On the Move

Well, despite how unreal it feels, I guess it's time to tell you we're moving. In less than two weeks we will close on this beauty just across town:

It will be our "forever" home, and we're still in shock about how quickly and smoothly the process has gone. We had been keeping our eyes peeled for a new home for about a year, but nothing had even interested us enough to look at it in person until this house.

It's always been our dream to live in a historic home near campus, but the more we looked the more discouraged we became. Many of those houses are rentals, they rarely go up for sale and most are outrageously priced or the ones we can afford are too small for our family to have room to grow (not to mention lacking garages and yard space for Molly).

This home, however, was in our price range, even bigger than we had hoped and in great condition (for being 92 years old!). It still has many of the original fixtures, including glass doorknobs and corner china cabinet built-ins. It has a detached garage, a basement for Oklahoma storms and a yard for Molly. It's not exactly in the area I had hoped, but it's still near campus we can hear the bells from the Student Union, which always brings on nostalgia.

We're very excited about our new home, but we're also very sad to leave our current one. We've built relationships with all of our neighbors and we have lots of memories in this house. It's where we brought Molly and Nora home, and it was our first big purchase as a married couple. After being excited to find our next house for so long, Levi and I agree we were both surprised to be so sad to move.

At the beginning of the year, our church asked us to prayer big, "impossible" prayers and to share them with the pastors on index cards so they could pray for us, too. Although at first glance it may seem shallow, I asked them to pray for a larger home for our family but for me to not idolize that. It wasn't the home I was needing the prayer for - it was the not idolizing it part.

Now that Levi and I have jobs we love and have started our family, our "forever" home seems like the final step to settling down. The pinnacle, if you will. The ultimate satisfaction in my life. But I know that, in fact, Christ is the only one who brings true satisfaction, and this home will not fill the void in my heart meant for Him, no matter how hard I try. I believe this is part of why I'm so sad about moving - not because I'm disappointed that the house won't satisfy, but rather I'm allowing myself to feel and realize that a house (or car, or child or job) is not what satisfies. I'd say God has answered - what seemed to me - my "impossible" prayer request.

We will move away and make a new home in this new house and build new relationships with new neighbors and keep relationships with old ones. It will be wonderful and God will do great things and He has already provided for us so abundantly. I'm thankful for all He is teaching me through what seems to be just a business transaction. For me it has been so much more.

11 Months

Nora is just one month away from turning a year old! She's developing quite a little personality and knows exactly what she wants (and will let you know). This month was big for her developmentally - she started pulling up to her feet, waving, clapping and she cut her first tooth.

Though she's been capable for awhile now, she just started feeding herself saltines and graham crackers, though she's not interested in feeding herself any other foods. Just today (a few days past the 11-month mark) she fed herself a bottle for the first time because I wouldn't hold it for her while she was in her car seat on the way home. Finally! I've been waiting months for her to do this, and I'll be encouraging the use of this skill at every opportunity, though I know I'll now be picking the bottle up off the floor every two seconds.

Nora enjoyed her first trip to the park this month and loved swinging and going down the baby slide. She laughed and clapped the whole time. I'm looking forward to many more park trips as it gets warmer!

She has also become quite attached to this purple blanket. I tried to get her to attach to a small lovey, to no avail. I guess this is just one example of her exerting her independence. 

Until next month's big 1-2, I'll leave you with this picture of our little Valentine (I wish you could see the adorable heart-shaped elbow patches on her shirt!):