August 1
While writing this I'm sitting on my couch watching shark week we recored, with our kids as our movie night. I'm sitting trying to focus on my team call for Young Living but my mind is racing.
About a month ago I was sitting at my friends Sarah's house when Jake texted me that the VP of retail was coming to his store. This wasn't something that was abnormal but what was, was that he had his assistant call to make sure Jake was at the store. In my gut I knew something was coming. Normally with something like this it was going to be a special assignment, or a promotion of some sort. After a few hours Jake had finally called me that Bruce (the VP) had left his store. I proceed to ask him what he wanted. I could tell by his voice he was out of breathe. That he didn't know exactly how to say it without just coming out and saying it. He told me that Bruce had just asked him if we still homeschooled the kids, and with that being a yes, if we would ever be willing to relocate the kids to Bismarck, North Dakota for him to become a district manager out there.
About 6 months prior Jake was approached by his boss to apply for a district manger position that was in Northern Michigan. In the interview, when asked, would you be willing to relocate your family to northern Michigan, Jake answered no. He told them he rather commute back and forth daily than up root his family out of a home we had just really dug into making our dream home. It was the house we both had dreamed of. on 2 acres of land, surrounded by farm land, in the little 1 stop light town, but still close to town. We had added the dreamed of shiplap in at least half the rooms some how. We had just gutted our kitchen that was stuck in the 60s when we moved in. Like seriously, they didn't even have a dishwasher! Because of this, Jake wasn't pick for the position in Northern Michigan. I honestly had a relief feeling when he told me they went a different way. I knew then we were staying where we were at, our kids still had their dad fully present every day and not going to bed once he got home, if he got home before they went to bed. With Jake not getting that position, I personally was able to grow a lot! I found an amazing group of women at a local homeschool co op that raised me up and made me feel how I should feel when I was with other moms. I found my group of people. I had my best friend who was going to be joining the homeschool momma group and my new friends from co-op. Co op brought me Sarah, which then brought me her sister in law Baaba - who was also there when Jake got the call, and Katherine. I now had these amazing women in my life who brought me so much joy and showed much so of life that I didn't know I was missing.
When I heard those words come out of Jake's mouth the tear just started to pour down my cheeks. My first thoughts were about my kids. How Sawyer had just found a boy his age to play with. He's got his best friend Elly, Emily's daughter, but he's never had a little boy his age to play with and he finally got that. Also Sadie finally making a best friend in Chessa, Sarah's daughter.
Another little back story, Sarah has 4 kids EXACTLY the same ages as my kid! Theon 6 born 3 months after Sawyer. Chessa 5 born 3 months after Sadie, Akemi 3 born 3 months after Beau and Emeryn 2 born 1 month before Madison! So how perfect where each one of my kids other than Tommy has their own little buddy exactly their same age. And let me add the kids are all peas in a pod. Sawyer and Theon could be the same kid, and so could the rest of them. Its just amazing how it all works out, and you'd think with 9 kids in the house it would be loud and crazy and its actually surprisingly very quiet!
But also in my thoughts as I stood on the side of Sarahs fridge where she couldn't see my tears, but away from the stairs enough that the kids couldn't hear me from downstairs, I had this weird calmness come over me. I had this moment of its all going to be okay, and we're going to move to North Dakota. When I finally hung up with Jake ending the call with an agreement to sit down and really talk it over when he got home from work, I went back to Baaba and Sarah in the living room. While trying to process what Jake just called me about, I tried to get the words out to them about the opportunity that just came about to us. Baaba who just moved here from Ghana had so much advice that still sits with me today. God clearly placed her in my life in the season of life where I needed her most. Who knew meeting her and listening to her and how she moved to America with really nothing but her clothes and children and how scary but rewarding it was would help me process everything. There was lots of tears shed that day. I tried to be as strong as I could but the tears just came pouring out. Both Sarah and Baaba gave me a hug and I could just feel the peace. Of course when this is all happing, Sarahs husband Kofi comes walking back out and is very concerned and I'm so embarrassed! I finally am able to choke out the words to explain what's going on and I will never forget the look on his face but then his words. It's all in Gods timing, and technology has come so far, and you can be with anyone in just a call now! it won't feel so far away when you can FaceTime or zoom.
