The Final Move

Well, we are moved into our house. It wasn’t the house we looked for. It wasn’t the land we wanted. But we’ve adjusted, though with much consideration and turmoil.

After Joey drove an hour to work for 25 years, we did not want to choose land too far away from where he worked. As we looked, there seemed a balance to what was too far. We liked the secluded places with trees and no neighbors. They weren’t really available.
I reminded myself we were downsizing, but needed three bedrooms now.
And a shop or barn for the boys’ activities.
And land for a few chickens and the horse and room to roam for the three dogs.
All the land in the amount we wanted was bought quickly by Marijuana growers who were flocking from WY and MT after a recent law that allowed them to grow.

What we got…
A house in town. 

Not on the North side, where they named the streets after presidents: Washington, Monroe, Madison. On this side, people have lost their lawn mowers in sink holes and a school’s foundation sunk where they use to mine and still have open caverns under their foundations.

We live on the South side, where they named the streets after Indian tribes: Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Osage. 

Bombs are detonated every day around 11 AM  if it’s not too windy or wet. They shake the foundations of every house, rattle the windows, and can be felt 45 minutes away. But most residents don’t notice the bombs. Nor do they have special building codes to accommodate houses that shift. Inspectors seem to expect sagging door frames and shifting. Because many of the houses are old, their beams are made from “good” wood that have stood the test of time and bombs— cracks in the ceilings and walls withstanding.

We had to adjust to a “new” and different set of standards as we looked for houses. Zillow pictures showed clutter everywhere, no floor visible, and pills spilled over the bed. Even vacant houses seemed a dump when we entered the garage. Our realtor explained that we could ask for them to remove their unwanted junk, but they probably wouldn’t. She told of old cars being left behind, inherited by the new owner. How hard was it to take to things to the dump? No one wanted to pay the $5 to do it.
We had to adjust to another way of looking at things.

But as we looked at land and location and houses, discouragement was high. 

We were in escrow three times. The first was in a flood zone that required high flood insurance (something we wouldn’t have considered in CA), not to mention the introduction to cracks in foundations, chimneys, and walls. 

The second house, on the second more thorough look, had foundation cracks as well, but they had also enclosed a mobile home within the construction of their house, even the mobile roof was left within the normal roof. The realtor explained that in her house renovations, she found a window that had been covered with siding and no insulation. She laughed and said, “You never know what surprises you may find when you remodel.” A mobile home at a high price was not what we wanted.

We were able to rent for a few months. Town life wasn’t so bad. Joey came home for lunch almost every day. Stores were just minutes away.
Definitely not what we anticipated. But workable.

Our third house was in town. The yard is small. But I reminded myself that we must mow weekly here. And the boys are leaving faster than I want to think. And we want to visit our boys who are scattered across the States.

Initially we thought we’d purchase this house to remodel and rent and move on. We aren’t sure, especially when we started with wanting land.

I cried when my son who had just brought his horse across country, sold it and exchanged his cattle dog with a stray puppy. The cattle dog would have room to run and of course cattle and horses to irritate. And Jeremiah would have the puppy he’s been begging to have. (That I will inherit in a few years. Ugh.) Another reminder that our dreams may not be God's. 

Escrow has closed. The house is all ours. And the settling in has started.
We redid the damaged wood floors, repairing holes  replaced with laminate and plywood, to make them blend with the old floors. They were gorgeous when finished.

We will paint the bright red bedroom, the pink bathroom tiles, and well the entire house.
But we can rest our heads on our pillows at night and call it ours.

Will it be the final move?
Who can tell?

Dreams. Changed.
Expectations. Adjusted.
Changes. Yes.
Decisions. Many.
Pressures. Extreme. (Perhaps another article will disclose this one, or maybe not.)
But God holds our hands as we adjust, shift and hopefully not crack under the pressure of changes.

Here’s the link to pictures of our new place.
And our new address is found in the contact information.

Thanks for stopping by.

