I’ve had this post sitting in my drafts folder for over a month now and keep adding to it… I’ve shared most of these pictures and updates over on Instagram, but wanted to record them here on the blog too. With today being the feast of St. Pio, it’s time to wrap it up. His reminder to “pray, hope, and don’t worry” has been on my mind constantly… I’ve been praying, hoping, and trying my best not to worry… which is definitely easier said than done! 😉
This upcoming week will be my husband’s final week at his current job, then he’ll have one week off before starting his new job. He was originally scheduled to start on October 1st (feast of St. Therese) but then it was changed to October 15th (feast of St. Teresa of Avila)… “Tomayto, tomahto” is what our 16 year old son had to say about that! ❤
Before my husband even applied for the job we had planned a vacation to take the girls to summer camp at the beginning of August and it ended up turning into a house hunting trip!
We started the long drive home early this morning, but yesterday afternoon I was able to spend some time at Carmel ❤️ We considered living in town, but ended up making an offer on a home we looked at on Monday (August 6th), accepted the counter offer, and are now under contract with 60 days to get the financing in place and our current home sold 🙏🏻 The new house is on 4.5 acres in a wonderful location just over a mile from this peaceful chapel. You can even hear Angelus bells from the property! Please say a prayer that it all works out and our home sells quickly. 🌹
#somuchtodosolittletime #somanymixedemotions #icantbelieveweareactuallymoving #househunting #sttherese #holyfaceofjesus #ourladyofvictories #ourladyofmountcarmel #stjoseph #orapronobis
What do you think? Is 254 coloring books excessive? 🤦♀️ #thisafternoonsproject #cleaningbookshelves #gettingreadytomove #18yearsofcoloringbooks #andthensome
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| The Story of Our Lady Coloring Book • I Believe in God Coloring Book • It’s a Joy to Go to Church Coloring Book God Is Wonderful Coloring Book • The Rose Queen Coloring Book • How Jesus Lived Coloring Book |
I ended up selling, donating or throwing away about two thirds of the coloring books… That still leaves us with an excessive amount but it’s progress!
#bookhoarder #thesewerekeepers #neumannpress #therosequeen #catholichomeschool
It has been a crazy two weeks of long days and hard work preparing, but our home of over 18 years went up on the market yesterday afternoon and we had our first showing today. The tears hit when I saw it listed online and again when the sign went up at the bottom of the driveway… Praying it sells quickly as we work towards closing escrow on our new home.
The drinks and fresh baked cookies were mostly gone when we returned home after our second showing yesterday afternoon … now if someone would just buy the house already! It’s nearly impossible to keep the whole house spotless with a family of ten… I don’t think we can do this long term! {Between the math tutor and cleaning the house, we didn’t have time for lunch, but as we drove through town our local bank was hosting their grand opening! God provides!} #loveoursmalltown
We headed to the library for our 3rd showing. I was so hopeful for this one… Their realtor had emailed right after it was listed saying they were cash buyers, needing a home quickly, and making their third trip up from California. He said he thought this would finally be the “perfect house” for them. Ultimately we ended up being third on their list and they made an offer on a different house.
The lack of a shop/garage was once again the issue. We’ve dropped our price twice since then, to more than make up for the lack of shop (we’ve done most of the prep work for building one too) but we’ve been told that August and September are some of the slowest months for selling a home. I know it will sell in God’s timing.
Update: We actually ended up having an unexpected showing today while we were at Mass! I think now that school has started, fall is here, and the endless smoke is finally starting to clear, that home sales will pick up again in our area.
Let’s go back to August for a minute…
SO many things kept coming up and we were worried that we weren’t going to end up getting the home. To complicate matters, the sellers ended up getting a couple of cash back up offers, after we had already accepted their counter offer, and would have been happy to have us fall through. (We’ve been told that we’re getting an amazing deal on the new place even though it was a quite a bit more than we had hoped to spend.) It seemed like every few days I was needing to get additional paperwork to prove this or that, while Sean was off fighting wildfires…
My parents stepped in to loan us some of the down we needed since our current home hasn’t sold yet. Their love and generosity, despite not being thrilled about us moving (and taking most of their grandchildren) out of state, has been such a blessing! They know that the move is a good one for our family.
