...We are beginning to see light at the end of this rather long tunnel...indeed, a much longer tunnel than anticipated back in February...
...No, actually, December 2016...when the proverbial ball began rolling towards Pennsylvania.
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| Photo from our recent motorcycle ride |
Seems like not even one flippin' step of this journey has been easy or simple, BUT we just keep placing one foot in front of the other and asking God to go with us...before us, actually.
Sometimes God delivers you FROM the trial....and, sometimes He delivers you THROUGH the trial. This time, for us, its a "through", with lots of stretching, bending and growing for good measure. Truly, a test of our faith, fortitude, and family bonds...our patience and perseverance...our diplomacy and humility - I could write a book!
And, we're still not 100% certain of the final outcome of this little adventure, but at least the muddy waters are beginning to settle out and our new home....new life back in PA...is taking shape.
Autumn is upon us, and so far it's been dry and mild - thank goodness!
In summary: When we finally sold our property in New York (after major shenanigans!), we purchased this property in Berks County, PA, dropped two camper/trailers on it next to the horse barn in which the four of us would live, temporarily, and set about restoring the property. After about 7 or 8 weeks, and numerous challenges, small and large, we discovered that the foundation of the old house was "crumbly" and not something we could, in good conscience, rebuild on. After much research and deliberation, we decided to replace the dilapidated house with a modular home, which will be built in an enormous warehouse somewhere in central PA, I believe, delivered to our property and put together on a bran' spankin' new foundation!
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| Signs of Fall |
Issues with the bank and the township, due to intense regulations and more restrictions than we counted on in the financing and construction world have delayed this whole process time and again...and, again.
Even just today, the township called Don to explain that, according to their "codes" we cannot set the house in the same location as the old house, as we'd planned. Apparently, because our property is, technically, two parcels, and the new rules apply as to how far any permanent structure must be from designated property lines, we need to move the house at least another 20 feet away from that imaginary line between the 2 parcels, even though we never plan to subdivide the property. Oye!
But finally, TOMORROW, we close on the construction loan and our G.C. from Patriot Homes, Leon, comes out to the property, along with the mason who will lay our new foundation, to evaluate the property and make plans for getting this thing DONE! I still have this recurring nightmare that Patriot Homes shows up with the house, then can't get it down our long, narrow, driveway fraught with obstacles, so they drive away with me frantically chasing after them. So, hopefully, Leon can put my mind at ease tomorrow morning. Hopefully.
And, last Thursday, I chose the cabinets, counters, flooring, trim and siding from the options provided by the builder. I'm definitely more of a "farmhouse" girl, but the builder's options were much more on the "modern" side, so adding my own special look with lighting, hardware, furniture and such over the next couple years will be fun!
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| Also taken on our beautiful bike ride! |
Late last fall, when Don first showed me this property, I liked it immediately, but had many reservations, mostly because of the poor condition of the house. However, my visionary husband had a beautiful vision for this 7+ acres, we later learned was known as "Echo Acres" back in its heyday.
When it seemed that all other doors back to PA were closed, I agreed that this property had tons of potential...And, I could tolerate living in a camper "for about 4 months" to see it restored. We hit the 4-month mark two weeks ago...and we've got 8 weeks in the campers to go.
Some days, I wonder, " If we'd just waited another 3 or 4 months in New York would a less complicated new home have shown up? Should we have just rented something for a year or so before purchasing a new property?"
Then, I catch myself - "Nope! Not gonna go there! KEEP... MOVING... FORWARD. Trust that my Heavenly Father has always had this in mind, and He will see us through it!"
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| Love this peaceful spot on our property! |
We all are SOOO ready to be in a house! Ready to prepare meals and stock the pantry in a REAL kitchen (gettin' sick of grilling, eating out and grocery shopping every 4 days to accommodate our teeny camper fridge and cabinets). Ready to run a dishwasher. Ready to flush a normal toilet first thing in the morning, take 20-minute HOT showers...have a party in the bathroom if we feel like it!!!
Ready for a bit more personal space and privacy. Practice yoga in my bedroom, and pray in my closet if I feel like it. The girls are very excited to have their own rooms, finally!
But, ya know...I'm gonna kinda miss Jake's laundromat...makes for interesting observation of human beings. I'll miss the sweet little Asian lady who runs the place and talks my ear off in her very broken English, at least! LOL!
I will not take my home for granted when we finally move into it - No, Sirrree!
We've got this area to clean up, yet, and, this morning we learned that we need to work out EXACTLY where the new house will be situated, since it can't go where the old house was...But, then Don can "dig in" to the excavation work. (Pun, intended - Ha!) I'll be sure to share some photos of that and the new foundation in the coming weeks.
On a side note: Remember way back in one of my early-June posts, I mentioned feeling terrible because of some hormonal and, seemingly, intestinal issues I was having? I was also experiencing headaches and pretty intense anxiety. It was rather horrible, not just for me, but for my family as well. After becoming more cognizant of my symptoms, I began noticing a cyclical pattern. In late-July, I found a new family physician for us, which proved VERY helpful.
Turns out I have PMDD - Premenstral Dysphoric Disorder. My new doctor prescribed medication that has helped tremendously to level out my moods and reduce my anxiety. Low and behold, my other physical symptoms are greatly reduced or gone now, as well! Praise the Lord! Since exercise and healthy eating habits go a long way in controlling this disorder, we plan to join a gym before the week's end, and to put more effort into meal-planning.
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| Sleepy girl, Lexie |
Thanks for sticking with us throughout our adventure, Folks! I'm planning to take lots of pictures when the house is delivered and during it's set-up, so stay tuned!
