Keeping Up With The Sleeman's

It has been a long hard summer for our family. One that we won't soon forget, and never lacking on blessings and miracles. This summer has seen the completion of remodeling our first home, Adessa graduating to riding a 2 wheeler, and Jexten trading in his trike for a pedal bike. And that was just the beginning! We have sunned, splashed, laughed, and skipped everywhere from Rexburg to South Salt Lake and back again. We sold little Sophie to better surroundings, and saved the life of a black teddy bear whom Adessa and Jexten named "Sizzle Bob", his gratitude to us is unbounded. ;)
The miracles I saw came in the house department. The home we remodeled was a complete re build from inside out, nothing left undone, nothing. That was all completed in just under 4 years, surviving family growth, marriage strengthening, and economical set backs. We are blessed.
We knew we were going to move. We were rapidly outgrowing the space we had, and I will admit, I was feeling increasingly claustrophobic by the day. Kurt's childhood experiences of moving every 5 or so years made it easy to decide that we did not want that for our children.
So this move was going to have to be more permanent. With Adessa going into school, and our family graduating from the baby years to the School Years (I like to call it the Wonder Years, because I know I will look back and wonder how I survived--I bet my mom does) we knew the move we made had to be at the right time, to the right place, and financially sound to withstand time. So naturally this was a decision that weighed heavy on our minds.
I began my research, because that is what I do. :) I started watching the house market and had narrowed it down to 30-40 ;) that were on watch. As we grew closer to finishing the house, I saw the prices of homes continue to drop steadily. That was scary. We were worried to to say the least. Even more worried when we went on a realitor' visit to each of those 30-40 houses(thanks shanne) and they all turned out to be garbage vomit. ;) Long prayer, and a temple visit later, shanne took us to 3 more homes. The first was brand new, and bank owned; the second was in Bear River City on nearly 1/2 acre, an inheritance property, and the third was all wrong for me. I'm sure you all know where this is going. The first I got a clear voice to my heart, NO. I could not get out of there fast enough. The second, I was excited about and we put an offer on, and then we waited. We went to see the third just to satisfy curiosity. We turned on to the quiet street of 700 west and 5th south just 3 blocks south of Box Elder High School (obviously the wrong location) pulled into the gentle driveway (but there are neighbors all over the place) 540 was painted on the curb, and went in. Serene and quiet was the atmosphere (old and outdated, bad carpets, needs new windows, tiny kitchen that will have to go, smells like an old folks home) I had seen enough. Kurt, Shanne and I piled back into the Besst Reality car and Shanne asked me what I thought. I was blunt and honest. "I hate it. Absolutely not the one.", I said to her. We waited on the offer we had put in on the second house. Not only did they refuse our offer, they upped the price of the home in the counter offer! I took the hint.
More prayer, and deep meditation over the dishes at the sink (what, that's where i do some of my best meditating). I must be slow to listen, because I had to go back to the third house for more convincing. We put in a somewhat low-ball offer, and I felt a tiny bit less hate for the place.
We listed our home, and I consoled myself by thinking "Who Knows How Long Our Home Will Sit On The Market, Maybe Someone Else Will Buy THAT Home." (i put it in wording like that because it is an important phrase for me to show just how stubborn and slow to listen i really was). Not more than 4 home shows later(less than a month), we got our first offer. A full 100% asking price offer in cash, they pay closing costs. At nearly the same time the low-ball offer that we put on the third house was accepted, and agreed they pay closing costs.Now you can say that it was luck, or a fluke, or whatever, but that was a undeniable testament to me that our Heavenly Father knows us, he knows ME personally and is concerned with our little family in our little phase of life, and he did answer our prayers. Flabbergasted was our realtor, and Kurt's dad, a general contractor.
We moved out of our house,and Kurt's parents were good enough to us to allow us to invade 2 bedrooms of their home in willard for 3 weeks.
