To Loan or Not to Loan... Maybe?

I am an emotional wreck right now! Some of you know that we have been looking for a house since March. It has been depressing! What you get here for $400,000 is not a lot in comparison to Fort Worth, TX! All the houses we found needed a LOT of work! We also knew we really needed a fourth bedroom. My mom comes often and for longer periods of time and sleeping on my sofa is not fun for her. AND when TJ's parents come or if my dad comes with my mom they can't stay with us... it's just a mess! We have enjoyed our house that we have rented but have outgrown it!

One day our agent told us to go look at this house. He said it was out of our price range but he just wanted us to see it. Of course it was amazing compared to everything we looked at so far and we told him we would TAKE IT for $400,000. He laughed and said, "Yeah Right... it will probably be closer to $460,00 but we'll pray about it and see what God does".

So we began the waiting game... we waited and waited. We first had to wait for the appraiser to appraise the house. THEN we had to wait for the seller (a bank because it is a foreclosure) to decide on a selling price. At this point we still did not know if it would be in our price range or not. Please keep in mind that when you live out here you have to have a BIG budget for a home and even though TJ and I knew we would have to save every penny almost and it would be tight monthly, we both felt lead to look for a home and pray about planting ourselves here. We both felt like even though prices were still WAY more than we have ever been used to(even though they have gone down about $200-300,000 since when we moved here three years ago) that if we didn't buy now we would not be able to buy in this area for a LONG LONG time. SO we decided to TRY and buy a house...

Anyway, so after a TON of prayer and wondering and more prayer, we heard on May 15th that the listing price was $430,000. Still WAY out of our range but closer than $460,000!! So we had to wait again... to pray and think about seriously trying to get this house. We didn't know if we could put in an offer.. an offer that could possibly be accepted. We finally put in an offer and it got ACCEPTED!!! WHAT A BLESSING! We really didn't think the seller would accept but with the market these days maybe they were just ready to get rid of it... understandable.

SO... then comes the loan approval stage of things. We knew we pre-QUALIFIED but had not sent in all our paper work and stuff. We prayed for a GREAT interest rate..6% was my specific prayer request and we got it! Well... we were supposed to close last Friday (July 25th) BUT there is an issue and we don't even know if we are going to get a loan!!!!! OH MY GOSH! I am freaking out. Banks are being so strict right now, which I totally understand, so I don't know if we will or not. WE know we can pay our monthly payment and we have a good down payment but I know banks are being SO cautious! Honestly if they don't give us a loan I have NO idea who is out there getting a loan. But oh well...

The LORD has brought us a long way from seeing our California "dream home" and thinking there was NO WAY to there MIGHT be a way... IF we can get a loan. I feel like the Lord has made this happen... I KNOW He has made this happen. There were so many things that seemed impossible but became possible. BUT now we don't know if we are going to get a loan. No loan... no house!

My quiet time this morning was about God's faithfulness. I KNOW God is faithful... I KNOW God has a plan for our family... BUT what if we don't get a loan. I will be so disappointed and heart broken. I feel like if we don't get the loan then why did everything seem to work out along the way only for us to get to the end and then have my heart broken. But I cannot question God's faithfulness. I cannot allow my fear of disappointment to hinder me from trusting my God. The whole time I have prayed for God's BEST for our family. Maybe this house is His best. Maybe its not... I have to choose to TRUST Him. I know God has taught me a LOT through this experience.
- Patience- "The art of being peaceful and hopeful as you wait"
- Peace- I have learned that I have a peace problem more than a patience problem. It's not that I can't be patient but I have a hard time being peaceful about the outcome while waiting.
- Knowing that God is faithful... even when we don't understand His timing!
- His ways are BEST.

In my Beth Moore study I am doing right now (Living Beyond Yourself) I read this this morning "I am convinced that faith sometimes means knowing God can, whether or not He does."

That really touched me! I KNOW God can work this out. BUT He might choose to allow this house buying opportunity to pass us by. WHY? Because HE has something better planned for our family. I am praying for peace for my heart and my mind. I HATE being consumed with thoughts about when will the bank call to tell us what's going on.

Please pray for me and our family. We are SUPPOSED to close on Friday, August 1st. My mom arrives on Thursday to help with the move. She is staying for a month (it's going to be a LONG month unless we have the new 4th bedroom in the new house!). I need to have a garage sale on Saturday, the 2nd, so that I might can make a few dollars to put toward some "wants" for the house. THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO but I have no motivation because I don't know if we are moving or not. Our agent says to start packing... I am scared to start.

SO MAYBE!? We might be getting a house we might not. Please be PRAYING! To loan or not to loan?... that is the question!

P.S.- Encouragement and advice welcome! :)

Standing And Snowboarder In Training

Anderson started standing up on his own this week. He can stand for about a minute or so alone before sitting down. He is so cute. He also got him "special shoes" that he has to wear when he sleeps. They have a bar between them... it's kind of sad looking but he does not mind it at all. He slept great last night and I really thought it was going to be a bad night. TJ says he looks like a little snowboarder with it on. One day when he is in the Olympics for snowboarding we will dig out these pictures and what a story it will be :)... this is all TJ's idea.




Karoline is doing great drinking with a cup... she could always do it but I had to take up the rug under the table so I would not be afraid of a mess.


The boy LOVES his puffs... you can kind of see his teeth in the picture below. He has 5 teeth now... 4 on top and one on the bottom...

Especially For My High School Friends...

Isn't this funny... My mom kept my prom dress for her granddaughters to play with one day. My niece, Pressley, got into it this week at my mom's house!!! Isn't she so cute. She turned 8 a few days ago. I cannot believe how big she is! My dad sent me this picture with his cell phone so it's not the best of quality.


