't gotten all the details yet... Sigh.

This morning on our way in, we got a flat on 85, so that was an adventure. Fortunately, it was before I dropped Isaac off for work and it was on the passenger side, so he wasn't on the traffic side. Well, I think in my anxiety about it I didn't turn the car completely off, just the engine. So, when we went to leave, the battery was dead... The one thing I was in charge of, and I couldn't get that right! Lol, at least Isaac was sweet about it. We called 911, and they gave us the number for the HERO units, which is 511, for everyone's future information. I had just dialed their number when one pulled up behind us, so I guess they just patrol or something! He jumped us off and we were good to go. Except tonight on our way home we need to get tires now. Sigh again.

Yesterday was my 6 month appointment. (I can't believe it's been that long already.) We found out that both are boys for sure, so that was very exciting! They have more than a 20% difference in weight though, so I'm going to get a specialist ultrasound sometime in the next week or so to determine if they are fraternal or identical. However, for whoever would like to agree with me in prayer, I'm praying that Jacob (the littler one) puts on a few ounces by the time I get there and it's no big deal. At this point, only an ounce or two puts them in the greater than 20% difference range, so there's still lots of time to catch up! Oh, and the other little boy is Caleb (he's on my left side, kicking away) Jacob likes to do somersaults and roll under my ribs. :)

Ok, now back to the rat race.

Hello Monday

Well, here we are...another Monday. Is it just me, or do the weeks fly by way too fast? What bothers me is that I'm only 26 and feeling this way. I know it's only going to go by more and more quickly as I get older. Sigh. I can't help but wonder how fast this week will go by as I'm really really looking forward to closing on friday. Then dealing with the complex on saturday morning and getting that over with and knowing what we have to pay and do, blah blah blah. Then we'll finally get to play at our new house the rest of the weekend! We are sooooo excited. It seems surreal right now...I can't believe I'll own a house.

I'm feeling rather groggy this morning, so I'm allowing myself a small shot of coffee (so far no inner olympic response) to take the edge off. I didn't sleep well last night and then was wide awake at 5:30. What's up with that? Of course, early bird Isaac had been up for awhile by then, so we just enjoyed a nice breakfast together. (Something I usually don't have the luxury of until I get to work as I generally choose sleep...) We got off to work early for once, so yay for overtime!

Oh! And for those of you who know about my mammoth album project I've been working on for Jeanne, I am finished!!! It kept growing, and growing and ended up being waaay more than I expected. Then, I decided to take all her childhood and older family photographs and restore them and scrapbook them as a heritage album for her. (They were falling apart and not even all in albums) So that book took the last year, and has turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. A lot of work, but I know she'll love it, so I'm excited to give that to her :) And, I'll be honest; I'm so relieved to have it done! I was bound and determined not to move with those things again. Besides, it has been exactly 3 years since I began work on them, so I'm sure she'll be glad that I'm done too! She's all but the last 2 since last year though... Anyway, I'm guilt free to focus on packing and moving :)

Now, back to all the work stuff I really need to be doing...

In this world you will have trouble...

...but take heart! For I have overcome the world. John 16:33

This was my first memory verse and I remember not really understanding it at the time. Over the years however, it has illuminated itself to me in many ways. As we have been going through this adventure of finding a house, a journey in which we knew surprisingly little about, God has opened doors, closed doors, put helpful people in our path, and provided in ways we never would have dreamed.

We found out this morning our closing date is next Friday, and Isaac and I both agreed last night we feel a very real peace about this house. From day one of our search, we prayed that God would put up obstacles if we tried to choose the wrong home, or make something work of our own accord that really wasn't in our best interest. The first time we went house hunting, we found a house we loved and both felt very good about. Then, the selling agent basically laughed at our offers, so we decided that must not be the house. A couple weeks later though, another selling agent from that same company called to see if we were still interested! Apparently there had been only one other offer since it had been on the market, and they were actually very interested in our offer!

