The Tolleson Moving Adventure:

(This is going to be like one of those novels where you get a glimpse of the ending before you even know what the story is about...heck, I'm not even sure I know what the story is all about yet!)



For those of you who don't have time to read my epic blog, here is the synopsis: We prayed for a new house. It took God a long time to answer...but answer he did. He showed how wonderful his timing is, and how much he loves us.

Part I

A little over 3 years ago, we started praying about moving. We had talked about it for years, knowing that some day we would want to move, and the time had finally come to start looking for a house. Looking for a house, and praying for a house naturally go together, we think. Our prayer was something like God, please provide us with a house...we're trusting you, since we don't even know what our needs are... Truly, the more we tried to list what we wanted in a house, the more we realized that we didn't even know what we needed. Talk about feeling helpless! As we started to look at houses online, we also began to pray, God, please drop a house in our lap...we just can't run all around looking at houses all the time, especially since we don't know what kind of house we need. We really need you to do this for us...

The short end of this part of the story is this: After two years of looking at a few houses, making offers on a couple houses, and "having the door close" on all of them, we started fixing our own house up a little.

PRAYER FOR NEW HOUSE: DENIED. (seemingly)

interlude...

Enjoying an afternoon at Landmark Park

Part II

About a year went by...I really don't know what started this part of the story, but if I had to guess, I would say:

In January I started re-reading a book called the Praying Life by Paul Miller. It motivated me to begin praying regularly and intentionally for myself, Tim, the boys, our family and friends, etc. On my prayer card labeled, creatively, "ME", I had written, among other things, house. I started praying, again, that God would provide us with a house that would fit our needs. I tagged that little bit on the end because whenever I prayed that God would provide us with a house, I could practically hear him say, I already have...you're living in it. I wanted to be a little more specific, while still being vague.. :)

Since praying for a house, and looking for a house go together, I naturally (and accidentally) started bugging Tim about looking for a house. Actually, I think Tim had been keeping an eye on local houses all along...it was just me who gave up for awhile. Tim had a house in mind that had been on the market for years. So, when I asked if I could invite our realtor over to tell us what to do to get our house ready, Tim said yes.

interlude...

Trevor and William shared a birthday cake at their joint party at the Art Museum.

Blowing out candles...er, oops, blowing out each other's candles...



Blowing out their own candles...

...resume...

February 19th, 2010: Charles came over to give us a put-your-house-on-the-market-pep-talk.

Here's what the yard looked like when he came:


He tactfully recommended that we "de-clutter" our house...and clean out our screened-in porch...but was otherwise very encouraging! So encouraging in fact, that we started working on the house the very next day.

Part III

Here's where the pace picks up a little...
Feb 22nd: We went with Charles to check out this house that Tim has been watching...
23rd: Trevor's 8th Birthday
27th: Worked outside some more. Picked up some boxes...


March 1st: Started packing
3rd: Tim re-visited the house
5th: Made an offer on the house
6th: offers flying back-and-forth. Trevor and William have their party.
7th: My birthday! We pretend that we are not even thinking about buying a house and have a fun day.
9th: The sellers accept our offer
10th: We sign the contract!12th: We leave town for Spring Break! Yay--we need a break...
21st: Get back to town, and get back to work: Packing boxes and stacking them in the guestroom.

31st: Have a portable storage unit delivered!







April 3rd: Tim's mom's birthday
4th: My mom's birthday & Easter
7th: My mom gets to here to H-E-L-P
8th-13th: We work like crazy to get our house fixed up
14th: We close on our new house! You can see pictures here.

17th: My dad gets here to H-E-L-P
19th-23rd: We work like crazy.
24th: My dad left to go back home. Deadline for the tax incentive FAST approaching. Praying for a miracle. Specifically, that the house would get under contract by the 30th, and that it would close before our first payment on the new house was due (June 1st).

27th: It is amazing what we have gotten done on the house! Mom helped so much with planning and making everything look cozy and nice. (You can see pictures of it here. Just click the additional pictures button at the top of the page.) Charles comes over to check out the house, and put it on the market. 2 viewings that night!
28th: 3 viewings
29th: 1 re-viewing, and a late-night offer!
30th: Offers flying back-and-forth and finally: SIGN THE CONTRACT!

April 1st: SOLD sign on the house!
PRAYER FOR NEW HOUSE: APPROVED!

interlude

the boys playing a checkers game that Trevor made. Trevor is obsessed with checkers right now. If you were here, he would ask you to play checkers with you. And he just might beat you...




What I learned:

God loves me.
God loves to answer my requests.
God loves to answer my little requests, and my big requests.
He can do miracles in 3 days.
He gets a lot of credit when we are helpless and at the end of line.
It is worth it to pray.