Pressley making a silly smile!

Anderson Is 9 Months Old!

I cannot believe Anderson is 9 Months old! That is just three months away from being one!!! I feel like with your second their first year flies by SO FAST! Here are a few things I want to document about Anderson at 9 months...

- He has his top two teeth... four more are coming in right now! Poor little guy...
- He is not really into brushing his teeth but he is getting used to it.
- He loves to eat and his favorites are Puffs, sweet potato mixed with tofu, avocado, carrots, pees, pear oatmeal, and Dora yogurt (we discovered that YO Baby is SO messy! TJ is upset that they don't sell Diego yogurt. I promise to not tell his buddies in high school that he ate Dora yogurt!)
- He is ready to walk... but his little body just is not strong enough yet.
- He is so happy just playing alone or with others... I have never seen a child just want to play with toys all day long! Karoline was not really into toys... she was more into books.
- Speaking of books, Anderson is enjoying reading more and more. It's the only time I can get him to sit still! :)
- Anderson is nursing twice a day and takes a bottle twice a day. He is really not into nursing much anymore (wants to get down and play) but he does really well in the mornings so we will continue that until he says he is finished. Karoline has enjoyed helping give him a bottle at times though. It's pretty cute!
- I have no STATS... I am a bad mom and forgot to schedule his 9 month appt. so he does not go until the 25th of August when he will be 10 months! :) Oh well...
- He is a HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY little man (The only time Anderson really complains is when he can't get his food fast enough or when he is tired and wants to go to bed.)... Oh he is just so amazing to me and I love him to pieces!

Anderson's 9 month picture...


Karoline before church... I think her hair is getting so long!


TJ put Anderson in his chair while I was vacuuming and he sat there for a while watching Baby Einstein. It was pretty cute. Such a little man!

Karoline LOVES to pull out her vacuum when I vacuum... I am just happy that she is not afraid (okay, terrified) of it like she used to be!


Karoline likes to sit in on Anderson's bedtime book-reading time now... then she gets her reading time too. She figured out how to get double reading time! :)

Anderson digging into his book basket... his favorite books right now are Jamberry, and Little Duck!



Karoline let me put her hair in braids today! I was shocked because usually she only allows TJ to brush her hair but I did bribe her with a cookie and it worked. I honestly forgot how to braid for a minute but then remembered. It was cute.



Video- Random video's from the week...

Dad Had Surgery and Pictures...

Here are just some pictures from the past few days... I have been SO BUSY but the kids are napping and I am doing something "fun"! It has been hard for me to relax lately but my mom makes sure that I don't forget to post picture! :)

For those of you who don't know my dad had surgery on Thursday. He had radio frequency ablation. I don't know the specifics but his heart was not beating in the correct rhythm. Anyway, he is doing great and feels a lot better. Please keep him in your prayers. It's been a hard few months for my parents.

I love a 2 year old's mind... she put these blocks on her hands and feet and would "swim" with them on in the living room... she did this for about 30 minutes! CRAZY! She thought it was so fun!

Karoline has really been into watching John Mayer lately! She just love it...

Little man will be 9 months old on Tuesday. I got a size up to 9 month shorts for him and just knew they would fit! WRONG... they fall off the little man. I now have to get a 6m size! I told my mom about these shorts and thought they were so funny!

He is really into playing with the Fridge DJ these days...

Last night we had Avery over while Emily and Ryan went on one last date before baby girl #2 is born! Isn't Emily so beautiful!? She has the perfect pregnant belly and it's just not right!

The kids had a good time playing...

It Finally Arrived...

It finally arrived! My Blurb book... It is a book of all my blog entries and it is so cool. Blurb uploads your blog entries and then you have to do a little work with the layout but it is really easy. I don't have time to scrapbook anymore like I did before kids so this is perfect for me. Blogging is my scrapbook...

Pictures & Anderson's Foot Doctor Appt. Update

We have had a VERY busy week (more on this later...) but a fun week. But despite being busy it has not been busy enough for me to not take pictures :)

Monday I took Anderson to his foot doctor. He said the curve of his foot looked better but his legs need to straighten up a little. So the doctor ordered some shoes for him to wear at night that have a bar in the middle. He only has to wear them at night. I had the same thing when I was a kid and it's pretty common so I am sure this should fix everything. Anyway, I am just SO glad he didn't have to be casted again!

TJ's idea of giving the kids a bath :) ESPN magazine reading time! Just to clear things up, TJ is NOT going to the bathroom but the potty is the only place to sit down while giving them a bath!

Little man before church...

Isn't she just so beautiful? This dress is a pillowcase that Barna's mother made a long time ago. Barna had it made into a dress. It is BEAUTIFUL and very special. She got so many complements on it at church on Sunday.


Anderson trying very hard to get into the wagon.

I am TRYING to be calm enough to teach Karoline to drink out of a cup. It's long overdue, I know, but I HATE a mess so I have been putting this off. We had a rug under our table but I finally pulled it up so if she spills it won't be too bad. She is very successful but you just have to watch her like because she thinks it's a game!


Karoline's new fun way to swing on the tire swing.


Anderson still loves his exersaucer but likes to stand outside of it or use it as a tunnel!



Oh the mood this child was in this morning! She had to sit in time out within 10 minutes of being awake. She got out of time-out, went to eat breakfast and started her "mood" all over again. The only thing that made her happy was sitting in the hall (our time-out area) with Whisper.

Little man again loves to get into everything... literally.



Karoline wanted to be like Anderson... silly girl!

Have a GREAT Day!