House Update

Our backyard as summer turns to fall (my sister's herb garden is on the right, with a little extra Halloween decor)

Oh my goodness, so many things have happened in the last few months.

As you all know, my sister and I purchased a house. We closed on August 31st and moved on September 10th.

Then, on the 17th, our parents moved in with us.

They had an opportunity to sell their home with no muss or fuss and downsize into a darling little patio home that is around 8 minutes away from our house. The only thing is there was a timing discrepancy, so for 19 days, they lived with us, or rather, slept in their trailer that is on the parking pad next to our garage, and spent their days in our house. We had a tower of their belongings in our garage. They closed on their new home without any issues, had the interior painted by the same painter who did a wonderful job on our home, and moved into their home on October 5th, just a few short days ago.

I would never recommend moving 2 households in the same month, but God was extremely gracious and blessed us mightily during this time.

My sister and I are possibly 75% finished with the unpacking and organizing. It's organized enough that it is starting to feel like home. Our neighborhood is charming, our home is 50 years old, and we are both relieved to no longer be living in an apartment complex that made our neighbor flinch in horror when we mentioned it. He is a police officer and has been called to that very same complex many, many times. I'm not surprised, it was a rather dreadful little complex in many ways, but we never felt unsafe because we are careful. As two single women, we have to be careful and so we take precautions.

The cats are adjusting, although Kiki thought for weeks that the furnace was a monster rising up out of the floor to eat her. She was used to heating vents in the ceiling, not the floor. But all is well. As soon as our private library is finished, possibly this weekend, I'll take pictures and share them. The books are mostly organized, but there are still a few more things that need to be done, such as hanging the artwork.

We're trying to decide if we want to host a Halloween party for our friends this year or not. I strained my left arm/wrist/hand somehow so have to be careful with how much physical activity I do with that arm. But we have nearly all of the supplies and decor needed for a Halloween party since we had planned one for last year that never got off the ground due to, well, you know what. 

Adjusting is the order of the day but also taking the time for self care and soul care, two crucial elements for any person, although most people don't know that soul care is an actual thing. Whenever I turn irritable and rebellious, it is because I am not feeding my soul, or because I am engaging in thoughts and activities that are detrimental to my soul. The soul is meant to be in communion with God, and when it is not communing the way it should, well, the entirety of my personality becomes misaligned. So I am making time for both of these things.

Last Thursday night I took a bath instead of a shower for some self-care and also read some in C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain for some soul-care. Sometimes I can manage to do both things at the same time, which is probably why I feel calm and peaceful the day whenever I take time for the Lord. I encourage you to do the same.

I will share more when time permits. I'm excited to share our personal library, a dream we've both always had, but never entirely believed would come true.