Closing Day!

I tried to close my eyes while signing to avoid seeing the numbers. 

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

We are so grateful for God's providence, not just in this situation, but in all aspects of our lives. A year ago, we were convinced we would relocate from D.C. I was looking forward to moving to a smaller city closer to home, back to my Midwest roots. Thinking we had everything figured out was really just an invitation for God to change our hearts and minds. It's not always how you think it will happen, but it's always how God wants it to happen. There is so much comfort in serving a faithful God.

He provided a new job for Jon, which is going really well, and a great house for us. There are so many anecdotes along the way that speak to God's control and perfect timing. He protected us from bad decisions and constantly provided reassurance that our choices were the right ones. The house decision was no exception.

It's almost like this house was just waiting for us. They tried to sell it a year ago, and even this time around, it was on the market for a couple of months - a rare occurrence in DC's competitive real estate market. I thought shopping for a house was a lot like shopping for a wedding dress just with more dollars involved - a somewhat maddening, overly emotional process. Sometimes the first dress is perfect and you don't have to try on any others. Sometimes you try on several before realizing multiple dresses could fit the bill. And sometimes (like me) you change your mind about the first dress you ordered and start all over from scratch. Yipes! With this house, we knew right away. We walked in and immediately fell in love. It's such a wonderful house that I have no idea how it stayed on the market so long - except for God's providence.

I am a little sad that we will continue to live so far from family, but plane tickets will be purchased, phone calls will be made, and blog posts will be written. I'm choosing to focus on my excitement instead.

For those of you who haven't seen the house and are curious, this is it (I suggest making use of your mute button to avoid the terrible elevator music). The house was built in 1937, and most of the finishes are original to the house. The sellers are lovely people who have lived in the house for 27 years. It was their first home, and now it's our first home.

We appreciate all of your prayers and encouragement throughout this process. Everyone is invited to come stay with us - just not all at once. :)