Jake and I talked it over after I looked at a few different houses in the area, and talked about what it would mean for our family on many different levels. We talked about the pros and the cons. We talked with the kids, mostly Sawyer as he's really the only one to understand what's going to happen, and we decided that we would tell him we were interested in the opportunity. About 3 weeks went by and we hadn't heard anything yet. The week of our anniversary in July, Jake and I had a trip planned for Nashville, Tennessee. One day while we were down there, I asked Jake if he had heard anything from Bruce yet? He kind of laughed at me and said well you'd be the first to know if I did and I haven't yet. Ironically the next day, which was our anniversary, while getting out of the heat for lunch at our AirBNB Jake got a phone call and laughed! I asked him what, and he just showed me his phone and it was Bruce. Jake went outside to take the phone call which of course drove me nuts because I'm nosy and want to know every little detail thats being said on the phone call not just the cliff notes version Jake comes back to tell me after the call. But once he's finally done, he explains to me that Bruce wants to fly us out to Bismarck so we can see around the town, Jake can see the stores he might be in charge of, and meet with a Realtor out there to figure out what kind of houses are out there and what we might be able to afford compared to our house now in Michigan, which was actually one of our first questions, to be able to go out and see the area before we make up our minds if thats where we'd like to move or not.
We got home Saturday night, and then the next Monday night turned around and sent the kids to my in laws for the night, and Tuesday morning go up nice and early with a 2 year old and a 1 year old and headed to North Dakota. much to my surprise they did way better than you'd expect kids of those ages to do on 2 planes in 1 day for the first time ever.
When we finally got to Bismarck it didn't honestly feel like we left Michigan. It felt like we were in a different part of the state that was even more rural than where we currently lived. Our first day we just drove around and saw the town on our own and went into stores in the area that would fall under Jake as a district manager out there, and get an idea of what the stores were like. The second day we were out there we met up with a realtor at 11 to start looking for potential houses. We needed to see what time of house we might be looking for, and what we could afford. I honestly wasn't expecting to like anything and that it would be awhile before I found something that I really actually liked since we had just got 100% done with our kitchen like 4 weeks prior. I had about 2 houses that could have potential, but they were a little higher in the price range than we planned but the one especially checked all the boxes for me. Everything else had too much work I just didn't want to put into another house especially since we planned on moving back to Michigan again sooner than later hopefully. But I also didn't want to live in just any house because we didn't plan to be out there forever.August 2
Coming home the movies with just Sawyer, the night after we offically accepted the job, Jake called me to chat while I drove home. Earlier in the evening he told me our neighbor Jeff who's family previously owned the property we live on, wanted to walk his granddaughter Madi through the house before we listed it. Jeff owns all the farm land around us, and lives just up the road in his parents old house running the farm they had. Madi lives on the same lot - a driveway basically between their houses. Jeffs other daughter lives right behind our property, so to have Madi own this house would keep it back in their family and all around this farm land. We told him for sure she could come walk through. While I was gone Jeff had asked if they could come "now". Jake said go ahead! its a mess as we've been gone for 1.5 weeks and are turning around to go camping next Monday so we haven't been able to catch back up on things. That understood and didn't mind a bit. Rachel, Madi's mom came with and talked about how she could remember grandma in certain places of the house. Jake continued to tell me that with each room that Madi walked into her face lite up and she loved everything. She said how she really liked the girls room with the ship lap, and then walked into the boys room and loved this skinny shiplap wall we did. They loved the dining room, and the faux beams! They were in awe over the kitchen and what we had done there as well. They walked back out and Jeff asked if they made them and offer and Rachel laughed and said you're the one with the money. Jeff then told Jake don't get a realtor, we have cash we just need to talk it over.
With moving for the company, we wouldn't have had to pay for closing costs or realtor fees, but now we wouldn't have to go through any of that but also would have to go through inspections and all the extras you do with listing a house. This also makes the process move a lot faster for us to purchase a house in North Dakota.
Listening to Jake talk about Maddy walk into each room and picking out the details she loved made me just well up with tears. Having someone come in and love everything you've done to a house and appreciate it they way you do is just so heart warming but for it to also be the person potentially purchasing the house, and original family line brings it to another level. If I were to be able to hand pick who lived in this house next to make the memories, to raise a family, it would be her, hands down. But with all that it makes my stomach sink just a little. That this is so much more real. We're that much closer to actually leaving the house. A house that has housed all 5 of our babies. Where I've watched them all grow into the little people they are today. The house that Jake always joked about being buried in the backyard one day when he died. This was supposed to be our forever house. 5 years ago when we bought this house my mom even told me, Never say never! You never know what kind of job Jake may get one day where you might want to build a brand new bigger home. I half laughed back then because we agreed we would just add on to this house and make a useable basement under the add on. Talked about doing a pool up to our current deck with taking out a tree. I never thought we'd actually leave this house. and now here we are moving to North Dakota in possibly 3-4 weeks. I will say there's nothing that can ever prepare you for the amazing plan God has for your life.
