Blessings

This is a post for me. A post so that I can record things for posterity. I just want to get some things written down so they can be remembered. It's going to be long and filled with personal things ... If you read it ... I hope it doesn't bore you.

It is funny how our lives seem to go in a cycle. We have several weeks where life is a little rough. Trials are thrown in our way, life is busy and stressful, children are cranky or sick and life is just not too much fun.

During this time we usually put the important things on the back burner. We don't pray as often as we should, our daily scripture study turns into a weekly scripture study, time that should be spent with our family is usually spent taking care of unnecessary obligations or things that add more stress to our lives.


These past few weeks have been like that here at our house. Money has been tight, jobs have been stressful, people have been sick, and it's been cold. Christmas time just wasn't feeling very "Christmasy". Then it seemed like a switch was flipped and everything gradually started getting better...

Kameron and I had really been looking for a better house to live in. The house we live in now is OLD. It was built in the early 1900's. The carpets are seriously probably from the 60's. They are a nasty orange color. They're covered in rips and holes and stains. They're gross. Plus, the kitchen stove doesn't work right, the heater is horrible and only heats one room, the swamp cooler doesn't work, and the list goes on and on. So, we'd decided that since we have Kason we need a better house. A couple Saturdays ago we looked at a house that was for sale. The price of our payment would have been exactly the same as our rent. We really liked the house and we were really excited about it. Then, after being home for about an hour, the owner called and said someone had written them a check for $6000.00 above their asking price. We were SO bummed. We had really been excited about having a bigger, cleaner, nicer house.

So, at church the very next day, a girl that Kameron grew up with in Sierra Vista came up to us and asked us if we would be interested in renting their house because they are moving. whoa! How did she know we were wanting a better house?! Her dad owns it and wanted to find someone trustworthy to rent it out. So, we go look at it after church. WE LOVED IT!! It has 3 bedrooms (okay, really 2 1/2 - the 3rd bedroom is pretty small), 1 bath, a laundry room, a huge back yard, grass in the front, A/C and good heat, AND a DISHWASHER! Not to mention it's about 100 years newer than our current residence. So, we call her dad and he says he'll rent it to us for $650 a month (we pay $400 now, eeks). So, we think about it and decide it's something we want to try and figure out a way to do. We call him and tell him we'll move in the first of February. YAY! After talking to Kameron's parents, we found out, he originally was wanting to rent the house out for $1200.00!!! But, since he knows Kameron (and his parents) he is giving it to us for $650.00!! For some unknown reason, I cried when I found this out. I don't know if it's because I was so grateful to the Merzs'(the owners of the house) for their generosity, or if it was a sort of realization that this was a huge blessing to our family or maybe a mixture of both. I was just so grateful and happy. Finding this house is such a huge blessing.

Well, since we decided on moving into the house, we just increased our rent payment by $250 a month. We decided we would try and sell the Durango again (as opposed to one of us getting an additional job). The combination of the payment on that + the insurance we pay = just about $250.00. So we started advertising, posting it on craigslist (and blogs). One day, my dad mentioned something to me about Jeremy (my little brother) wanting to get a new car. So, I talk to him about it a little bit and he says he'll think about it. A couple days later he says he really wants to buy it! So, as soon as we can work details out, we will no longer have payments on the Durango! That makes it possible for us to make that $650 rent payment!! So, thank you Jeremy for making this move possible for us. Blessing #2 comes to pass.

Since it is December, and Christmas gift buying time, money always seems to be tight during this time. And, Kameron's paychecks haven't been what we thought they would be ever since he started this new job (that's a completely different story!) So, money is tight, we have lots of gifts to buy, and the normal monthly bills to pay. I go to pay bills Friday afternoon, after Kameron gets his paycheck, and as I go to pay our auto insurance, the balance due is 1/2 of what it normally is!! How awesome! I always forget that our insurance company gives a sort of "reward" if you pay on time all year. So, we didn't owe quite as much. That was a pleasent suprise. Then, the bulk food that I sell was delivered this past week and the amount that I will make is about $100 more than what we thought it would be. That extra money made Christmas not so stressful.

Yesterday, we were able to go to the temple. We hadn't been in a really long time. It was nice to sit in the temple and feel the spirit there and remove ourselves from the hustle and bustle of the holidays. While we were there I was able to be given the reassurance that everything is going to work. I guess I kind of worry that somehow everything we're hoping for won't work out. Maybe I think it's too good to be true. Perhaps I'm afraid to get my hopes up only to have them let down a few months later. I am worried that Jeremy may not end up buying the Durango, for whatever reason. If that happens, we won't be able to move into the house. So, when we were in the temple I was reassured that things will work out and everything will be okay. I guess that now that I know that, it's just hard to be patient. It's also hard to not know if what we want and what we've planned for is what is really in store for us.

In the meantime, I will just be grateful for our many many blessings.

At times like this, it makes me realize that Heavenly Father really does have a plan for us and we just need to be patient and realize that everything that happens is for the best and happens for a specific reason.

I am excited to move in to our new house. I just hope and pray it really does work out.

Isn't it funny how things work out??