Goosebumps and another answered prayer

God is amazing! 
 I see HIS work in every aspect of my life and this story is one more testament to HIS work!

This is a long story, but I hope you will find it is worth the read:

As many of you know, our house has been on the market for thirteen-months.
For thirteen-months I have been praying that we would sell our house before Addie became mobile. 
Addie started crawling on Saturday and on Monday, we sold our house! 
 I know that God hears my prayers, but this was just amazing! 
 HE heard my ceaseless prayers as I begged HIM to show me the way and guide me and help me to determine what was best for my children.

As soon as we got the phone call from our agent, I started praying because after I checked the MLS I knew there wasn't a house out there that we cared to have. 
 I asked God to guide me and show me where we should be, to help me follow HIS path. 
 On the way to baseball practice, I asked Chris if we could drive through the same neighborhood where we built a house last year.
We really love this neighborhood and have been hoping for a house to come on the market. 
 The house we built last year just didn't work out and I realized it was because it wasn't meant for us to be in that house. 
 Three months after Addie was born, Chris and I started looking at plans to build a house. 
 We thought we needed a house that would accommodate a child with physical and severe mental delays, so we built one with those specifications in mind. 
We realize now, that God was leading us in another direction. 

 So, here we are feeling a bit unnerved because we don't know what to do. 
 As we were driving through this neighborhood, I spotted a FSBO sign in a yard of a house that is completely unlike any house that we have looked at before. 
 As soon as Chris saw it, he told me to call. 
 I spoke to the owner and she invited us to stop by. 
 Chris took us to the baseball field and went back to look at the house. 
 Over an hour later, he came back to the field and started telling me all the things about this house that would fit us perfectly and that this house "feels like home". 
 In the last thirteen-months, there has only been one other house that we could say that about and it sold months ago! 

 We made an appointment to see the house again the next day after therapy. 
 We went back and spent a good deal of time going through the house and then decided to get Julien and bring him back to look. 
 Julien is by far the toughest critic of a house. 
 He just about drove us mad in the search for a house! 
 Julien loved this house and we decided to bring our agent back the next morning to make an offer. 
 We found out from the owner's that their house went on the market the same day that Addie started to crawl. 
I just feel that God made this house available for us in answer to my prayers! 
 We had a long 48-hour wait for a definite decision, so we took that time to continue our search. 
 We looked at five houses on Thursday night in the pouring rain - that was fun... 
 We found one house that we have reserved as a back up just in case our first choice doesn't work out. 
 Our back up house is in Riverwoods and is very pretty, not entirely functional for us, but when it comes down to being homeless...it looks quite nice!

I have been waiting for two weeks to post this part...

We closed on our house tonight!
The house that I am so certain God led us to is not available until June 9th. 
 We are officially homeless! 
My aunt has graciously offered to let us stay at the lake house until the 9th. A great little mini vacation in the midst of all the stress! 
 I know God has led us to this house and I feel certain this is where we should be. 
There are great things about the new house and what sealed the deal for me was the moment I put Addie down to talk to the owner of the house, she immediately crawled over to the window and was looking out at Julien in the yard. It all just feels right.

We feel this is our new start. 
 Our new start so that we can leave the past behind and focus on continuing to find the good in all that we have and all that we are. 
 God has been so gracious and giving to us and as each day passes, I realize more and more how lucky I am. I never would have seen this world in this light had it not been for the events that reshaped our lives on December 31, 2006. 
 This move is our new beginning and I am so excited!

To top all this off, we sold our house to some amazingly good people! 
They have graciously agreed to keep an eye out for Max and to call if he comes home (they're cat lovers too!). 
 I keep praying that I will have closure - one way or the other.

Celebrating Nine Years!

My sweet girl had a very busy day! We spent the day by having lunch at one of Addie's favorite restaurants, then I took her s...