Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Waiting....

We've been doing a lot of waiting lately. I think there a many different kinds of waiting -- you can be waiting with anticipation or excitment or fear or worry or any number of other emotions. You can wait because you want to (I don't want to decide) or because you have to (when will the phone ring?).

Right now, we're waiting because we have to:

1. For word on our financial aid package from Calvin.
2. For Alex to take his first steps.
3. For a call about whether or not Jessica will get an interview for a job she's applied for.
4. For our house to sell.
5. For spring to get here!

Waiting is difficult for me. It makes me ask too many questions and worry too much. God is good at making us wait. He made Israel 'wait' 40 years...you'd think I could do forty days! Wait is not a four letter word -- well, it is, but you know what I mean -- it teaches us to trust Him more completely. It teaches us prayer, dependence, and hope.

In our "give it to me now" society....we all need to learn to wait better. Here's to waiting...

Friday, March 5, 2010

For Sale

Well, the house officially went up for sale this week. We've had a couple of showings already and we have an Open House planned for tomorrow (Saturday).

I've been surprisingly at peace with the whole process, but I have to admit it was strange to have the realtor sign in the yard. We've tried hard to really make this a good home and I think we've done a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. However, there have been a number of people that have helped us do that along the way.

Both of our fathers have been a tremendous help in doing several things. Jessica's dad came down a few summers back and helped build our deck and last winter he and Jessica's brother, Marc, came for a week and worked full-time in the basement. They hung sheetrock, doors, and the grid for the suspended ceiling. My dad has been here several times over the years and helping with many projects including the electrical work for the basement, building a swingset, and a variety of other projects. In the summer of 2008, a bunch of my friends came on a Saturday and helped with landscaping. Thanks to everyone who's helped us along the way...we truly appreciate it.

Jessica and I have, of course, done a number of things ourselves as well. We spent every waking minute here it seemed like while it was being built and have done several upgrades since. All of this, then, is really bittersweet.

Nonetheless, we're confident we have a good home to sell and hope that the right buyers don't wait too long to show themselves! In the meantime, if you know someone who's interested in buying a house in Sioux Center....let me know.

Here are some pictures of the landscaping that we've been showing on the computer when potential buyers come through. After all, this is all a little hard to see right now with three feet of snow in the yard!