A Home For the Medranos

After many painstaking months walking through the process of praying, selling, praying, packing, moving, praying, house hunting, and of course some more prayer sprinkled in for good measure, we found our house!!!! The initial contract was signed almost two weeks ago, and we began the inspection process this past week. We were excited, but a little hesitant to get too excited. The first inspection yielded some concerns with the roof and foundation.Since the inspector is more of a generalist, he suggested we have some experts come in to give a second opinion. It was a difficult process for me. There is an old Caedmon's Call song with these lines:

My faith is like shifting sand Changed by every wave 
 My faith is like shifting sand 
So I stand on grace, stand on grace

Yeah that pretty much sums up me. How many times have I seen my God come through? Hmmm I think I could write a few books. Somehow each new wave of circumstance erases my memory. The bottom line God reminded me time and time again is that my home is not a house built of brick and mortar. Whether this particular house came through or not it did not change His love for me or His promise to never leave me or forsake me.

So here we are two weeks later and every issue we had with the home has been signed off on and given the thumbs up. Our little laundry list of small repairs is being completely taken care of by the sellers. As of midnight our option period will end and we will be only 3 weeks out from moving our family into our new home. God has been faithful even when things don't seems to  go our way. He has been gracious to meet the desires of our heart, and even more gracious to mold our desires to make them more like His desires.

Our dream for our new house is to make it a place of God's peace and love for friends, family, and people we have yet to meet. We want to fill it will people, love, fellowship, and the sounds of laughter as we break bread together. To all who have prayed and listened as we walked through this process, thank you, We have been so blessed along the journey. We can't wait to continue the journey with so many of you!

Selling a House and Other Fun Stuff

We took the plunge. After close to 7 years of living in our home we finally made the final decision to sell our townhome. We have mulled over this for years as our family has grown, but the time was never right.  The year 2012 was a year of personal transition for us, and by the end of the year we knew it was time. On January 27th we put it up for sale by owner. I've heard home selling can be quite the roller coaster, and our short experience has not disappointed. I do not do well with change. I know many people spend their lives moving. I spent the majority of my years growing up in the same house. The most I moved was after getting married, and each move was still difficult for me. As much as I long for a new house, this is still home. It is the only home my children have known. It is where I have rocked each of my babies to sleep. It is where we have celebrated birthdays and holidays. It is where  I have loved and cried myself to sleep. It is home.
I know that with time I will learn to love a new house. I do long for a yard my children can run around in and a fireplace for that rare cold night in Texas. For now I am learning to let go, and be grateful for all God has done in this house, and all He will continue to do at the next home. Where we go, He goes, and that is a blessed promise indeed.

Sweet Home

We made it back early this evening. Seattle was rainy, cool, and beautiful, but I know I speak for the whole family when I say we are happy to be home. Going away just helps you appreciate all you have that much more. I wish I could have taken the scenery home. There were so many blazing yellow, fiery red and orange leaves. It really was a wonderful sight to take in. Even though I will miss this I felt a twinge of excitement as we broke through the clouds and I spotted the winding freeways, flat land sparsely populated with trees, and none other than a Grand Prairie landmark.... Lone Star Park!

It wasn't a long trip, but it was just right for our family with two small children. We did a lot in just a few days. Kaylie would actually tell me she was ready to go to bed which almost never happens. The trip was not without it's challenges, but I'm already starting to forget those as memories of all the fun times begin to cement in.

I will update more later with pictures. We have a few days to recuperate before heading back to the rat race. Chris and I will be celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary Sunday. Along with that and Halloween on Saturday we still have a lot of fun to pack in before it's over.

A Day As a Stay At Home Mom

I t was my first time alone with just me and the kids. I know that probably sounds weird to the modern family of the twenty first century. Call us crazy but Chris and I just like to be together. Of course we argue and get on each other’s nerves at times, but there is something comforting about having each other around. What can I say, we love each other. We eat every dinner together as a family and spend most of our weeknights at home watching movies, playing the Wii, or talking. Chris has never had to travel with his job so it took me a bit by surprise when he was asked to travel to Chicago for a trade show. I really thought it would be no big deal a few days away and time will go by quickly. I didn’t think much of it and when Sunday came we said our goodbyes and dropped him off at the airport. I made plans for the next two days to keep the kids busy and give ourselves a little routine.

I was holding up well until we came home from swimming that afternoon. The kids were well behaved, but even when they are it is still a little work when you are used to having such a great helper around. I know I am spoiled and I have so much respect for women who have husbands who travel or are in the military and especially for any single mom. My hat is off to you! Something about coming home and the kids napping and a great quiet settles over everything. Suddenly it hits me that it’s just a little too lonely without my best friend around. Of course right about that time I get a phone call and that always makes things a little better.

