Blessings and MORE blessings!!

Ella is growing up so fast!  Sunday morning she picked out her outfit for church.  (Of course she does NOT wear shoes.)  It was so fitting, I thought I would share it with you.

Yes, this does mean that we will be having another bundle of joy!!  We just found out last week that we are expecting.  Thus far all we know is little one will be arriving sometime in March.  We are THRILLED!!!!  God is SO good to us.  "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23.  

Join us in praying for the safe arrival of blessing #2!!

Celebrations Galore!!

We have been über busy since the last blog.  So get ready for a novel.

 

Praising God from whom all blessings flow… we closed on our house on Friday, May 7^th (which just happened to be the day Ella turned 9 months old – and who says God is not in the details?)  We began moving within a few hours following closing and by the next day our house was full of all our belongings.  Sunday morning I woke up in my own house on Mother’s Day!  What a blessing that was!!!  For me, one of the greatest responsibilities as a mother/wife is to provide a safe, loving, nurturing environment for my family.  Being able to spend Mother’s Day developing that responsibility was a dream come true.      

 A week after we moved my precious little nephew, Gabe, came to visit for a few days.  I absolutely must share some sweet moments we had with him.  They had such a blast eating at the table together.  Then Papa came over to visit with his grandbabies.  They just love their Papa.  

 At the end of May we headed west to see my brother-in-law graduate with his second degree in Engineering!  So proud of him!!  

A couple of weeks ago Ella was dedicated at church.  And let me just tell you how special that was for us!  Being a parent is one thing, but as a Christian, knowing how the world is and seeing the sweet little life God has entrusted you to raise, it is so encouraging to have a church family committing to walk with you and behind you to help teach Ella the ways of Christ that she may too one day choose to follow Him.  That service was such a blessing!

How big is your God? House pt. 2

We are so excited about Ryan's vacation this week!!  We picked this date when we put the offer on the house in January thinking, "SURELY we will be moved in by May.  Then we can spend a week in our new house relaxing."  Hahahaha.  Well we have not moved in.  We haven't even closed.  As of today, we don't even have a closing date. 

We got a call from the bank on Thursday that they were trying to verify Ryan's employment.  The last step prior to closing.  They had left 3 messages with HR and still no word.  The HR at Ryan's job only works on Tuesdays and Thursdays and leave by noon.  So Ryan and the bank began a wild goose chase.  By the end of the day Thursday it was confirmed that the bank would be receiving the verification from HR that day.  AWESOME!! The next call we get will be a closing date.  And it will most likely be the week of vacation!!

Friday morning we get an email that HR did not give the bank the correct information.  WHAT?!?!  Really? Fantastic!  HR will not be in the office again until Tuesday.  So we hang up the hope of closing on vacation.  We will live.  All is not lost.

We get a call from our realtor Friday evening that apparently the bank tracked down HR and got everthing they needed to set the closing date!!!  WONDERFUL NEWS!!!  There is only one more thing to be done to the house by the sellers for us to close.  The plan to close next week is back on.  

However, then we are informed that the owners of the house just got a divorce.  So the bank is waiting on a decree of divorce.  (My heart sank.  Not because of our situation but because of what we saw when we went to see the house.  In their house they had a nursery with baby pics all over the house.  He seemed to be the same age of Ella.  And having been a child in a divorced family my heart breaks for that baby boy.)  Waiting for a decree of divorce is not a big deal.  BUT what could be a big deal is the guy (the ex-husband) is going to file for bankruptcy.  If we close before the guy files then we are good.  If the guy files bankruptcy before we close then the sale of the house is voided.  

We should know by the end of the workday Monday whether bankruptcy has been filed.  And if not, when we can close.  We have been told that if the bankruptcy doesn't become an issue for us then we should be able to close next week... DURING VACATION!!

So again, we wait.  We still know God is in control of all things and has a purpose for us.  We look at this experience in two ways:  A) God is closing a door to what is not His BEST plan for us; or B) God is proving once again that he is OMNIPOTENT!  And regardless of what satan tries to do, God always has the final say.  Much like Genesis 50:20!! "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good..."

