Transitions

We spent the last two weeks of July relaxing in Cherry Grove, SC with my parents. It was the perfect vacation - no schedule, no expectations, and no responsibilities beyond the very basics required for survival. As the vacation drew to a close, I told Paul how much I was looking forward to returning home and giving my weekly routine somewhat of an overhaul. I was determined to reduce the busyness, the tendency to clutter the day with tasks, errands, and appointments while often neglecting the activities that are truly of value.

So, within five days of returning home Paul and I decided to put the house on the market. We knew the time was coming for this momentous decision but neither of us imagined that time would be now! We love many, many things about our home. We built the house within 18 months of getting married and see our fingerprints on it everywhere we turn, from the trees and bushes that were planted in a yard of red mud and are now taller than Paul to the carefully selected paint colors and custom-built deck with a view of the mountains. This is the haven where we shared in many of the "firsts" of adulthood - mortgage payments, landscaping, backyard cookouts, a positive pregnancy test, and the transition from a couple to a family. In fact, it is the addition of Ryan to our life that has made it clear that we will soon outgrow this house.

Fall 2001

Spring 2002

No one is unaware of the struggling real estate market. We have been watching home prices in our area very closely and believe this may be a window of opportunity for us to take advantage of the equity in our home and purchase a home that will meet our needs for the next phase of life. The best part is that we feel no pressure precisely because we have been so happy here. If it is time to sell our home, God will bring a buyer no matter the state of the economy. We lay the matter at His feet and pray that His will for our family be done.

I naively thought that "putting your house on the market" entailed giving the interior a thorough cleaning and mowing the grass. Ha! I could not have been more mistaken. A simple Google search produced a list of tasks that required days of late nights and hard labor. All family pictures had to be removed, exposing holes that required filling and painting. Books were boxed and a large bookshelf removed. Every cabinet and closet had to have its contents reduced by half. Paul pressure washed the exterior, planted new flowers (yellow is recommended), and laid fresh pine straw in the flowerbeds. The little home repairs that had been easily postponed (i.e. re-grouting the shower) had to be checked off. And, of course, now that the heavy lifting is complete, there is the new routine of keeping the house ready to show at a moment's notice. I'm not complaining, but I am a bit in awe of the process!

Just in case life wasn't busy enough, Paul started MBA classes on Monday night. I am so excited for him to have this opportunity even though we know there will be many sacrifices along the way. It is a year-round, three year program through Western Carolina University. He will have classes two nights a week (Mondays and Tuesdays this semester) from 6 - 9 p.m. This new schedule will require us to be very intentional about the scheduling of our time, balancing the needs of our marriage, our son, and Paul's jobs with his classwork.

Paul and I covet your prayers as we embark on these new adventures!