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras

Faith
Find more articles about faith here:
When God Speaks
Be Thankful
Be Grateful
Are You Tired of the Same, Old Thing?
  (reprint)
Laughter—Why Laugh?
Mom
Are You Disturbed?
Unity of the Brothers
Encouragements To Declutter
Do You Have Too Much Stuff?
Too Much Stress
Getting Past the Noise—The Value of Silence
Are You Scatterbrained?
How Good Are You?
Looking for Something Good To Read?
A Cup of Cold Water
I Will Trust When I Cannot See
Encouragement—What Is It?
Being in God's Presence
"Einstein and the Professor"
When God Is Silent
Do You Crave Beauty?
Using Stories to Discipline
The Danger of the Wrong Story
Using Stories to Teach Lessons
God is in charge of the future
November Dare Joy Challenge
Ungratefulness
Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
Looking for Jesus
What Do Your Prayers Reflect?
Life's Little Pleasures
Daniel—Greatly Loved by God
Take Every Thought
Jars of Clay
What Do Your Words Reveal about Your Heart?
How Do You Get Strong Faith?
Too Busy for God's Word?
How Do You Think Like Jesus?
Reflections from a Mom
Pain—What's It Good For?
Why Marry?
Consider the Robin
One Life Who Made a Difference
What Day Are You Living In?
Interrupted by God
Is Jesus Really the Answer to Everything?
Are You Beat Up?
What's Your Hurry?
Are You a Manipulator?
Are You Salty?
Are You Condemned?
Trying to Understand?
Do You Expect Answers to Your Prayers?
Do You Eat Your Stress?
Need Focus?
Going through Trouble?
Immanuel—God with Us
Looking for a Relationship?
When God Says, "No!"
What Do You Do with Left-Overs?
How Great Is Your God?
Are You Needy?
How Do You See Sin?
What Do Your Words Mean?
Is Evil Overwhelming You?
Those Aha Moments
Is Your Soul Happy?
Are You Ignored?
Looking for the God Moment
Do You Know Truth from Almost Truth?
I Believe in Jesus—What Now?
Do You Have Your "Son"-Glasses On?
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Singing His Praise
Are You Trying To Do It All?
What Do You Do with All These Prayer Requests?
Have a Problem?
Do You Know How to Pray?
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Tell the Senate: Mothers Aren't Birthing People
Is Your Life Complicated?
How Do We Fight Evil?
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Giving Up or Taking Away
the Bible is simple
Are You a Dripping Faucet?
What's Your Testimony?
The Final Move
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Are Your Prayers Answered?
I Choose Joy
What Have You Learned from Your Hardship?
Who Are You Trying to Change?
What's Your Five-Year Plan?
The Danger of "Aloneness"
My Colors
Are You a Whiner?
Are Your Works Approved?
Do You Think You're Stressed?
Is Your Soul Feeling Ragged?
God Speaks to the Heart of the King
What about the Details?
Have You Felt the Long-Suffering of God?
How Does God Lead You?
Do You Have Enough?
Don't Carry More than You Need
Cast the Seed
God Is Faithful
Are You Deceived?
Are You Essential?
Are You Safe?
Are You Tired of the Same Old Thing?
Does the World Make Sense?
Have You Seen God's Majesty?
Do You Feel Judged?
If You Only Had One More Day To Live
Are You Understood?
Do You Long for the Word of God?
Slow Down and Smell the Dead Leaves
Are You Hospitable?
Our Heritage Is Bought by Blood
Are You Disturbed?
Are You Depressed?
I Did It My Way
Finding the Simple Life with Meaning
The Simple Life
Do You Have the Right Words?
Did Your Dream Die?
On the Other Side of the Fence
Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence
Confessions of a Desperate Mom
Saving for Tomorrow
A Wedding Remembered
Who Will Stand in the Gap?
Are You a Protector or a Ruler?
Who Are You?
Are You an Image Bearer or a Wad of Cells?
Are You a Watchman?
Where Do You Find Meaning?
The Lamb of God as Told by a Scribe
What Love Is This?
Remember: The Symbols of Passover Explained
Tea and Rest
Do You Have Peace?
What Makes a Marriage Work?
When Life Is Awful
Are You Strong Enough?
Rules
Seasons
Be Faithful through Suffering
Do You Know the Word?
Wake Up! Strengthen What Remains
Are You Spit in God's Mouth?
Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
Do You Stand Against Satan Himself?
Are You Tired of Being a Mom?
What in the World Is Happening?
It's Not My Story
How Would Your Faith Compare?
Are You Sinking?
Are You a Rule Follower?
Useful for Him
An Intimate Moment with Mary
The Worldview that Makes the
   Underclass
Thoughts to Ponder
What Does It Take To Know the
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See the Story in the Stars
Do the Scriptures Burn You?
Being in His Presence
Contentment: It's Not for the Timid
How Secure Are You?
How Do You Respond To Stupid People?
The Earthworm Is My Hero
Heart Issues or Issues of the Heart
Things Aren't Always What They Seem
More faith articles are found here:

under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Or here:

under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Articles on Suffering can be found  here, 

under Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Special Days
Remember: The Symbols of 
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Aug 12, 2017 The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
July 4th, Freedom
What Is an American Soldier?
Valentine's Day: A Day of Love?
Memorial Day-A Day To Remember
Veterans' Day-To Honor Our Men
Fall Colors
First Thanksgiving Day
    Proclamation
Christmas: Stories behind the Songs
Christmas: Stories behind the Songs, part 2