After our 3 week lull in home projects we hit the ground running. Starting with "persuading" the old occupants that it was time to move out ;). I can be very persuasive. Kurt had to work on the day we were moving in, so I took matters into my own hands (as I often do) and loaded the truck myself. We were cleared out of Kurt's parents in a matter of a couple of hours, including beds and dogs.
Many many phone calls had been made during the week before this move was to happen, and by the time the morning actually came, it looked like the moving crew was to consist of: Me, my dad, my mom, my sister...... and no one else. There was a storage bay to unload, and a shop bay area also to unload. Not to mention the intense cleaning that had to be done before all that unloading could commence. The task at hand seemed daunting to me and the outcome grim. There is a line in the movie, The Dark Crystal, just after the Gelfling Jen's mystic master dies and he realizes that he has no choice but to heal the dark crystal himself, or the sketzies will rule forever in darkness, when he says, "All right, alone then." Those are the same words I found myself saying out loud as I got out of bed that morning. And then I found myself humming the tune and singing the words in my head, "Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ the royal master, leads against the foe; FORWARD INTO BATTLE, SEE HIS BANNERS GO! ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS! MARCHING AS TO WAR, WITH THE CROSS OF JESUS GOING ON BEFORE!"
I had loaded the truck, secured the topsy load as best as I could, kids were buckled, and dogs were looking out windows. The task was at hand, and I was determined to move forward by any means nessisary. As we drove down the highway I began to sing "Put your shoulder to the wheel, push along. Do your duty with a heart full of song. We all have work, Let no one shirk, PUT YOUR SHOULDER TO ..... THE WHEEEEEL!!" I tend to end with a lot of gusto and vigor. ;) well, the meter does say "energetically"
As I pulled into the driveway of what we now call home, I was greeted by none less than a small army. Truly a miracle had taken place, for only the night before the head count of helpers could be counted on one hand. I fought to hold back the tears of gratitude for what I realized had happened. There were new neighbors, old neighbors, members of the new elder's quarum, members of the old elder's quarum, a handful of strong young men, my father in law (who had badly injured his hand only the night before), my mother in law (who had a long list of her own to accomplish that day), my dad, and mom, and sister (and her kids came to offer playmates for my own kids) had traveled over 3 long hours to offer their assistance. Again, another testiment to me that Heavenly Father knows ME, and was concerned for my own small predicament. I felt as though He had an arm around my shoulders, and I knew that everything would be fine. The words "Fear not, I am with thee, oh be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my rightEOUS, UPHELD BY MY RIGHTEOUS OMNIPOTENT HAAAND!" rang in my heart and filled my mind.
We lost no time at all in unloading the truck I had toiled to load only hours before took moments to unload. My mother, and mother in law scurried and buzzed around inside cleaning carpets, wiping out cabinets, washing curtains, wiping down walls, cleaning bathrooms, clearing out what was left of the old occupants belongings, and wiping out the inside of the fridge. My sister kept all the kids out from underfoot, and busy and happy, while also managing to unload my boxes and put things in their respective places. All I had to do was point, and there it was done! Now if that isn't blessed, and watched over, well you figure it out.
Trucks and trailers marched back and forth from house to storage bays and back again quickly and fluidly like a well oiled machine! Kurt did get a chance to race home in his worry at the task he had left me with, only to find that ALL IS WELL! He had time enough to shove down a sandwich that was already prepared for him, and I swear I saw a tear in the corner of his eye as he saw box after box being unloaded. Those who helped that day may never know how their small act of service blessed our family. How through them, my uncertainty of: if I really mattered, if Heavenly Father remembered me- of all the people that were in need, if I was being watched over too? I had one moment of doubt one day while standing over the dirty dishes in the sink just before all this change happened, and that's all it took. He showed me, every step of the way, He showed me. Through all this I been strengthened. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our prayers are answered, we are all loved individually, and deeply no matter what our trial may be, our Heavenly Father knows it. He knows what we need, and He is aching to give it to us. All we need to do is ask, and never lose faith. Pres. Thomas S. Monson said, "Be of good cheer, the future is as bright as your faith!" So thank you all who helped me learn that, and be strengthened for what lies in the future.