Finally I get to what I really wanted to blog about. That is my day as a stay at home mom. It was bittersweet because of course I missed my sweetheart, but it was also glorious in so many ways. Of course all of you stay at home moms know there is no such things as sleeping in even when you don’t have an office waiting for you at 8am. Around seven I hear a voice next to me saying,” mommy, mommy, its morning, and I had a good nap.” Kaylie makes no distinction between sleeping through the night and taking a nap so she always just tells me she had a good nap. I ask her to please give me just a few more minutes, but then five minutes later I here Micah drumming on his crib waiting for me to come greet him. At this point I’m up. There’s just too much day to waste sleeping. I actually get to make breakfast since we are not in a rush to get out the door, and we enjoyed a gourmet breakfast of biscuits and bacon while watching my personal favorite, Sesame Street. After packing bags and quick baths we head out on our first adventure, story time at the library. My mom usually takes the kids on Thursday, but we decided to catch the Monday edition. It cute and quirky and Kaylie loves it. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much she participates. She used to be a little shy, but she really gets involved now. Micah spent most of story time trying to wriggle out of my arms so he could crawl around the room. Story time just isn’t as appealing to him yet. Afterwards we had to scrap our plans for the park as the rain started to fall. We opted instead for the mall’s indoor playground. What a zoo that place is! Micah really enjoyed it despite the chaos and my constant worrying that he would be trampled. He took his first few steps on Friday so this was his big chance to display his skills to the world.

As the rain fell intermittently through the morning I decided that we should head home for a short nap. I was successful at getting the boy to sleep, but Kaylie tends to talk nonstop in an attempt to fight sleep. At last the house was quiet and a soft rain started to beat on the windows. I cannot describe how wonderful it was to take that nap as I listened to the rain fall. How often I sit at work watching the rain just wishing I could be at home in bed. It really was all it is cracked up to be. It wasn’t a long nap, but just enough to recharge for the afternoon. I loaded up the kids and picked my parents up at the airport so we could meet Melody at The Incredible Pizza Company. It was good to spend some time with them, and a great help with the kids. That place is nuts and I could not imagine going by myself with the kids. I cannot believe how loud it was even on a Monday afternoon.

I left with two happy kids and realized it was already past four, the time I would normally be coming home from work. Why must the day go by so quickly when we are having fun?

We settled in at home and I began to prepare for the following day. I wanted everything in order since I alone would be responsible for packing bags and getting them off to grandmas. It was rough knowing it would be back to the old routine. It is no easy task managing children and a home. I will never be one to say that moms who stay home have it easier than those of us who work. I will say that the time I have had to play a stay at home mom with my children is still by far more rewarding than any other job I have ever done.

Across the Ocean Seems So Far Away

My dad has been in Africa for over a month now. I knew he would be far away, but when you are a busy working mom you find that it's easy to pass the time by just living life. When I go over to their house it's often just like dad's at work or in the office. I haven't spoken to him much because of the time difference, power outages in Burkina Faso, and all the things that can make transcontinental communication difficult. I just happened to pick up the kids this afternoon, and mom was on the phone with him. We were able to talk briefly before his phone disconnected.

When I was little there were a few times my dad traveled without us, or we traveled to visit family without him if he was working. I remember hating the moment we had said our goodbyes and he turned to walk away. I dreaded those few moments knowing how much I would miss him and how far away it seemed he would be. I just wanted to get a good cry out so all those bottled up kid emotions could get out. Talking to my dad today made me feel that way again. Of course I am all grown up and I know I will see him again, but it's just the reality of how far away he really is.

I suppose no matter how grown up we get there is always that child in us that longs for the closeness of home, and not the structure. Instead the home we found or always wanted to find in the safety and security of our parents love and presence in our lives.

When you read this dad I love you and miss you. I know you will come home, but tonight across the ocean seems so far away.

Like a Punch in the Gut

Have you ever been strolling through life happy, unaware of the pot hole waiting just around the corner? Well I just hit that pothole, and it feels more like a punch in the gut. This may be an exaggeration, but it's a fresh hit so I need to vent. No one is completley immune to this recession. Today we found out that due to some foreclosures in our neighborhood our appraisal on our home was not enough to meet the refinance requirements. Not only are we paying a ridiculously high interest rate, but Dallas county in gouging us on taxes with an inflated property value. We wanted to dispute this and lower our payment, but ironically the deadline for the 2009 year was June1. There are still a few options on the refinance, but right now things look pretty bleak. It looks like we could be stuck with this ARM for a little while longer and who knows what rates will start to inflate to in the unstable market . It is completely frustrating when we were banking on paying some major debt off with the monthly savings.

Now I just need to take a step back. I know there are others in much dire straits than we are. It's times like these that patience and perseverance are what keep us holding it together. Now I guess I will just put on my big girl panties and do the only thing I can. Deal with it!

Update from Hibernation

I have not been a good blogger lately. Part of this is due to the fact that I have kept busy at work, and part of it is lack of interest. I hate that I say that, but some days I'm just not up to the daily broadcast. When I write I like to sit down and collect my thoughts and not be interrupted. Considering I do most of my blogging at work this is not always possible. I have a few moments now so here goes a quick update.

