The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways…

Wow! It really has been FOREVER since I’ve posted anything. And what an amazing six months it has been. So where to start….Well, probably should start with were we were last fall. I had just started my 4th year of teaching. Landon was entering his 2nd semester of Engineering, and we were learning amazing things about budgeting and financial tips from our wonderful friends the Kerrs.  That’s why my last post was all about Dave Ramsey, and boy do we love how our life has changed because of a strict budget and having goals to work towards instead of just playing and enjoying the day to day life with nothing to show for it at the end of the month.

Anyways, life was going well and we were making good progress, when Landon felt like maybe going back to school for a 2nd bachelors degree wasn’t the best thing for us afterwards. It was confusing to us because we knew we were directly prompted for Landon to quit his job working for Allstate insurance, start school again, and for us to move into his parents basement. It took a leap of faith to do these things since it meant moving in with our parents and going to a single paycheck. So we prayed about it and felt like it would be alright to quit school. Landon was getting good grades, but he already knew that he wouldn’t enjoy being an Engineer. Another three years of school seems daunting and a lifetime career seemed depressing to Landon.

But the Lord works in Mysterious ways. Because when all of this was going through our minds and Landon was finishing up the semester, we started talking to our new friends we had made in the ward about our dilemma. It turned out that our friend worked in the exact area of work that Landon’s original degree, Advertisement and Design for a music company named Chesbro. Soon, he offered Landon some extra side jobs that Landon worked on between classes. He helped design some websites for the company. Then in January, Chesbro offered Landon a full time position working on the Marketing team. It was an answer to prayers. For over two years we had looked for a job that Landon could use his bachelors degree, and everyone told us that he didn’t have enough experience. The job market is just so competitive for anyone coming out of college right now. And I know that Landon wouldn’t have gotten this job if we hadn’t moved into his parent’s home and become friends with this wonderful family.

But the Story isn’t finished yet, it’s been six months since Landon started work. He enjoys his job, and it’s the happiest I’ve seen him working. We continued to throw any extra money we could come up with towards student debts, car debt, and savings. We had a plan to live one more year with Mom and Dad before moving out. Secretly we had been looking at homes and daydreaming about what kind of home we would love to move into as a starter home. But we knew that logically we should wait.

But the Lord works in Mysterious ways. The Sunday after my last day of school, Landon and I both had the same thoughts and feelings about becoming serious about house hunting. It surprised us when talking after church that we both were thinking the same thoughts. We figured that we would probably go slow, build a huge stash of cash, and spend the whole summer looking with a realtor, just dip our toes in the market.

Nope! That wasn’t what our Loving Heavenly Father had in mind for us. We had already spend hours and hours dreaming of our first home, and so we knew what was affordable for us and what was available in the area. We put together a list of ten homes or so, and called a Realtor that was recommended to us. She gladly showed us around to these homes all Thursday and Friday. And by Friday night, I was very discouraged. Everything was so old, out-dated, and gross. I felt guilty for sticking my nose up at these homes. I knew how much our parents and grandparents had sacrificed to live in a small starter home…and I should be realistic and sacrifice as well.

But the Lord works in Mysterious ways. On Saturday morning, I suggested to Landon that maybe none of these homes were feeling right because we were looking in the wrong area of town. So we made up a list of another 15 homes and started to drive around looking at what kind of neighborhoods they were in. Once again, I was discouraged. We went home and Landon started looking online again. We had an appointment with our realtor to finish looking at our original list of homes, but I wasn’t too exited. But just a few hours before going out for the afternoon, Landon found a home in a neighborhood we hadn’t even looked at because it was out of our price range. It was a short sale and had some cat damage, so the price was amazingly low. We quickly added it to our list to view for the day and went out excited. It turned out to be the nicest home we had looked at yet…but it smelled so horrible! The previous owners had let their pet cats tear up the carpet and go to the bathroom anywhere! Gross….but had good potential. It was the newest home we had looked at yet. So we went off to Home Depot to get an idea of how much repairs and replacements would cost. How about $10,000!!!! I couldn’t believe how much cats and lazy owners would cost. Plus, we were told that a short sale would probably take 5 months to process before we could start renovations and moving in.

But the Lord works in Mysterious ways! Just about the same time as we were debating weather we should  invest the money into this home, Landon noticed a home down the street in the same nice neighborhood that was listed for sale. It would be the same cost as this ‘cat home’ after we spent the money to fix it up, but it was already super nice and clean! They owners had taken really nice care of it and they wanted to get out super fast because the husband had already moved to St. George, UT for school and a job. The mom and kids were in Idaho trying sell the house, so they dropped the price to the lowest in the neighborhood…right in our price range. It was amazing. Such a tender mercy from our loving Heavenly Father. We loved it from the moment we walked in, and made an offer on the home that very night.

This is a tiny horrible picture, but all of the listing info with pictures is now gone and we never took a picture of the home from the outside…this was the best I could come up with. There is a nice online tour you can take however.

http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=866452&r=www.zillow.com

We will be moving in just two weeks! It still doesn’t seem real at all. We are so excited to have our own place with lots of space. And quiet :)

So I am spending the next few weeks daydreaming of how to decorate, menu plans, and trying to wait patiently…its hard!

We have felt so blessed lately. And on the baby-making front…still no success with becoming pregnant, but the doctors have finally found the right dose of meds to help me ovulate! For the first time in five years, I’m ovulating. So we have three months to try these meds, and then back to the doctor. We’ll see. I actually feel very calm and peaceful with which ever occurs. Weather I’m pregnant now, or later…I’m happy.

There is a new motto I’ve started living by:

Here is the link to wonderful talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/come-what-may-and-love-it?lang=eng

It defiantly helped me have a better outlook on life and trials and learning to enjoy the moment. Optimism and knowing the Lord always has a better plan that I ever do! That has been my lesson these last few months. I would have never have guessed last year that my life would have had so much direction and guidance. That we would be moving into our first home, Landon finding his first ‘real’ job, our money skills increasing, or that my teaching career would go so well! (I was awarded teach of the year award in my school!) Amazing. Not to say that life hasn’t been hard or that I haven’t cried over stress and sadness more than once this year…but over all, life has been blessed and wonderful.

So Come What May and Love it.