Can I dare to be so blunt for just a second? Moving is hard. Moving across state-lines is even harder. It's stressful. It's work. It's hard work. It's really hard work. It's tedious. It's taxing. It's all-consuming for the heart and the mind. It brings out the best and the worst. It's challenging. It's a marriage come-betweener. But also a marriage strengthener. If you're willing to let it be.
Maybe it's because, like most people, we want things lined out perfectly and in accordance with our timeline. Because that obviously makes the most sense--our timing makes sense. Completely. We've got this thing figured out. If all the phone calls and appraisals and piles of paperwork and oodles of what seems to be over-the-top nonsense signatures and initializing would take place when we think it should happen, than we wouldn't be this stressed out. This worn out. This......exhausted.
But don't forget to add in the fact that all these signatures and faxes and e-signatures and timelines and phone calls between realtors, lenders, family members, schools, etc. are taking place as we are simultaneously selling our NV home while purchasing our MN home. Frustrations mounting as clearly one process is outracing the other. At one point there was even high hopes of both crossing the finish line at the same time. Maybe. But as we came to somewhat of a 'hault' in both the buying and selling phases, that photo finish was diminishing. It's kinda like being stuck on I-35 in Minnesota during rush hour. A lot of speed up and slow down. Then braking. A lot of hurry up and wait.
Throw in the mix of all the home hupla, the record number of things needing to get done since a job change would also be occurring. The boys' records transferred, new emails to set up for both Andy and I, forms to fill out, applications to complete and rooms to look over just to name a few things. And it only makes sense that we would take care of some of that business in person while being in MN for only 3 weeks. (But there is still much to do in that regard) Is your head spinning yet?
Mind overload. Caffeinating by the gallons. Sleep? Clearly over-rated as of lately.
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| Minnesota Bound! Stopping in one of our favorite little towns: Walnut, IA |
That was basically us for nearly 3 weeks straight as we pushed through each new stress, each new hurdle that popped up out of nowhere that needed to be cleared first before we could get over the next one. And we did so with a lot of tears, sporadic laughter, many prayers and praises, family & friends' encouragement, and a whole lotta coffee!! We ventured to MN to take part in 2 very fantastically fun family reunions, one weekend after the next, house hunting in-between. I don't remember a time when our faith has been stretched soooo strongly in soooo many varying directions! And yet even when we could hardly take one more phone call, one more day of waiting for a specific phone call, one more initialing of a document, one more uncanny bump in the road, God's faithfulness never wavered. That I can say with full confidence. His presence never faded.
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| Here we go!! |
Morris & Darlene Carlson Family Reunion 2016!!
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| Dad & Mom and their 6 crazies--literally-- (Kari, Kevin, Karla, Dad, Mom, Keith, Kenny, Kendra) |
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| Some scheming about escaping--"let's just leave 'em" ;) |
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| 6 kids and spouses! |
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| Gramps & Grams with their Grandkids!(now there's a mischievous bunch...haha! But seriously...) |
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| And of course the Grands with their spouses! (minus one...we missed you Ryan N.!) |
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| The Fam!!!! |
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| no, it's not the hokey-pokey, we are actually praying. ;) So blessed!!! |
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| Kevin proving he really can (ahem...could) dunk a basketball! |
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| Auntie Charity with sweet Madelyn ;) |
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| Some of the Carlson parking lot |
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| Camden & Issac |
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| Gramps and Grams with the Great-grands!!!! |
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| Baby hilarity ;) (rather the moms in the background trying to get all these kids to look and smile!) |
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| Just having a little sibling fun!! |
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| "Wait for me! Wait for me!" hahahahaha! |
A Minnesota thunderstorm in all it's glory. Although there was a strike that took me back to my sophomore year in high school (my parent's house fire)...the eerie sound of the electricity in the air heard around midnight, the half-second before the lightning flashed and a millisecond later the thunder came crashing. A pile of us congregated in the kitchen to watch the night-light show before us. (my hubby took these awesome pics--no filter or editing whatsoever! Craziness. And beauty.)
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| it looked like daylight! |
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| Just. Awesome. |
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| Happy Father's Day!!! |
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| Love this Great-Auntie gig!!! |
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| cousins enjoying lunch in the tree-fort! |
Carlson/Swanson Reunion 2016
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| Carlson/Swanson family--even missing quite a few. What a heritage and legacy!!!! |
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| Thee First Cousins! ;) |
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| The remaining 4 of the 6 Carlson siblings! (Johnny, Rich, Morris, Marlys...) |
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| And their kids---First cousins! (missing 3...) |
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| First cousins--the gals!! |
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| Had to get a Sister Picture!! ;) |
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| A mama & her daughters---oh the crazy close bond we share. None like it! ;) Luvs!! |
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| But then there's this crazy cuz of mine--sure love ya Johnna!! Bunches! ;) |
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| Game time!! |
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| #forevermyguy |
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| Carson & Uncle Rich--who gave such wisdom & encouragement thru Carson's journey & surgeries! Love you! |
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| cousin creek fun!! |
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| of course uncle Johnny would get in with the kiddos...;) Loved it! |
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| uncle Rich with his gorgeous girls! |
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| go Auntie Marlys!!! :) Softball--farm style! But with legit fielding regulations!! |
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| Nice hit Carson!! |
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| The storm rolling in as we headed to the church to end the day! |
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| The family altogether to end a pretty fantastic day/weekend!! |
As many times as I've stated it, I'll sing the same song and dance again: God is in the details. And just as He has done from the very start of this chapter of our story, He absolutely blew us away at times with how His hand was clearly leading. Don't worry, I'll give you a few of those details because He deserves all the glory and credit...and because I want your arms to be filled with goosebumps just like ours were and continue to be. I want that smile to creep across your face as it did ours, sometimes with laughter directly behind it, because it was a moment when all we could say was, "that's God!"
