Boxes and Boxes and Boxes everywhere

 The amount of pictures I have on iPhoto is a lot. But the amount of pictures of houses-inside and out-is more than I would like.

In the process of getting ready to move we've seen at least 15 houses and driven by at least 30 more.

We aren't picky people, and we enjoy simplicity and modest space. 

I loved seeing the different layouts of the houses and wondered what my furniture would look like if we moved in.

Some houses had great curb appeal and others were more of an eye sore. Some houses we looked at for 40 minutes, others, well, we walked in and right back out the front door.   

The amount of time we spent looking is exhausting to think about.

Some layouts were really weird and not very appealing to a family with young children.

We created nicknames for a lot of the houses. One was the Pepto House. It was a pukey pink color. 

The houses we thought would be home, clearly ended up not being right. So we pressed on. We kept looking and looking and feeling discouraged.

Encouragement was everywhere around us, though. Friends and family kept telling us that we would find something soon and it would be just right for our family.

We kept thinking about all the possibilities while we began preparing for a move, even though we had no idea what our new address would be.

Like manna from heaven, the right place came along and was there when we most needed it. I was so exhausted, mentally and physically that once we found it and knew it was right I was able to let my guard down. I even got sick afterwards. You know how that is, right? 

Our apartment is full of boxes. It smells like cardboard in here. Blech. But it won't be long until we're tossing those boxes out. 

Our apartment is a mess. I'm putting off cleaning a lot of spaces because I'm going to be starting on some major deep cleaning really soon. There's too much to do and not enough time, therefore, I'm letting things go so I don't end up doing double the work.

We are so excited for these changes. 

When I see the sun shine through the windows of our new home I'll think of the many blessings and miracles that Heavenly Father pours out upon us when we most need him.  This experience reminds me that He doesn't abandon us. He stretches us and molds us into better people. He listens to our prayers and answers us the way we need to be answered. Sometimes, even if we don't have all the faith that we should.