the eleventh hour {also known as 'we have a house*'}

remember back in june when i was worried about finding a house?

that's funny.

hindsight is 20/20, right?

our lease is up this friday

(as in 5 days from now)

and until a few hours ago,

we still had no options of a place to live.

(other than extended stay americas... which we had most definitely checked in to)

we have been into over 38 houses.

looked at hundreds online.

applied for around eight.

you'd be amazed how many landlords don't want 

three small children living in their home...

i can't imagine why ;)

the last two months have been quite the journey,

and i wish i would have always handled it well.

i would love to say i have believed unswervingly that God would take care of us,

but in truth, i have doubted Him more than i am proud of.

through our own prayers and the prayers of others,

we kept feeling like it was going to happen in the 'eleventh hour'.

as the 24th (our lease ending date) loomed closer and closer,

i felt my anxiety grow exponentially.

daily i prayed for peace and faith,

and each day, something would happen that just rocked me:

applications turned down, cars breaking down, etc. etc.

i kept allowing my circumstances to dictate my belief in who God is.

seriously.  when will i learn?

friday afternoon we were out looking at homes with our newest realtor.

(we found that they kind of ditch you after two searches.  we must have been deemed as 'too picky')

while driving to the first house, 

i checked my email and saw a new home had just been put on the MLS.

the picture was super tiny, but it was close to where we were,

so we decided to check it out.

the minute we opened the door,

i knew it was a good one.

but i didn't want to get too excited...

i'd had that feeling before and it didn't work out.

we quickly walked through and told our realtor we wanted it.

she began making the necessary calls,

and we sat in the empty living room with our children and prayed.

two agonizing days of waiting later,

we got the call today that it was ours!

we are cautiously optimistic that this little house in irvine will soon be our home.

we can move in on thursday.

you know... one day before our lease is up?

i know, i know.

the eleventh hour.

i admit that a part of me is still waiting for the rug to get pulled out from under us again.

i don't want to fall too in-love with this house,

but i have already started decorating in my head.

it is the perfect little home for our family.

here are some of my favorite things:

*it has FOUR bedrooms, which means i'll have a room for photography!  

i cannot begin to describe how exciting this is.  

*laminate flooring.  because other people's carpet repulses me.

*a GIGANTIC cemented front porch.  that wraps around to the backyard.  

so kids can ride their bikes and scooters all the way around the house.  

and really... just having a yard rather than a little patio.  such a blessing.  

(we need some serious patio furniture.  good thing i'm an awesome craigslist-stalker!)

*irvine schools- good for jackson, and bella can go to their transitional kinder this year

(and they may even be at the same school!)

*library and heritage park super close 

*a fireplace.  because they make me happy.

*did i mention 4 bedrooms? ;)

we are saying that we have a house* 

(with an *asterisk*)

we still have some hurdles to wade through, 

like crazy-big deposits and the chance of the landlord changing his mind,

but we are praying that everything gets figured out,

and on thursday we'll move into this new chapter in our lives.

i know that this journey has been about much more than just finding a house.

if it were just about that, i believe God would have given us one months ago.

through this time, i know there have been things He wants to show me.

some of it is areas that i need to grow in, 

like trusting Him completely, and giving up control.

but i also believe He wanted me to know how very loved we are.

we have been surrounded by friends that have been family to us:

serving us with meals, prayers, encouraging calls, packing our boxes, leaving flowers on our doorsteps and dropping off treats, watching our children, and lending us cars when ours broke down.

we have witnessed true community and are overwhelmed with the love poured out on us.

and of course,

i am reminded today,

of how faithful my God is.

even when i doubt Him.

yell at Him.

feel abandoned and alone.

He was taking care of us all along.

i feel foolish and grateful, all at the same time. 

i can't wait to see why this house was THE house.

what our story will be because of this new chapter.

what i know is that He has already written it....

so it must be good, right?