With both reunions on the weekend, we took to the cities for 3 days during the week in-between to meet with our realtor (.... the same realtor we worked with 11 years ago when we moved to NV...that's God!). Going with open minds, we weren't anticipating to find "that house" but we knew the real potential of one of them before the house hunting day arrived. And with that, house #3 of that first day became one we knew we had to make an offer on. So we did. But not without some strenuous contemplative pros and cons, heartfelt prayers, and a final leap of faith. And maybe a stressed meltdown or two (my sweet sisters were witness to that one...).
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| Our future home..in Nowthen, Minnesota (which is also Anoka) |
After hours of conversation and more time on our knees, we made the offer that next morning, which happened to be the morning of our 14th wedding anniversary. That's gotta count for something, right? Why not put an offer on a potential house as a "happy 14th anniversary honey"?! (is a house even in the line-up of anniversary gifts....???)
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| 14 years strong!! And going stronger... |
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| Still captivated by him... |
And then the call came. Right before our night out to dinner, our realtor's name appeared on Andy's cell phone. His exact words were: "well, there's been another offer. And it was a cash offer." Not gonna lie, two hearts might have sank just a little at that...but then came this: "But she took your offer! And that never happens when a cash offer is involved." Naturally, those goosebumps and a few tears appeared and all we could say was "That's God!!!!" Needless to say, our anniversary dinner tasted especially good that night.
We continued to look at other homes, 5 to be exact, the very next day even, but none were comparable to what we found on Waco Street. Even in the looking, God was affirming of the home we had set our sights on and now it was a matter of 'hurry up and wait' until inspection was complete and the lending process could begin. That alone has details written only in God's handwriting.
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| Mason watching the cattle |
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| out to breakfast! |
As I looked back on the journal I kept during all of this, my head was spinning to think of all that was happening--documents we suddenly needed to provide, and were able to regardless of phone calls to school districts and banks and forms filled out and papers signed & faxed. There were so many times when we wanted to know what was ahead, how long things would take, when we would have the specific answers we were looking for, but God never gave us more details than we needed to know at the time. The waiting was antagonizing at times. And still is!! But then I was greatly, yet gently, reminded of how God very often only lights our path so far in advance. While sitting in church one Sunday, in Hinckley MN, the pastor made just a few comments on that very thing--to not look or plan so far in advance, or we'll miss what God has right in front of us at our feet. Psalm 119:105 talks about His Word being a lamp unto our feet--a lamp, which provides ample lighting for what's directly in front of us. Not a flashlight, which would would give a greater light farther down the path. If we had that, then we may miss the log smack dab in front of us that our feet would cause us to trip over. Those words still echo in my ears as even as I type this as we selfishly long to see farther down the path than God's lamp is shining right now. But God is literally giving us what we need to know for today, one a day at a time...most of the time! We're anxious to know the details of appraisal and equity on our NV home; anxious to know costs of improvements and timelines to our new home; anxious of feeling settled into a new school, new home, new community; anxious of finding a new church family.
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| cousins and their kittens ;) |
But God's Word promises us this: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
We may not have all the immediate answers we crave and desire but God's peace prevails. And that's all we truly need.
CANADA!!!!
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| Canada bound boys!! :) |
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| Anderson and Mulvihill boys! |
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| Carson is one serious lil' fisherman! |
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| The crew!! |
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| Canadian beauty!! |
I will admit that in all of this 'hurry up and wait', the processing still continues. It's processing the actuality of this move taking place. It's processing the bittersweetness of moving away from family and close friends and moving closer to family and close friends. It's a processing of the timing, the packing and the unpacking, the running to-do list that more often than not runs faster than a hamster on it's ever-spinning wheel. It's processing how our 3 gents are doing and the fact that they're taking it all in stride. It's taking the actual process with all it's curves and loopholes and upside-down roller coaster moves before the Lord in constant surrender to HIS will....not ours. Processing, in so many ways. As we watched the Olympic trials in our hotel room on the way back home to NV from being home in MN, one competitor stated that one of the biggest lessons she learned was that "God's delays aren't necessarily his denials." That was enough to send the tears stinging as we've felt those delays.
Emotions are taxed. On soooo many levels. But laughter still ensues. Coffee still consumed. Insistence on making this as fun as possible amidst the stresses. Dating my man still in-tact. Packing is full steam ahead. And we continue to keep trusting, keep pursuing, and keep 'waiting on the Lord.' We keep looking forward to all that God around the bend for this faith fam of five!!
Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
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| Buried in boxes!!! |
(a moving date of July 27th is set....until further notice....)
