our story, part 1

our story actually starts two years ago.

we had no intention of moving anytime soon,

until i ran across the blog whatever.

meg has a gorgeous home.

old victorian homes have always made my heart go pitter pat,

and once i saw her house, i just had to check out other real estate in that area.

i found a gorgeous, affordable victorian:

actual house

 i was a goner.

our house went on the market, and we put a contract on my "dream" home.

but it was not to be.

our current home didn't sell, and not surprisingly, 

another offer came in and we lost the house.

i was devastated and angry.
i wouldn't be living in the house

with a 100 year old wooden staircase, a claw foot tub in a sunshine filled bathroom...

a wrap around porch.
i was stuck.

once it was all said and done, i could admit that i would have been settling.

it was so far away from family.
still only 3 bedrooms.

there was barely a yard.

there wasn't a fence.

it was off of a main street.

all things that should have been deal breakers--

but although i was ready to "settle" in order to have the beautiful exterior,

jesus knew me better.

we looked at one more house that was closer to our hometown,

but at that point we were used up and burnt out.

the massive amount of showings during the time of the stimulus package had taken their toll.

we pulled our house off the market and settled in for the holidays.

the next spring, the house that we had looked at was put back on the market.

we decided to go ahead and pursue it...

actual house, though covered by trees and hard to see!

just like last time ,our house went on the market
and a contract was placed on the other home.

once again, it was not meant to be.

and once again, after my tears had stopped,

i was able to admit that i would be settling.

the yard was bigger than the first house, but still too small.

the house needed *a lot* of work.

i wasn't crazy about its exterior...

it was no victorian.

and once again, although i was ready to stuff these things inside and say it was "perfect",

jesus knew me better.

by then i was bent on getting out of our house.
i was fed up, and didn't want to be there.
it no longer felt like home.
i was pregnant and wanted a new house by the time max arrived.
all of a sudden, we had an idea--
why buy an old house that needs work when we can buy a new house that doesn't?
we got caught up in materialism.
our focus wasn't where it should be.
we found yet another house, in yet another town.
this one truly was the closest thing to perfection for us.

 

it was like a modern victorian!

it had a big backyard, 

it was close to where jason parks for work.

it also had a hefty price tag.

we could afford it, 

but things would be tight.

we didn't try putting a contract on it this time,

we just continued to try and sell our current house.

it didn't happen.

i was getting close to my due date.

it was time to let it go.

even though i was wrapped up in beauty, in materialism,

jesus knew me better.

he knew the desires of our hearts,

and because we continually sought him,

he was faithful to let the things we 

*thought* we wanted fall through

in order to bless us beyond comprehension.

what happened next, to me, is a miracle.

i learned to be content with where we were.

we were living in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house.

it was just barely over 1,000 sq. ft

and we are a family of 6.

but you know what?

we had what we needed.

everyone had a place to sleep, 

food to eat,

clothes to wear.

it was home.

so instead of being resentful and nearly embarrassed of our house size--

i embraced it.

i went crazy fixing it up, and had no intention of leaving.

it was finally as i had wanted it, at least in the main parts of the house.

i was comfortable, and happy.

but then, in mid july, i began to have a stirring that i didn't want...