I left for Maine on Sunday afternoon. My friend, Jenna took me to the airport. We left early just so that we could have a longer visit together...shhh, don't tell anyone! However, it doesn't matter how much time I have with her, we never run out of things to discuss. Often our conversations can be sometimes loud, emotional, or emphatically, but always we have a good time. The flight to Chicago was uneventful, and there was a slight delay in Chicago for the flight to Portland. Neither plane was large, but they were completely capable of doing the job. I always get a laugh out of hearing people discuss the "tininess of the plane". I'd like to remind people that planes can get a LOT smaller and still get you on the ground safely!
I arrived in Portland, Maine around 6:00 pm., and Roger was there to meet me. We stayed the night at a bed and breakfast place, as we had a walk-thru on the home at eight am. We were early for the walk thru so we drove around the countryside for a bit, and Roger pointed out places he thought might be interesting to the boys. As we arrived back at the house, our realtor was there for the walk thru, and so was the owner of the property...he was still moving stuff out! Since we had the closing at nine, I wasn't sure how much he was going to get done as the signing was half an hour away! Oh well, it wasn't my problem. However, because his time was running out, he asked if we wanted the ping pong table in the basement. It's a very nice one, and I'm sure the boys will enjoy it. I do have a sneaking suspicion that even if we had said "no", it still would have been left there! I knew the house would need a good cleaning, and the previous owners did not disappoint! The kitchen and bathrooms needed plenty of cleaner and some good elbow grease, but the house did look better empty than it did when they lived there.
The house signing went off without any snags or delays....Praise the Lord! The previous owner still had a big flat screen tv to get off the wall at the closing, and he asked if we wanted to buy it from him. We said "no". I think he was disappointed, but at this stage of our lives, that is not what I need taking up a wall in our living room. So, he had to go back and get it off the wall. Right after the house signing, we celebrated by going to Lowe's and selecting $100.00 worth of various cleaning supplies! We grabbed a quick lunch and headed home....wow, that's a new word in our vocabulary! He t.v was off the wall, and the house was ours. We changed clothes and got to work! Roger shocked me with how awesome he did at cleaning the bathrooms and getting spots off the carpet. We worked together for several hours and the progress was becoming apparent. We were both getting tired of cleaning, but thankfully, my sister, Hannah, arrived with fresh wind for the sails! We tackled the kitchen, while Roger scrubbed out soap scum from the downstairs bathroom. It may seem like I'm some kind of neat freak, and I'm not. I just want soap scum, spilled condiments, and dust left from my house neglect, and not the people who lived there before us! We have five kids so our house is lived in and not a museum. However, I do like things to be presentable, so we worked at it. By 5:30pm, Roger was starving, the house was much improved, and we all needed fresh air!
We went to dinner in Rockland, and then took a walk on the breakwater. The breakwater is a stretch out into the ocean that they put there with granite boulders to protect the harbor. It was a beautiful walk, but I definitely needed a jacket on the water!
Then we went to Lowe's...again! I had see earlier in their sales ad, that they were offering a rebate on gallons of paint. Since the sale ended today, I wanted to make sure that we could get in on the rebate. Paint is expensive, and our budget is not limitless. I love how God is interested in the details in our lives! The paint department had a shelf with mis tints, and various other paints that were being discontinued. The store is having inventory tomorrow, and the lady in the paint department was anxious to get rid of whatever paint she could. She offered to give additional mark downs any mistint paints we found on the shelf. We found a pink for Emma's room, a light blue for the boys and the laundry room, a can of primer, and two little cans that she marked down to .25! The big gallon containers of paint, she marked down to $10.00. Wow, God is so good! We did have to buy paint that wasn't on sale, obviously, as we couldn't find every color on the mis tint shelf! However, the other paint cans did come with a $10.00 rebate. When we checked out, the rebate printed on the bottom of the receipt. The cans that were on sale also came with a rebate, so we got four gallons of paint free! How awesome is that!