The House Haunting... I mean hunting :)

We had a contract on a house back in November 2009 (we will call this house A).  We got to the day of closing, December 31st, and the sellers backed out; meaning we were out money for inspection, cost of water and electricity being on, appraisal, credit check, etc.  That was pretty irritating.  But apparently it wasn't God's will.  So beginning January 2010 we started the house hunt all over again.  We searched high and low.  It felt like every house we planned to see was sold before the appointment time. 

THEN we found THE ONE (we will call this house B)!

It had everything we wanted AND MORE!  So at the end of January we put an offer on the house.  With four other competing offers and three negotiators, we waited and waited and waited.  After seven and a half weeks we finally heard back that the bank (since it was a short sale) countered back $12,000 OVER the asking price.  The sellers apparently never got the banks approval for a short sale before listing it.  So we countered back with six weeks left before the deadline to be signed on a contract for the new homeowners tax credit.  And we waited and waited and waited.


Four weeks later we got the call from our realtor (who is AMAZING) that we got an acceptance letter from the bank.  But the best part is the letter stated the selling price was from our FIRST offer.  They must have forgotten about the counters that went back and forth.  With three different negotiators there was lots of paperwork being passed back and forth.  But the paperwork is signed off and legit.  So we have met the first deadline to be signed by April 30th (with 14 days to spare)!


So we began the process of scheduling the inspection, getting a mortgage, and discussing interest rates.  Our mortgage broker (who is also AMAZING!) calls and says the rates have gone up since we were involved with house A.  So we crunch numbers and made a decision.  As we are looking over numbers we find that the mortgage's interest rate for house B is half a point higher (0.5%) than the interest rate for house A.  BUT the monthly mortgage payment for house B will still be less than house A!!  And house B has 600 more square feet, twice the yard with a privacy fence, a rec room upstairs, and an extra bathroom than house A!!  And house B is already baby proofed!!


This is where we will not accept any other explanation other than... God!  This mathematically doesn't make human sense.  The actual acceptance letter price seems to the human eye that someone made a mistake and dropped the ball.  BUT GOD has plans far greater than we could EVER ask or imagine.  So now we pray and wait to meet the closing deadline by June 30th.  And my God can do it!

We're Back!!

Ryan and I decided to give up various forms of internet social networking for lent. This was very difficult for me.  I love getting on facebook and seeing what is going on with everyone.  Especially with most of my family spread out all over Tennessee.  However during this fast I began to notice a difference in my attitude.  Prior to lent, facebook was a HUGE channel of gossip and judgment for me.  I was very prone to start many conversations with "did you see what happened on facebook?"  During the fast I wasn't distracted by the drama on there.  It was wonderful not being in the know about everything.  It was much easier to "take every thought captive".  Does that mean I didn't miss it?  Of course not!  However, it was a GREAT eye-opener to the need for a heart make-over.  With that being said, there are lots to catch up on...

Still no update on the house search.  We still have an offer on the same house since Jan 25th (10 weeks ago yesterday).  Multiple BPO's have been ordered, offers have been countered, negotiators have come and gone.  The Lord is teaching us to "be still".  The $8,000 tax credit runs out April 30th (24 days away).  As we have learned with many other events in life, when we come to a point of being willing to let it go, to allow Christ to have full control, there is a peace in waiting.  So we wait.

Ella is growing like a weed!!!  She explores everywhere she can fit herself.  Sometimes that means in between furniture, behind chairs, or even to the hallway.  She is just on the brink of walking.  Any object taller than a foot is fair game for her to pull up on.  She "side-steps" from one end of our sectional couch to the other.  She will be 8 months old tomorrow.  WE CANNOT BELIEVE IT!  I am so blessed to be able to stay home with her.  Yesterday we played and laughed all day.  She still has no teeth but lots of drool and pulling of the ears. Then there is the occasional midnight cry of teeth pain.  So we do the orajel-tylenol-rock routine.  

