Ah, the common question... "What is your address?". Right now, I don't like that question, because I don't really have an address.
We had our crazy switcheroo of plans and we are currently staying at my parents. We don't mind being here one bit. But, our 4 noisy kids and all the drama that comes with having 4 girls I think is a bit overwhelming for my parents.
We asked our current renters who are in our home, if they would be willing to move out within the next few weeks, and they declined. We can't blame them, we did have a contract, and we will honor that. We were hoping to be in our place and settled back into "normal" life in a month or so, but I guess that will have to wait until February. The month of love... and I will LOVE being in my house!
In the meantime, we have tried to figure out where to live so that our kid feel settled, welcome and content. We thought about renting a house, but there aren't any in the area around our home. We have asked some neighbors if we could rent their basement apartments, to which they have been wonderfully willing. We are SO grateful! We certainly haven't declined any of those offers, as of yet.
You know when you have a thought, and it seems like a good idea, and the more you think about it, the better the idea is.... so then you act on it. Well, we were having dinner with some of our best friends and they mentioned that we should just buy a fiver-upper house and live in it while fixing it up and then sell it. I laughed, mocked and threw that idea right out. Then... just like when the offer of "what do you think about moving to Mexico" when I woke up in the night and couldn't sleep... well it happened again. I woke up in the night and the idea no longer seemed unrealistic. Actually, it sounded really quite perfect for our situation. So, we spent the next day looking at some doozy of houses. We were really quite discouraged because nothing worth our time or money was showing it's ugly face. We were driving on a main road about a mile from our house in SoJo, and Ryan said, "let's turn into this neighborhood and see if there is a crappy house". I told him he was nuts and that it was a nice neighborhood and if there was a dumper, it wouldn't be in our price range. Well... then we saw it! The house with the 3 foot tall weeds. It called to us! We had to see this dump of a place. So, within an hour or so, we had a realtor with a key and we were in. Within another hour... we made an offer. Now we play the "waiting game", and find out if we will have an address next month.
I keep saying this... but if you would have said a year ago, "oh... next year, you will live in Mexico, homeschool your kids, live with your parents and buy a 2nd home" I would have laughed and thrown a pie in your face. Okay, I don't make pie... but I would have laughed at you.
So, here we are.... more grateful for the little things today than we were yesterday. What a crazy journey we have had. I usually make an ornament for each of my kids for Christmas. Something that they love or that they have accomplished that year. It's a wonderful tradition my Mother-in-law did for her kids. I love it. This year, I think I have about 6 ornaments per kid. So many things they have accomplished, so many things they love. As for my ornament... I think just a picture of my little family hung by a string on our Christmas tree this year will sum up this whole year for me. Quite the accomplishment, and a whole lot of love!
I am one lucky, blessed little lady. My Heavenly Father must love me a lot for giving me all that I have.
