April sunset - - We moved into our new house in March of this year. Our own little pod. Funny how it worked out too. I'd been searching for two years, trying to find a house we'd grow old in. The house where our grandchildren would come visit us. Our true home was out there. I finally just gave up, half convinced we'd always be living in that single wide trailer. I left it up to God on New Year's. In February, my friend called me up, nothing unusual there, but she mentioned that this house down the road from her was still for sale. After church that Sunday, we drove up the 1/2 mile long lane. It was a two story (what we wanted) with new siding and a couple of outbuildings (what Josh wanted). We decided to call our realtor friend and schedule an appointment. (That Josh was eager to see it was probably our first hint. He'd never shown a bit of excitement over any of the other houses I'd brought to his attention.) We saw the house on a Tuesday. I remember walking around the property with Josh, waiting for our realtor to show up, looking in the outbuildings. While we sat on the front porch looking at the hill in the distance, we decided there was no way we'd ever be lucky enough to get this house. It was listed out of our price range, but we couldn't help ourselves. Plus it had been on the market for 8 months, so it was worth a try. We got inside and I could see us living there. Whenever we looked at a house I always tried to picture how I would decorate for Christmas. Sounds wierd, I know, but I can't help myself. (And it works.) We wanted this house. So we made an offer on a Thursday, and after some negotiation it was all ours by Saturday. We both cried like babies. I still get teary eyed thinking about it. And we didn't go past our budget. Now, I know you're saying that I shouldn't put so much emphasis on material posessions and I agree with you. I spent way too much time and energy looking for a house. (Especially when you consider my two years of searching with God's almost immediate answer. You see, the owners of the house had decided they were moving out west whether they sold the house or not. They were starting a church in Laramie and had delayed their departure a couple of times on account of the house. We were answers to each other's prayers. He was simply waiting for the exact right moment to bring this house to our full attention.) But, I felt trapped, claustraphobic in that trailer. I was starting to go into a depression because of that trailer. I felt like I was in some kind of psychological torture box. Yes, it kept us warm and dry, but I wanted a house for my children. A place for them to come back to and say, "This is where I grew up." We were running out of time. Our daughter was six; our son, two. And I didn't think that was too much to ask. Still don't. And God heard my cries. We've been a lot happier here. Nothing has really changed dramatically. I did have to get a part time job to make ends meet, but that has also been a blessing. But our lives are still the same, we just have our own little pod on the vine, now, and that's all the difference in the world.