Ella also attended her first easter egg hunt at church.  I wouldn't call it so much "hunting" as I would rolling and laying on eggs.

Leading up to Resurrection Sunday we were blessed with the opportunity to attend multiple services at different churches.  This was very effective in reflecting on the true meaning of this event as well as preparing our hearts.  I LOVE how something, such as the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, you have heard your whole life can continue to take on new meanings with new perspectives.  I loved studying how every detail of what Christ endured had to be complete "according to the scriptures".  It makes me cherish the God I serve.  

Since spring is finally here we are able to spend much more time outside.  We love going for walks on a sunny day with a cool breeze.  Ella loves seeing and trying to talk with the dogs in the neighborhood.  We got to take her out on papa's deck boat for the first time.  Bathed her in sunblock...put her in a bathing suit...strapped her in her lifejacket...she loved it.  It was so refreshing.  In the words of my husband, "how appropriate to go fishing on Resurrection Sunday".  

chronicles of ella

today was ella's 6mo check-up.  she has had her snotty nose for 2 weeks now but we seem to be on the mend.  she weighed 16lbs., 2ozs. and was in the 50th percentile!!!!  doc was very impressed with her strength and mobility at her age.  SOOOO thankful for a healthy little girl!

on another note, as i'm driving to the doc i think to myself... "i forgot to pack an extra outfit after cleaning out her bag.  oh well, we will only be gone for an hour max and only making one stop."  so we get to her appt, do the check-up, get the shots, get ready to go and as i am zipping up her sleeper it gets caught within an inch of zipping.  i check to see if the fabric got caught, nope.  so i unzip and do it again.  still stuck.  one more time with a good yank... zips all the way up to her neck!!  BUT from her knee down to her toes the zipper is busted.  with sheer determination (hard-headedness) i give it one more try.  nope, it is just gonna be wide open from her knee to her toe on one leg.  and of course! the one time in her life i forget to pack the spare.  oh well.  we wrapped up in her blanket and headed out.  rest in peace, my favorite 3-6mo outfit! you were loved by many.

just the beginning

So I created this blog when we were pregnant with Ella (November of 2008) with hopes to post updates with our ever-changing life. So now that Ella is 6 months old it has finally reached the top of my to-do list.

Lots of things have been going on in our little family. We have been trying to purchase a house since November of 2009. Had a contract on a house for 3 months and it fell through. Found a new house and submitted a contract two weeks ago today. Still waiting to hear back from them. Through the waiting times God has been teaching us so much about faithfulness, patience, being content, who really is in control, etc. It has brought us to a point of laughter. Now we wait and at the end of the day decide, "today was not the day our Lord meant for us to own a house". It is so easy to get negative and pitiful. So instead I have commited to become a "silver-lining seeker", finding the good parts of each situation. For example, instead of giving us what we demand on a silver platter, our Father wants to teach us about allowing Him to provide for us. It is taking a big spoon to swallow these lessons but I am committed to it!

Ella has been growing by leaps and bounds!! She just turned 6 months this week and has been rolling all over the floor from one end to the other. We have been working on "No, ma'am!" along with an occasional hand smack for reinforcement. She knows what that means. Just yesterday she began crawling and waving to people. She LOVES sweet potatoes and puts herself to sleep in a matter of minutes! She is a talker and a singer. When she is upset and inconsolable the only thing that works is her worship music... PraiseBaby! I hope she learns early that the only person that can truly heal her is Jesus. I cherish the opportunity to worship with my little girl. No job in the world is worth missing out on that.

I am a stay at home mom/wife and hope to be as long as the Lord allows me. Ryan is still a proof editor working for a Sunday School publishing company. I am so thankful he has a job that he loves and is able to use his degrees. He gets his first full week of vacation this year and we are most excited about that! We have really been blessed in all aspects of our life, especially in the last year.