On August 24th (the feast of St. Rose) everything finally started falling into place and our realtor called to say that the closing date was going to be moved to either October 1st (new feast of St. Therese) or October 3rd (traditional feast of St. Therese)!!! Our realtor’s birthday also happens to be October 1st… Of course it is! 🙂
Looks like we will be getting a new home for our anniversary on October 2nd this year!
Thank you for making time to post this update for us all Jessica. So very happy to hear your blessed news! Those dates are simply amazing. Continued prayers for you and your family during this season of tremendous change.
2018-09-24 00:37:15
Your house is gorgeous, Jessica, and I pray it sells quickly! Who wouldn't love those beautiful sloping exposed beam ceilings?!? We just sold a house we lived in for 15 years… it is so bittersweet when you are leaving the home where your babies have lived all their lives!! Your realty company name is great, so Scotch-Irish… my father had an uncle named Duncan Murphy (who he never met as he died in WWII)!
2018-09-24 04:12:08
Praying for you have courage
2018-09-24 06:31:39
Jessica, I've read your blog for many many years now, and my teens are very familiar with your lovely family. We have all been praying for you all regarding this big move and will continue to do so!
2018-09-24 10:10:33
Thank you, Leane! We really appreciate the prayers!
2018-09-24 14:59:30
Praying all goes well! Overwhelmed for you thinking of all the massive changes ahead and what needs to be done!!
2018-09-24 10:40:48
Thank you, Erin! I will miss this house. It really is bittersweet… and so hard to picture living somewhere else. My brother (Kevin Murphy) is our realtor! 🙂 I hope you are loving your new home!
2018-09-24 15:03:01
Thank you!!
2018-09-24 15:03:14
Thank you, Penelope! I know everyone's prayers are what will get us through this move. God bless you and your family!
2018-09-24 15:04:01
Thank you, Erin! At this point it's looking like the kids and I will be staying here, when Sean moves, as we wait for our house to sell. With two houses for a little while, I'll need to keep working here, and the older boys will at least be able to finish soccer season. They had really been looking forward to their senior year sports, but it's still undecided if and where they will be participating in basketball and golf seasons this year. So much to juggle! We will all go up together when we take possession of the new home and help get Sean settled, though he won't have much furniture until we move everything up! 🙂
2018-09-24 15:12:01
Oh my, I feel like we are in the same boat. We had a offer accepted on the home we are buying pending the sale of our current home. The sellers got another offer and we had to pull together enough for the down payment without selling our current house. Now we have two houses and the market has slowed significantly. God has been providing though and the sellers of our new house had to delay their move and are renting from us for now. Starting the novena to St Therese tonight. I will include your house sale in my daily rosary for our own sale.
2018-09-24 15:55:15
Jessica Thank You or the update. Prayers that all will be settled soon. God Bless Marilyn
2018-09-24 18:46:14
Prayers that your house will be sold soon and everything goes smooth. Joan
2018-09-24 18:47:08
Being the wife of a career Army veteran we had to move our three children eight times in our marriage. Once our children attended three different schools in three different states in one school year! We made it through each of those obstacles. God blessed our family on each journey and my husband and I always looked at the positives in each move. Moving comes with being in the military and of course we never had a choice as to where we were moving to. So God helped us to make the best of each new assignment. Through all of those uncertain new experiences our family became very close and we remain so to this day now that our three children are grown, married and have little ones of their own. I will pray for your family to get through your move Jessica. Something that I always thought about during our many moves was that we were doing it together as a family. When our children were small we always put their bedrooms together first in our new home so they would find comfort being with their toys and belongings in a new setting. That really helped them to get acclimated to our new environment. Any house can be made into a home and we were able to do that for our children in each new place that we lived. Yes it is difficult to leave a home that you have put so much of yourself into…but what made your house a home was all of the love and joy that YOU gave to your husband and to your children. And each of you will always have your precious memories of this special time in the house you are leaving. Now you will be able to carry to your new home all of your love, joy and motherly devotion along with the customs that you have established for your family to a new house which will very quickly become HOME to all of you. Being together as a family is the most wonderful BLESSING. I know you and your children will miss your husband so much until your present house sells– that finally being together as a family again in the same house will overcome all of the anxieties of moving. I also had to go through a few separations from my husband until there was housing available for our family and I know that it a difficult cross to bear Jessica. But oh the JOY of being together again outweighs the separation. Praying for your house to sell soon and for you and your children to be able to join your husband very soon in your new home filled with wonderful new family experiences…
2018-09-26 19:19:24