So began the journey of a thousand phone calls and hurdles. Every time we ran into a road block however, God somehow came through and provided and I can't help but see his hand on it. Don't get me wrong, there were many times I was discouraged and wondered if this was the house for us at all. But, I am trying to see all the things that have come through that certainly don't make sense in the natural.

1. We had no money for a down payment. Our broker told us about the Nehemiah Down Payment Program (that will be discontinued October 1st) that basically requires the seller pay the down payment. Woohoo!
2. We still had no money for closing costs that were totaling close to $4000. The seller has agreed to pay those too. So because of that, we get our earnest money & appraisal fee back at closing. ($650) Woohoo again!
3. Isaac and I made a list of everything we wanted in a house and prayed over it before we even began looking. The only thing on that list that this house doesn't have is hardwood floors. (And that was on our "it would be nice" section of the list)
4. The termite inspection revealed we'd need a $650 treatment...and the sellers agreed to pay it because they didn't want that to be a deterrent.
5. The appraisal came back at $101,000, and we're buying it for $95,000. (Plus they're paying for so much!) The house sold for $118,000 four years ago, so we're hoping with some love and care and the economy getting better our equity will keep going up!
6. The appraisal also came back with a flag requiring flood insurance because of a creek way below at the back of the property (I don't even think the creek itself is on our property). Bottom line? Minimum coverage would be $2100...a year...and due at closing. This right here was a deal breaker, because if we couldn't get out of this, we couldn't buy the house! An extra $200 a month for coverage we don't need? I don't think so... The sellers are taking care of getting a permanent zoning change so it will no longer be required at all, and if it's not cleared by closing, they will pay the premium up front and be reimbursed by the insurance agency when it does clear.

This last one in particular was very difficult for me because all I saw was a problem I couldn't solve no matter how creative I was. I was very discouraged. But God has a way of giving us peace when it really doesn't make sense, hence my earlier scripture reference. One more instance in my life where I am reminded of the validity of this verse. Christ himself promises us we will have trouble in this world. It's easy to think Christianity means a walk in the park and no more trouble, but it's quite the opposite. Christ promises we will have problems. But we have hope, and that is He has overcome the world. No problem is greater than God, and our God is a provider. It's easy to pray and wish to see miracles, amazing things and to experience great faith. But faith only exists when we have to believe when it's hard. Miracles only happen when there's a big problem. Amazing things are only amazing because they don't make sense. You can't see the dead rise without the dead or the sick healed without the illness. It doesn't require faith to believe in what makes sense. That's not faith, that's fact.
Another thing that occurred to me was this house situation is so minor. An anthill perspective if you will. It's big to us, but it's not cancer, the loss of a child or parent or friend, it's not losing a job, or having no food, clothes or car. And yet, I can't help but feel so loved by God that He would take interest in the tiny details of my life that are of no eternal value, just because He can. It doesn't have to be something big for him to care.
Matthew 6:26,27 - Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
We still have one more week until closing, and then next Saturday we go to the apartment complex to give them our 60 days notice and find out how much they are really going to require of us. According to our lease, it comes out to about $2700. Well, either God will reduce that amount somehow, or we'll have that money become available! Either way, we will trust, because all things (both good and bad) work together for good, and I believe He wants good for us.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Must...take...break

So my world this week has been crazy! A good, "I definitely know I'm alive" crazy, but crazy nonetheless. This is a nice respite.

I'm beginning this journal for several reasons. The first being, I love to talk :) It helps me sort my thoughts. Second, I really enjoy Ashley's, particularly because they get emailed to me and I don't have to remember to check the blog... Third, it seemed like fun, and I thought if I enjoyed reading Ashley's, maybe my friends and family would enjoy mine. So welcome to my inner world, and thanks for coming along on the journey of a blonde's meandering thoughts!

Also, as a side note, I may aspire to do proofreading for income, but there will be days I just don't feel like bothering with a read-over and spell check. Also, I really love these ... so regardless of how grammatically incorrect they are, I will use them abundantly. (And for those of you who might have neurotic grammar preferences as I do, at least I put them in 3's!) Please withhold your judgments :)