By the time we came home, it was too late to start painting. Hannah headed home, and then Roger and I looked at each other and said, "Where are we sleeping tonight?" We have a house, with nothing in it...not even a towel! We decided to go the airport to get Roger's pillow and clean clothes for him from the pilot house. We could've stayed there, but trust me, I did not want to. Roger didn't want us staying there either. We forgot to get towels, but Roger picked up his pillow and clean clothes. We didn't have an air mattress either, and we are both getting kinda old for sleeping on the floor. We went to Walmart to pick up some fruit for breakfast, and there on the clearance shelf was an air mattress. It was actually a very good brand, and I have no idea why it was on the shelf other than the fact that God loves me! So, we spent our first night as home owners in our new house.
Tuesday was a full day with more cleaning, getting ready to paint, and we actually did get to start the painting! Yay! Painting is an added touch of making it our home, and I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
Roger's mama offered to come out an help paint as I am returning to Wisconsin on Wednesday, and Roger will be busy flying. She found a ticket for Wednesday, and she will return on Sunday, June 12. Roger will also be flying out on Sunday and coming to Wisconsin, so it worked out well. An extra set of hands will make the painting go a lot faster, and the more we get done before the "help" (a.ka. Five kids) arrive, the better it will be! The older boys really want to paint their room, and they are probably almost ready for that, so we will see.
On Wednesday I returned to Wisconsin to finish up the packing. I was exhausted and slept most of the plane ride back to Wisconsin. My friend, Autumn, and her two kids picked me up from the airport. It was nice to have a visit with a dear friend, and it was also nice to be able to visit without feeling like I'm taking time away from something else I desperately need to be doing!
It's been a crazy few days here, but I do believe the light at the end of the tunnel is for real and not an on-coming train! I've been getting rid of stuff, packing up stuff, cleaning, and trying to inform our kids about all the upcoming changes in the next few days. While I'm looking forward to seeing my husband (for good, this time), I'm not looking forward to the good byes, the 21 hour drive, and all the things that are required to do to set up home again...either I'm getting old or lazy....or maybe both! Actually, I'm just weary. The kind of deep weariness that makes your body ache and your eyes water. Can anyone relate to that feeling?
But when I look at the other side of the equation, I'm amazed at how God has orchestrated this whole cantata of events. If Roger hadn't had the job in Arizona, he wouldn't have been able to apply for this job. Roger is definitely not one to brag, so I'll do it for him! He is very, very good at what he does. God has given him a special gift for aviation, and I am enjoying seeing him work towards his full potential. There are so many more details that God orchestrated including allowing Hannah and Josh to move to Maine so that we would have some family on the east coast.
Someday I'd love to write a time line about the last two years and the steps that God directed us towards. It's been a fasincating adventure...sometimes it felt like an escapade or disaster, but God has always directed one step at a time. As we look to the future, we certainly do not know what it holds. I know that God has given us five children; therefore, we will work to direct them to know God in a personal way. Our desire is that each child come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and that they each will live their lives for Him. I know that I am married; therefore, I will be faithful to Roger and seek to meet his needs. I know that God has directed Roger to this job; therefore I will be supportive and prayerful about his work. I know that God has given us a home; therefore, I will look for opportunities to be hospitable. I know that God desires our family to be in church; so we will look for a church that we can serve and grow in. We're looking for a church that is doctrinally sound, has Sunday school for children, and a music program that is God honoring as well as uplifting and inspiring. I don't need to wave my hands or stand on the pew to be inspired by the music, but I'm looking forward to feeling inspired rather than I may expire! I realize that I took a rabbit trail for a moment, but it's just something that is important to me. Roger has visited a few churches, but we definitely have not felt God's direction to one yet. Please keep praying for us on that as church is a big deal to our family. We want to be involved, serve the Lord together, see ourselves and our children grow in the Lord, and a place to worship the Lord together.
Anyways, the work is piling up around me again. I need to get back at the tasks at hand. Only three more sleeps as my children would say until we leave for Maine! Yikes!
We are grateful for your prayers.
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