So We Begin

Actually, we really began over 2 years ago. I maybe should have called this blog "family crazy," because it is certain that many of our close friends and relations were convinced we had lost our minds when we put our lovely 4 bedroom home in Ankeny up for sale without a clue as to where we would move. When our FSBO house sold in that saturated market in 3 weeks, we were pretty certain that this "crazy" phase was not just our plan, but God's as well.

We ended up in a 3BR duplex 1 month before our 4th daughter was born. As a month or two went by, we caught another wild hare--I guess that's what we'd call my uncle--who gave us the idea to achieve our dream of building a "green" home using unconventional building techniques by first trying our hand at general contracting a normal house. So, last winter and spring we spent our free time being busy building this house with the help and guidance of a local builder and now good friend, Bob.

It's a gorgeous home, if I do say so myself, and nicer than any house I ever thought I would live in. But we just live here for now. It's kind of like how we just live here--on earth--for now. When the Lord says it's time to move on, we know we must move on. Fiat.

Well, it has now been 9 days since Matt was "reduced" at his old job. I am not terribly excited about the expression, since he is already much shorter than I, but all in all, being jobless has so far been more enjoyable than I would have expected. After a party this weekend (hey, who doesn't throw a party when they get laid off??), we have put most of our mental energy into getting the house ready to sell.

Luckily, being jobless means you have a bit more time to do those things that never get finished when you move in a new house before it is quite done. So yesterday, Matt was laying on the floor, filling nail holes in the trim and finally hooking all of the cable and phone lines up (we don't use cable or a landline, so this was not a priority), and I was decorating. I actually feel bad for our poor little girls that their Spartan parents left their rooms so drab for so long. Just using things we had packed away in boxes to simply decorate their rooms has made a wonderful difference that they are very excited about. (Personal note here about my discovery of the secret to happiness: low expectations).

The main struggle with all of this is to remain faithful to our family fiat. "Let it be done unto us according to Your Will, Lord." Even with this past two years being led firmly down an unusual path by God's Providence, it is a daily decision to trust that we are not foundering in the midst of a vast ocean where we will soon be devoured by sharks and become an embarrassment to all who know us. You know, for example.

So yesterday we placed our home for sale on the web, and now, we continue to clean and wait. As for me, I've been waiting for 29 years for my adventure to come, and I finally feel that we have reached the top of a long climb and the real ride on this roller coaster is about to begin. Let it be done unto me, Lord. I am your servant.