Hot & Cold

I've heard it said that the Lord can't steer a parked car. For over a year Nathan and I have had the feeling that we need to make a big move soon, accompanied, of course, by our desire to FINALLY own a house. I've been aching to be near my parents so that our girls can have grandparents close by again. Nathan has a very good job here, though, and it's such a scary thing to have to start all over in a new place with a new job. So, in our search for our next home, we've been butting heads about which state to settle on. I did NOT want to look around for housing here in Minnesota and Nathan did NOT want to look anywhere else. We stayed like this for a long time, but still praying for direction all along the way.  We were getting nowhere!
This summer our family took a super fun trip to Utah and Idaho, with a beautifully scenic train trip in between to Denver, Colorado and back. When the girls and I took off for Idaho, Nathan took off for home to get a couple more weeks of work in before coming back to pick us up. We were both hoping for different things to come from my time spent in Idaho with some of my family. Nathan was sort of hoping I would get so sick of family that I would want to live anywhere BUT Utah or Idaho. Not possible!!  I was hoping to find a home and a job and an answer to prayer that Idaho was the place Heavenly Father had in mind for our family. Neither one happened.
Something did happen, though, to both of us while we were apart. I thought more and more about moving closer to family and resolved that, if it wasn't where Heavenly Father wanted me and our family at that time, I didn't want it, either. Nathan thought more and more about things and resolved that if the Lord wants our family to live in a particular place other than Minnesota, then he'd better explore other possible career opportunities. We both talked and agreed that we just need to move forward and try and find a place to live, starting with Minnesota.
So, when I came home I started looking around here in Minnesota at different houses for sale. Every time I did, though, that same feeling as before would creep into my mind as if someone was telling me, "No, this isn't it. Try something else." It felt a little like I was playing Hot & Cold. Whenever a new house came up that met our criteria I would hear, "colder....colder..." But I figured it was just me still wanting to move out west, so I would ignore it.
One afternoon as I was looking at real estate on Craigslist I got the urge to, just for fun, look for possible jobs in Idaho (my first choice from the beginning). But before I clicked on Idaho, I had a feeling (warmer...) to click on Utah. Then I clicked on the Provo/Orem area (...warmer...). After scanning through the job listings and finding nothing that sounded great, I typed in Ephraim, Utah. Still nothing. So, then I started looking at available real estate around Ephraim (...even warmer...). I found a few houses that I started to get excited about and wanted to show them to Nathan....just for fun.
When Nathan came home from work we both sat down by the computer and I started telling him about why I started looking at housing in Ephraim, instead of Minnesota. When I got to the part where I typed in Ephraim I suddenly couldn't speak anymore. Tears sprang to my eyes and in my confusion I looked at Nathan. He also had tears in his eyes! "Wow," I said. "we're moving to Ephraim."
"I guess we are!" he said. Then we grabbed each other and hugged for a long time.....blah, blah, blah...
We finally got an answer and we got it together, at the same time! We're moving to Ephraim, Utah.......someday. Now all we have to do is find Nathan a job. I am so excited! It feels so, so right! I'm so happy and can't wait to start this next chapter of our lives.

As for our awesome vacation, I'll post some pictures later.

Cabbage Patch Family

We're excited to get our garden going for the summer. We're expanding it a bit, but still keeping it simple because my thumb is any color but green! We had a discussion during family night about all of us pitching in for the sake of helping out, rather than earning treats or money. The girls were actually enthusiastic about doing their part to help grow the fruits and veggies by weeding and taking turns watering it. I'll never have to ask them to harvest because that's the most exciting part of gardening for them (and me!). They even suggested different things they could do around the house to help out. We still have plenty of one-time chores they can bid on to earn money once in a while. Bekah has her eye on some knitting needles and yarn that she wants to buy soon, so she's been asking what chores she could do to earn money for them.
I have been so impressed with these girls, lately!  I taught them the proper way to empty and fill the dishwasher and they all work together and do it quickly and cheerfully. I think working together like that really helps promote a good attitude, but I know the importance of developing independent work habits. Lack of motivation is a big stumbling block in that area! I've noticed a change in their overall attitudes, though, when it comes to taking initiative and helping without being asked to do things. I carry a water bottle around wherever I go and am constantly emptying and filling it. Ember (7) watches me like a hawk sometimes and waits for me to take that last sip. She'll rush over, grab it, and fill it up for me. She'll even put ice in it! She sometimes likes to try and do it secretly and surprise me with a full bottle. It's so sweet! It's often a race between Bekah (9) and Ember to see who can get to the water bottle first. I do wish they'd do more things like that for each other, though.
They're pretty good to each other, too, despite the fact that they practice their cat fighting skills every day. If I or Nathan has one child with us we occasionally get a little treat. Whichever girl we have usually either saves it to divide it with her sisters, or makes sure we get enough of whatever it is for the other two.
I think the slightly bigger garden this year will be both hard on us work wise, and really good for us in so many ways. Bring on the weeds!