Jeff's mom grew up in this house and his grandma lived here until she passed, and then the house was sold off to non family. I could be wrong but I think we are only the second non family owners. When we redid the kitchen down to the studs we found many old things in the house that took us back to when Jeffs mom grew up in the house.
Each step of this way has been a God thing. Even back 6 months ago when Jake had told these people we weren't going to relocate at this point in our life. We were able to pay off 2 huge things of debt and set ourselves up in a very good spot financially and with our house. We paid off Jakes car and passed on a new car he was interested in just a few weeks before Bruce walked into his office that day and asked him about North Dakota.
As much heartache there is in this move I cannot keep coming back to God and how good he is. As I am writing out this blog post and story each day with new things that are happening I have a list of song titles that have come on while listening to pandora that fit so well into our journey right now. (I will share more on this on a different post.)
August 3
Last night was rough. this was the first time in all of this that the tears just kept coming. I cried the when Jake first told me when I was at Sarah's but since then I didn't really give any tears over the thought of leaving. if they came out it was because of frustration.
Starting this days update I didn't think I'd have much to report, but of course when I stopped is when things started to pour in! We went home after a playdate with Emily and her kids, and we picked up the homeschool stuff, I have about 2 more totes left to organize, and Jake went through a few things and fixed some things around the house. When he left to get another part to fix a faucet, he got a call saying we should finally have the officially posting for his job to accept which means relocation specialist gets the green light to start us on moving.
Things seem to feel like they're moving so slow most days but they're moving actually really fast!
After a few more hours Jeff texted Jake saying they wanted to come down and talk about the house. We talked back and forth about where we needed to be with the house and what we make off it to turn around and buy a house in North Dakota. Madison, Jeff's granddaughter who would like to purchase the house was questioning some things so I offered to take her out to dinner and just talk about things with her. So tomorrow we are supposed to go out, but they also said they would let us know in about 12-24 hours about the house and swinging the costs. If we are able to make a deal with them now without a realtor it means so much more ease with Jake starting so much sooner, not having to do showings possibly on my own and not having to get things packed up and picked up more for showings. it takes a lot of stress off Jake and I's plate! Its so huge! More than what most people would realize. Also once we get the green light on the sale of our house means we can buy our house and sooner we can be together as a family in North Dakota and not Jake flying back and forth.
As much as it still hasn't sunk in that we are leaving especially when talking to Jeff things are going to fast. I'm trying to enjoy the last few weeks of living in this house and in Michigan. Have the Lenheart's as neighbors has been like having family live down he road from you. They're the type of the people who will always do something to help you and expect nothing in return. They're the neighbors who show up with candy for your kids, or a ride on tractor just because. They're the neighbors you just bake a pie for them to say thanks for tilling up your garden, or bring a dozen farm fresh eggs up because you've got more than you know what to do with. They are a huge reason why we loved living where we lived. Since we moved in Sawyer loved to watch their tractors go from the barn behind our house back up the hill to Jeffs house. Having them as neighbors is just another reason it is so hard to leave where we are living. It still doesn't feel real that in a few short weeks we will be in a different house in a different state. That we won't drive down our small section of dirt road to get home. Trying very hard to enjoy every last second of everything I have here but it is just very hard to wrap my head around the fact that there is a change coming. We leave for camping come Monday, come home Friday and then the weekend after we get home we have Beau's birthday party. The last birthday party that will happen in this house. It's the last birthday party that will be all of our families at the house at once. The last Nana's special birthday cakes for now.
These next few weeks are a last for a lot of things. But also the start of something new for awhile too. There are so many different things that make it hard to move, but I'm really trying to focus on the now. Being in the moment, enjoying our times
August 4
Today we had our normal playdate with friends. Not a lot happened we did talk a little about things that were coming up and when they next time would be that we saw each other which sadly was the same week of Jake starting his new job. But I was also able to go out to dinner with the girl who wants to buy our house. She is the granddaughter of our neighbor. I was able to talk with her about what she was second guessing with buying our house. It was amazing to sit and listen to her and hear how much she loved the house, she loved how close it was to her mom and how it felt like home when she came in.
August 5
Last night was a night I didn't realize I needed. After talking with someone who wanted to buy my dream home. I never thought I'd have a conversation like that. I tried to keep life normal for the kids, so we went out shopping for camping and hung out with friends at night. It was a slow day on the note of news on the moving process or selling/buying houses.
