Today marks three weeks since Ryan left and that the house went on the market. I am doing better than I expected, but there have definitely been some tears and lost-tempers. Showings - which I can't plan ahead for - are frustrating, and Open Houses are generally poorly attended. It is super cold - got down to -11 without windchill last night - and we got about 6 inches of snow Friday through Sunday. (I had an Open House on Saturday.) The weather isn't really cooperating, to say the least. I hope Spring is around the corner.
I'm tired of cleaning, especially mopping these beautiful floors. I'm tired of running all the car-pools by myself. I'm tired of doing dishes and making beds. I'm tired of staying on top of fingerprints and other messes. I'm tired of giving all the consequences and breaking up all the fights. I'm tired of entertaining the kids in restaurants, movie theaters and libraries - after cleaning the house for hours - only to be told that our house is "too close to the school" or their "second choice."
I have been so blessed to be served by the members of our ward though. A family from the ward came both Saturday and Sunday mornings to clear the snow from our driveway and sidewalks. Our ministering brother came last Friday evening with a massive ladder to change the battery in the chirping smoke detector at the top of our 20-foot vaulted ceiling. When I failed to be able to install the new control panel on our humidifier, another member of the ward came over to confirm that it was factory-defective (which I then returned and installed the replacement in 5 minutes). We have also received four unrequested dinners from three different families, as well as being invited to eat at two different families' homes (and feeding my four children is no small feat). We have crashed in two different homes during showings - each with only a moment's notice. Many more people have offered their homes for our use, and I'm sure I'll still have a chance to take them up on their offers.
Ryan is super happy with his new job and responsibilities. He spends his free time looking at houses with his new best friend, our realtor Jeff. He also goes to the temple (which is in the neighborhood he is renting in) and for bike rides. Of course, he is also working. The weather, unlike here, is almost perfect, and he's loving it. His accommodations are less than ideal (loud tvs until 1am accompanied by obnoxious laughter and multiple cats in the bedroom next door), but he's a trooper. In order to save money, he is renting a room in a home of a member of the Church. They are an older couple whose children are all out of the house. It's a short-term solution, of course, until we can buy a house and the rest of the family can move down.
My plan was to move as soon as we close on this house, even if the kids were still in the middle of the school year. Unfortunately, it's looking more and more like the house won't close until school gets out anyway. So much for being able to get them started before summer break. The best laid plans...
Please pray for us to be able to cope with being apart and for someone to buy our house, so we can be together as a family again.
We really are doing better than I expected, but of course it's still hard. There's our update. Love you all!
