A Shocking Bit of News

Well.

Yesterday we received notice that our landlord desperately needs to sell the house we are occupying!

While on one level the news came as a tremendous shock, when I stop to think about it, I can honestly say that I feel God was preparing us (or at least me) for this to happen. My brother and his wife are going through the same thing, and I had just been thinking about them and praying for them during my morning run yesterday, and the thought went through my head: "What would we do if we were in that situation?" And then I didn't think about it anymore. I had no reason to think we would be put in this situation, let alone that day!!

Also, the children have been playing "moving" the past week. They did this last summer in preparation for our upcoming move. Additionally, we had helped friends move, so they were all hot to trot, packing every toy, book, blanket, and stuffed animal inside Tobin's closet, which they dubbed the Moving Truck. However, out of the blue, the kids began play-acting another moving experience several days ago, hauling toys up and down the steps and proudly announcing, "Mommy, we're MOVING!"

So, when Ted and I told the kids last night at dinner what was going on, their responses were reassuring. "Oh, good!" Charis said. "I've been wanting to move to a new house!"

"Me, too!" Tobin added.

*chuckle* At least we're not traumatizing them!

Technically we have until August before we absolutely have to get out of the house, but Ted and I agree that we might as well do this sooner rather than later. I do not want to deal with house showings with three small children!

This will be the third summer in a row that we have moved to a new house:
July 2004--moved from Ohio to Maryland
August 2005--moved from Maryland to Nevada
?? 2006--move from one Las Vegas home to another!

Poor Arden will think that summer means moving! That's all he's known his short life! :-)

Sooooo. Now we begin the house hunt. It will be nice to be able to do this as a team, since Ted had to make all the decisions pretty much on his own when he came out here last summer. We have been hooked up with a realtor who seems very nice, and we're looking forward to seeing some houses in the next few days.

There are definitely pros and cons to the whole situation, but we choose to focus on the pros. Here is a partial list:

* Perhaps the boys won't have to share a room in the new house. Sleep issues have been a major ordeal of late.
* We hope to shave some time off Ted's 30-40 minute commute one way to work.
* A new garage means we won't have to deal with our possessed garage door opening system, which often takes 5 minutes or more to make up its mind as to whether it wants to go up or down. This seemingly small part of life has been maddening enough to nearly cause me to ruin my testimony in front of the neighbors and the children.
* Maybe we'll get a laundry room that's big enough to turn around in!
* Maybe the water won't take forever to heat up in a different house!
* We'll have the opportunity to truly sort and organize all the STUFF that seems to keep piling up. In fact--we'll HAVE to sort and organize!
* We can have a garage sale!
* We can put our friends to work helping us haul boxes and furniture!
* We get to meet new neighbors!
* Maybe we'll live closer to a library?!
* Once again we are reminded that we are simply pilgrims passing through this life...and, as Corrie ten Boom said, we are learning to hold loosely to the things of this world, because it hurts too much when God pries our fingers off them.

We'd appreciate your prayers on our behalf as we prepare to transition again. We know God has a reason for everything. We're thankful we've had the chance to be in this house for the time we've been here and to meet the friends/neighbors in this area. I know God's purposes will be accomplished in and through us.