We also re-homed daisy. something that was another God thing but very bittersweet. We had tried to re home Daisy over a year ago, and a few times after that and nothing worked out and we ended up keeping her. Jake had originally gotten Daisy for a hunting dog, and it turned out she was terrified of guns, go figure! So being a puppy and having 5 young kids, she just didn't get the attention she deserved and was way too wild in our house with all the kids. When the guy came to look/meet Daisy and brought his dog it was the perfect situation. Great person, dogs got along just fine and she was great with his little boy as well. Then he came out and told us how he grew up with a coonhound dog named Dixie and always called her Daisy and joked one day he would own his own and call her Daisy. Well how perfect that our dog was exactly what he was looking for and already called Daisy. Sure it'll be weird not having her and hearing her howl but we know she's in a good home where she has land to run (she wouldn't have any land to run in ND) and is being loved on how she should be loved on.
August 6
Today was another family day. Having my grandpas 90th birthday party and then a cook out with family. While at the cook out, Jake had talked to our realtor in Bismarck, updated him on where we were on the moving aspect of the job offer. Later he had called Jake back and Jake put in an offer on the house we really loved out there. I had no clue until Jake got off the phone again and told me it was the realtor. I asked him what was going on and he looked at me and said well I just put an offer in on our house. We talked it over again and details on the house and everything come with the move and the new job. I'm not a good patient person at all. I don't like that a lot of things are on hold for other things and they're all things out of my control. But that is where I'm learning that I need to let go. Jake is doing everything for our family to keep things rolling so once his job offer is officially signed and pushed through relocation only has to set us up with a lender so we can continue the ball rolling on the Bismarck end since here in Michigan our house is in the process of being sold, just needing to tie up the odds and ends to make it official. Of course tonight I have finally finished watching Virgin River and still can't sleep. I have a 2 year old next to me and a dog at my feet.....yes Jake let someone back inside for the night...so I wonder why I can't sleep with all that on top of what is on my mind, so here I am up, watching Gilmore Girls go figure! and writing an update on what is going on with our move. It's so crazy that I can't share this yet but I have so many up dates. I cannot wait to announce our move and share our journey with moving 5 kids and where life is going to take us.
August 7
Today we've been running around trying to get ready for camping this coming week. our official last week of camping other than hunting if we are able to do that this year still! fingers crossed. I talked a lot with my mother in law about how I feel like I'm in limbo. I dont know what I should be doing since we will have movers coming in for us to pack and we dont have to do anything that way. Were in a stage where we are getting rid of some things but we need to get a dumpster to pitch it and we can't do a ton with going on vacation tomorrow. I'm a person who needs to be busy. I need to be doing something for someone, or around the house of I feel like I'm being lazy. Yes I'm human and have my lazy days or moments but for the most part I need to keep moving and feeling like I'm accomplishing something. Not sure if any of you other stay at home moms feel this way. since you don't go to work and have a place of work where you are putting in efforts to accomplish something that you're getting paid for. Yes being a mom and a wife and a house keeper is a job but its also part of being an adult. you'd have to do those things even if you weren't a stay at home mom, so when you are a stay at home mom you feel a little like you need to do even more. Or at least thats just me. So this limbo period is really eating at me. I don't feel like I can really do what I'd like to do because I dont want to start anything when we know wed be moving sooner than later.
I finally got everything packed my mother in law helped fold laundry, put things away, figure out what I had left to pack, bathe children, make dinner, and just talk. Once kids were in bed Jake and I finally got to sit and relax. The camper was packed other than bikes, the truck had gas in it and ready to do. While we were sitting watching a movie for the night Jake got a phone call. he showed me who it was and it was our realtor from North Dakota. He went in the other room and took the call, even though he knows that drives me nuts! I want to know what's going on, I want to hear the call as much as I can, not just your cliff notes version! He came back not even 5 minutes later and said, "okay you can start it again!" HA! NO! you need to spill the beans of what that phone all was about. He laughed at me. He explained what was going on. The sellers came back with a counter offer but not by much and changing the date we'd have keys by! Thankfully the counter was only different by $5,000 so nothing to really fight over, so we accepted their counter!
WE BOUGHT A HOUSE IN NORTH DAKOTA!
Well...kinda of!
We still have to wait for Jake's job to be 100% signed off on by his work and all the exuctive team that needs to sign off on it and then we need a written purchase agreement with our neighbors saying they are buying and then how they are going to actually buy it. Once Jake's work signs off on his position the relocation person will help him with a lender which then will speed the process of actually getting this house.
This house is also under contingency of us selling our house. With that being said, if they get another offer they have to let us know and we have 48 hours to tell him that we are going to buy no matter what. once we tell them that, they cannot accept the other offer at all. Things should go very fast once it is in official process.
If everything continues to go as planned we will have keys by September 16!
