Something Good

Obviously, this post is long over due. I have been neck deep in boxes and busy with everything that goes along with moving into a new house. Since this is our family journal, I feel like I need to back up a little and write this all down so I don't forget. It's funny how life takes you to places you would never expect. Last July, we decided to stay in our house in Atlanta for a few more years. Rick had just finished grad school and we were feeling like things might lighten a little bit. It had been a tough and stressful three years for everyone.
In October, I had a another miscarriage. It was really sad for Rick and I. Then three weeks after that, Rick was laid off. Although they gave him a severance it was completely a surprise. I was scared. The thing that kept running through my mind all day was 'What are we going to do?' and 'What is going to happen to us?'. It was a long holiday season. I frequently asked Rick "What is going to happen to us?". He always said "Something good". Then on December 30, one day before his severance ran out, Rick was offered a job in Chicago. Something Good. We didn't even go one day without a paycheck. I was relieved and thankful but really, really didn't want to move to Chicago. I mean, what were we going to do with our house in a horrible housing market. Rent or sell?. Where were we going to live once we got there? So many questions!
The next Monday, Rick was on a plane to Chicago to work. He came back home the first few weekends but for the next 3 months it was every 2 and then 3 weeks between trips home. We had a lot to decide and I was pretty much by myself with the kids.
We needed to sell his car since the company gave him a company car. We decided that when he was home for the first weekend we would decide what to do. When he got home our friends offered to buy our car from us. We went to dinner, they wrote us a check, and just like that, without any effort, the car was sold. Something Good.
But there was so much still to worry about. 'What are we going to do with our house?' After meeting with a realtor and a management company, we decided that we were going to use a management company. They took pictures of the house and put it on the market. We decided that the kids and I were moving to Chicago April 1st whether the house was rented on not. We had a few showings a week but almost none of them I would know about more than a few hours ahead of time. One night, the management company called to say that they had a showing the next day at 1:30. I was happy. I could drop off Ben at preschool and I could have the morning getting things ready. At 1 :15 the house was perfect. I had even baked cookies. At 1:25 they called to say they weren't coming. After having a little break down (Rick hadn't been at home for 3 weeks, the kids were crazy, I was the Enrichment leader and the R.S. birthday dinner was in one week.) I thought "This is crazy, we are moving in a few weeks and no one has rented our house. What is going to happen to us?"
Almost every night Rick and I would talk on the phone. Every night I would say 'What is going to happen to us?". Every night Rick would say "Something good." I said it so often, it kind of became a joke. Everytime I would say it, we would both start laughing.
The management company called to tell us that we had renters and they had passed all of the background and credit checks. Over the pasted three months Rick and I had been praying for the right people to live in our house. We felt like these were the right people. They wanted to move in April 1st. Since we were having the house and carpets cleaned on April 1st, we asked if April 2 would work. It did. So the day after we moved to Chicago, people were moving into our house. Something good.
We moved into the townhouse and mostly the storage unit. Almost everything except clothes and kitchen stuff went to the storage unit. We immediately started looking for houses to buy and rent. We had been praying to know which one we should do. Although we would rather buy a house, we really didn't care which one we did. I just wanted to do the right thing. We felt like buying felt right. After looking at a million houses we had found one that we liked, we couldn't make a decision though. We just didn't feel good about making an offer. Which meant, we were back to the drawing board. I was so frustrated. I just wanted to be were ever we were going to live. I don't like 'not knowing'. I need a plan.
Rick started looking online for more houses to look at. We found one that we liked (at least from the pictures) and had just come on the market a few days earlier. We called our realtor and set up a time for me to go see it in two days. I took the kids and I loved it. Rick went and saw it the day after and loved it too. We made an offer, we countered back and forth for a few days, and we came to an agreement. We had a place to live. Something Good.
On June 11, we closed on the house. Something good.
Sometimes I stop and think, eight months ago I was living in Georgia with plans so stay there, and now I live Chicago and almost everything in my daily life is different. It's crazy. But the important things are the same.
I have learned so much over the last eight months. Some things are new and some I already knew but were reconfirmed to me.
#1 - Every step of the way, we had to step in the dark before our prayers were answered. This is so hard for me. I'm risk adverse. I know that Heavenly Father was helping us every step of the way, he answered our prayers and he loves us.
#2 - I know that our family is supposed to be in Chicago at this time. I don't know why yet but I know it.
# 3 - Patience
#4 - I'm so grateful for my sweet husband. He is perfect for me and (I think) I'm perfect for him.
#5 - The hardest things in life give you strength and experience that hopefully you can use to help others.
#6 - Even the faith of a mustard seed is enough. I felt like Laman and Lemuel on most days during this experience. They went but they weren't happy about it.
#7 - Heavenly Father prepares a way.
#8 - I'm so grateful for my family

I feel like I have been holding my breath for 8 months and I can finally take a deep breath. Although it has taken a while, now I know for myself, that being here will bring 'something good'.