Sunday, August 25, 2013

It's the Home Stretch, Son!

16 Weeks 5/19/13
Dad's belly!
20.5 Weeks 6/18/13
Low back pain for dad
30 Weeks 8/24/13
Dad has hit 3rd trimester sleepies....
We're 30 weeks, you and I. We're on the home stretch! I can't wait to meet you! But stay in there a little longer...it's not quite time for our face to face greeting :)

There are so many things to wonder....will you have the abundance of hair like your cousins were born with, and if so, will it be blond or brown? Will you be more like your dad or me or a combo of us both? What sort of things will you gravitate towards and be interested in? How 'bout those eyes...blue or brown?

For the most part, your growth in my belly has been quite normal from what I gather and hear of pregnancy. We were "carsick" the first 15-16 weeks and it definitely was not a "light switch" moment of when I began feeling better! We would start the morning fairly well with only mild blahs and progress into the "Mmm, I can't do anything except lay here, feel queasy and do the basic necessities for the day." We enjoyed cheerios...a lot. Your Nani's recipe for homemade refried beans that I made bean and cheese burritos with were also my go-to comfort food. Only over the course of those 15th and 16th weeks did things calm down and I was able to eat more normal. 

We did have two "cravings" if you will. Your dad and I were walking home from church one Sunday and I smelled french fries. There was no turning my mind off from having some. We got home and drove to our favorite fry place in Pullman - South Fork...long, skinny fries with seasoning and when they come out pipping hot....oh man. I might have to go get a basket now. 

The other item I couldn't get out of my head on a Saturday was pizza. And not just any pizza. I needed...wanted....Pizza Hut's stuffed crust pizza. You dad had no problem taking me :) We both enjoyed every bite. I hope you did too! 

Wildly enough, sweets have not been very tempting. I'll be curious if you're like your Uncle Ry in that department and not care for them very much. Ah, and finally, cold water with ice has been my dear friend throughout. I've always liked and preferred water but we guzzle it and something about the cold and ice is delicious to me!

You've been very active. I've begun to think of my belly as "the wrestling mat" or "the boxing ring" - you're either wrestling or practicing your boxing jabs in preparation for playing and duking it out with your dad. I'm really not sure who's going to have the upper hand...you're quite strong! 

The best part of all this is realizing that I am doing nothing. I eat...you make sure of that. And I sleep...you also help with that. Unless, you're wrestling or boxing and then it takes some time to fall asleep. But really, you are a miracle that God is creating and knitting together inside me....in the shape of you - our son. We are fully aware that you are ultimately His son. I already know that I'll continually learn to hold you with an open hand trusting Him with you. I can rest in Jesus' unconditional love and care for you - whether that looks like joyous times or trials. 

It will be one big adventure that's for sure! We're looking forward to walking it with you. We love you, son. Looking forward to our first face to face with you...
Mom 

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Moving Pieces

The New Olsen Home
It even has a small porch for the 
swing Karl made and proposed to me on!

One of the reasons we sporadically update our blog is to tell the story of what God is doing as an avenue of reminding ourselves of His faithfulness, His timing, etc. We want our family to be able to look back and see God's fingerprints. Speaking of His fingerprints, I'm not sure I can say I've had many moments of literally feeling like you are sitting on the sidelines watching Him move pieces into place but that's exactly what these particular circumstances have felt like.

If you know us well, we always have our eyes on the housing market. Is there another good investment that can be used for community, supporting people, and creating income for the later years?? Back in January, we learned some friends, Jeff and Bri, had posted their home on Craigslist since they weren't in any rush to sell and were curious if they could do it on their own. We really like their place so we prayed and thought about it and then let them know we were interested yet did not want this to come between a friendship. We let that thought simmer awhile....

In the meantime, I received a facebook note from a friend, Erin, at church getting married this summer asking if we had any two bedroom places. Unfortunately, I had to respond that we did not. It was a good situation - an "Ugggh! This is exactly why we'd love more places!" And thus....we kept waiting and praying for God's will in whether we were to proceed on Jeff & Bri's home. 
As we were waiting, our friends, Derek and Jessie, that live in the bottom unit of our duplex, found a home they decided they wanted to try to purchase. This meant there could be a possibility of a "two bedroom" home for Erin and her fiance, Eric! Derek and Jessie put an offer on the home and accepted a counter-offer, which made it very possible to offer the bottom unit to Erin and Eric.

As these events unfolded, it had been about three weeks so we decide to follow up with Jeff and Bri and what they thought of our offer. Karl caught Jeff as he was headed out over the lunch hour and Jeff said they'd been thinking about it and were going to go look at a place over lunch and that he'd be in touch. Later that afternoon, Karl received a phone call from Jeff letting us know they really liked the house they saw and wondered how interested we were about their current home. We. Were. Very Interested!

In a matter of 48 hours, we sat down, talked details, Jeff and Bri's offer on the house they liked was countered and they accepted, and we were all moving forward!




I then had to break the news to Erin that we would be moving. We had all been excited about living in the same place over the next year! Little did I know that the night before I told her the news, she received a text from another friend, Jessica, asking if they would be interested in renting a house together the next year - two married couples living in one home - talk about community, huh! (Note: In our university town, this idea would have been cost effective for both couples and they could have gotten a better place to live!) 

When I told her the news that we'd be moving, she had a slight smile on her face....and she proceeded to tell me about the text and how Jessica and her husband, Jacob, were looking for a place as well. "You're kidding me?!", I said. I had to shake my head in amazement because as God provided a home for Derek and Jessie to purchase, He provided Jeff and Bri a home they were interested in as well, which opened up an incredible next step home for us, which then opened up our duplex for Erin & Eric and Jessica & Jacob that both needed places for the following year.


Five couples. Four Homes. One Amazing Provider. I am awed every time I think about it.


We are all very excited for the homes we are moving into over the next several months and how we've seen God provide what was needed for each couple!