WHAT!? like first how are we even that close to September already!? Second thats just over month away! There's so mucho do and process in that short of period of time! Jake is to start his job on August 22nd which is the day after Beau's 4th birthday party. Makes me so sad that his birthday will be the last one in this house! When we redid the kitchen I semi made it set up so when we had parties it would be the perfect set up for the parties and how I like to decorate. as I know that moving isn't going to change any of that for the kids, its just makes me sad that this is the last. We've finally hit the point where I'm trying to soak everything in while I can. I know I've said that before but now its real. These are some of the last memories we're going to have in this house, and in Michigan as Michigan residents, for now.
August 8 - Monday
This morning we left for camping with my family and not 20 minutes after we left we got a call from our neighbor that they for sure were going to buy our house! He had noticed our camper was gone, and said by the time we got back he'd have his end all wrapped up by the time we got home from camping. We then started working on our end of the whole thing. we worked on getting our own lender and figuring out the loan for our new house. Little by little while we were driving up to Ludington things started to continue to fall into place. By the end of day the house we had put an offer on had a second offer and more than what we were offering. They had already contracted to us that we had 48 hours after they told us they had another offer to come up with a contract on both ends that we were going to buy their house and that our house was being sold. We had to get with the relocation company and start working on a contract between Jeff and us that he was buying our house and what he was buying it for. Once we got that underway, and drawn up we had 24 hours after that to send them a payment of $2000 to lock it in 100%.
I have to say trying to buy and sell a house while on vacation isn't the easiest. You're trying to relax and enjoy family time but you're on the phone or Jake is on the phone trying to get all the moving parts in order and make sure emails are coming through and papers are being signed and then you're worried you missed something or someone isn't doing their part to keep things moving.
August 9 - Tuesday
Woke up to contracts signed and sent and then a congratulations email from our realtor in ND and asking for the payment to lock everything in. Things have just fallen into place more than you realize. Tuesday was the day that the executive team voted on Jake's new job and his pay. To our surprised the team actually voted to pay Jake more than we expected! what another huge blessing! especially when things seem tight or rough God always comes through in the little ways to make things work! Like he's telling us to just sit back and relax that he's got it like he's always said he has. We sent over the Ernest money to lock in our house and get the closing process going. Vacation is exactly what we needed during all of this. Yes it was a lot to take on and deal with while on vacation but to be able to enjoy a last week of summer before moving and kids going back to school was what we needed. To also be around family while working all these details out.
August 12 - Friday
Today we are coming home from camping. We have just about everything wrapped up with the house expect closing all together. We are working on inspections for our new house and insurance. Once we got home Jake looked at me and said, "Why don't we take a date night as we haven't had a chance to celebrate just the 2 of us." It's amazing how fast things can go and you don't realize you've done really celebrated together. It still hasn't sunk in yet that next Monday Jake will be flying out for his new job and I will only see him on weekends until we move. When we went to dinner, we were sitting around the table with another family. She started small talk about kids starting school and such. So of course I am polite and ask her the same question and find out they are moving back to the U.S from Singapore. She explained how they were from California and then her husbands company moved them to Singapore and it was supposed to be 3 years but ended up only being 2 so they wanted to move them back to Michigan. So they had just come back and were living in a hotel waiting on their shipment from Singapore which would be taking up to 2 months and waiting on the details on their house to finish and their other shipment come from California. Listening to her stories on moving and everything they were going through it was just amazing. I couldn't believe we were seated next to these people. Someone how knew exactly what we were going through. Someone who had advice on what to pack and to enjoy it all. Yes our move is no where near as far as theirs but sometimes it sure feels like it is going to be that far.
August 14 - Sunday
Now that we're back from camping we're back in get the house read and finished how we planned before close on it. Also getting the house ready to be packed. We have cleared out so much stuff and gotten things together that need to be packed together. figure out what we need to take in a U-Haul with us just incase our stuff doesn't make it to North Dakota before/same time we do. At this point my head is spinning. I don't know what to do or where to start, but yet I do kind of. I know there's so much we need to get rid of but, knowing that I am not going to be packing and a moving company is going to its hard because you just want to start getting things ready. I know we don't get to close on our house until September 6, but I also know this is going to be here before we know it. I've started working on getting kids into things like soccer, and co - ops, looking for drs and dentists.
August 15 - Monday
The world knows! Today Jake had his conference call with a few people informing the company that Jake was taking on the new role and was moving to North Dakota. He officially got his letter to take the job as well, which is one of the last things we need to finish the loan on our house! It still doesn't feel real even though we are now on the official count down until Jake starts his new job and we move out to North Dakota. There are days that it comes easy to me and I can wrap my head around being away from where we live now, and then there are days, I find myself longing for longer here. