We're In!

Last night was our first night here! It is so incredible to go from 820 square feet to over twice that. It used to be that when I made our bed that the room was 80% clean. For 9 years Marc could not step off the side of his bed because it hit the wall. Now we don't even have a bed, but that will change Monday, Lord Willing. Wait 'til you see it! For now we have a mattress on the floor, and I can tell you it's a very normal sized room for most people, but to us it feels like the Amiens Cathedral. We don't bonk into each other to get out of the room or wait in line to get to the sock drawer anymore.

We're really thankful and happy: Jamin expressed our feeling with grateful thanksgiving to the Lord. The kids prayed for a year about adding on, and now that the answer was completely different than we expected, we just give thanks!

It is still kind of paint fumey in here (no worries- low VOC paint- or was that no VOC?) but it all smells fresh and new. The carpets are either brand new or fluffy from a cleaning, the furniture is in (THANK YOU to Reese and Michael and Cristian!!!! They were absolutely great.) Lukey said all day yesterday and all day today "I'm so happy..." and Amber said quietly to me while taking my hand, "Mommy, it's just a dream come true." But tonight she lay in her bed and the light went out and she said, "Hey! I'm all alone in here!" "That's having your own room, sweetheart! Isn't that cool? There's nobody to bug you and keep you awake." "But I have nothing to do!" "Going to sleep is what you have to do." They had such a busy day: they went to the beach with my sister (again a big thank you there!!) who took them for the whole day as I had seven and a half hours to work and Marc had a house to empty, and what a day they had! Jamin put it this way: "We saw three trains and two pods of whales!" They saw wild orcas! I'm all jealous! 

We had breakfast this morning together in the homeschool area, sitting on the floor, then Marc and the guys had Garlic Jim's pizza on the deck because it was a beautiful day, and one of my students brought me Indian food for lunch because they offered to help me out that day. I am so grateful because all the food in our house was gone by lunchtime and the food was so good! I've only had Indian food one or two other times, and I liked it lots then, and this was the best of all. Tonight we ate dinner at our table in the eating area for the first time, and it was a peaceful feeling. We have to keep looking around us!

 These were the worthy young Levites who were helping us move into our tabernacle...

 Reese in back and Michael... Michael looks like he's thinking about lifting the whole thing up with that strap.

 And now that troublesome thing has got to come out of there! (The fridge, I mean.)

 (The wooden box went upstairs to Amber's room.) This room is a work in progress...

 Bookshelf in progress

 Kitchen color in, and still trying to tackle the construction clean!

 Finally the fridge is in! The fridge came from the old place and fits perfectly. I heard it was really troublesome to get it inside! The door frame it's next to looks slightly banged up, but I know a good painter.

 The Rogers sent us a surprise package with love which came while I was teaching today. It was generously stuffed with treats, fudge, chocolate covered espresso beans, apple cider, tea, cookies, fruit roll ups, coloring pages from Bible stories, boxes and boxes of brand new crayons, a beautiful book, toys, chips... a candle, bath salts, and more... Wow! What a sweet ! On the box was written "To be opened at your new house!" THANK YOU ROGERS FAMILY!!

This is the living configuration for now

 And we got these in the mail! (Als je zou zeer goed kijken, kun je jezelf vinden...)

 In the study- a desk is to be set up...

 in Amber's room a bed is to be made and slept in,

 And in the boys' room too...

At first I hated that light because the whole room was an ugly metallic bronze-gold, but it works with this color all right. 

Thanks for checking in, to family, but also to those who I know care about us. When the dust settles (and gets wiped up and out of here) we can't wait to have company! And I believe I know some with tickets...