In the first tidbit we are no longer putting the house on the market. We were starting to get things ready when two foreclosed in our neighborhood were put on the market for about $40,000 less than we needed to make on our home. Considering they were in decent condition we could not justify to most buyers such a high cost at this time. To be honest it felt like a little setback. We were so pumped to sell the house and pay off a huge chunk of our debt as well as get a cheaper payment in an apartment. It seems like no matter what avenue we try to take God keeps bringing us back to stay in this house for awhile longer. We decided to go ahead and try to refinance. I was excited to find out that since we did not use an FHA the first time around we could qualify to refinance into one with a 4.5% interest rate. Now that is an awesome rate! Of course we will not reap the benefits of selling and collecting a huge sum of cash to pay off a large debt, but there is also no guarentee we would have sold right away or even anytime in the future. In the mean time we would have continued paying a ridiculously high interest rate. We will save almost $300 a month which will definitely help us accelarate our debt snowball. The only thing that could make me happier if if I could move our home out of Dallas county. The taxes are outrageous! We also received good news that our new rate will be assumable, meaning in the future when were try to sell, any potential buyer who qualifies for an FHA can assume our interest rate. Most likely rates will not be this low in a year or two. This will make our home a very attractive property and set us apart from others who might be selling.

In the meantime we are focusing on continuing our financial baby steps and making this home feel like home. Chris and I were both talking last night about how we have focused more on the future and eventually being somewhere else instead of just being content and making this our home for now. We still both carry a strong desire for the simple church ideas, and feel maybe our forward thinking has kept us from truly becoming apart of our neighborhood to impact people here and now in our community. Proverbs says,"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." I know we have made a lot of plans, but God moves our steps. He is in control, and we are most at peace when we don't try to put up roadblocks. Wherever I am and wherever I end up all I can say is,"God use me."

Another big change in our lives is my dad is going to Africa for three months. He has been appointed to go help bring some wisdom and structure to a ministry he has worked closely with in Burkina Faso. He has some hard work ahead of him, but I know it will be a great time for him to make connections and be in a land he has come to love so much. We will all miss him a lot. It really hasn't sunk in yet that he won't be around the whole summer. He has traveled for maybe two weeks at a time, but this is a little different. I know Kaylie is really going to miss her papa.

I really have wanted to post pictures, but our computer at home is a pain right now. It is running slower than molasses so it is not worth much. Maybe one day in the future I will get to it.


Now I need to get back and finish up for the end of the day. I'll try to make the next post sooner that two weeks!

Family Unit

I have been thinking a lot about the dynamics of a family lately. I remember after having Kaylie how I struggled with whether I could love another baby as much as her. I knew deep inside I wanted another child, but I was often hesitant on pinpointing a time. I finally realized I could wait forever and there would never be a "perfect" time. When I found out I was pregnant with Micah I was excited, but still a little worried about how this would effect Kaylie. She is pretty close with Chris and I. I feared it would be difficult for her to share time that had soley been devoted to her. After Micah was born my fears began to melt away. She was so excited and proud of her little brother. Now Kaylie has never been maternal. She doesn't play with baby dolls and she tries to help with Micah, but she's not jumping to change diapers or anything. In spite of this she still has this deep love for her brother. Recently we were loading into the car and Chris was about to put Micah in. Kaylie didn't see the carseat in his hand and asked where Micah was. Chris jokingly told her he was staying home. Kaylie burst into tears. She was so upset. She did not want Micah to be left at home alone. This is what I love about Kaylie. She is intuitive. She can read feelings and she never wants anyone to be left alone. She does have her share of terrible 3 year old moments, but deep inside is an enduring goodness that is so pure.
Micah is still carving his place, but he already has made a deep impact on our lives. Micah makes me stop and realize that I don't always have to be doing something. He loves to be held close and will let me know he does not appreciate my focus being on something else. I like to multi-task, but he has shown me sometimes it is good to just be still and enjoy the moment.
If there is anything I have learned about family it is that everyone has a place. No matter how we evolve over time as we grow we each bring something vital to the table. I am learning to appreciate my husband and each child, for who they are and how they make our home a happier place.

Hello World, Welcome to My Home

I have heard many good things about blogspot. My husband encouraged me to move over here because he does not have a myspace account and it is easier for him to read. I also like the fact that I can post blogs at work and not spend too much time working on them when I am home with the family. I have seen so many clever blogs already. I aspire to be a better writer, but it is always humbling to read some of the more witty writings of others. I will try to keep things as interesting as possible, but really this is just a little slice of my world, or my corner if you will. I write to simply relate in the many simple experiences that we all share upon this planet. If anything I write is cause for inspiration or further contemplation on an issue, then that is icing on my cake! So welcome to my life. I look forward to us getting to know one another.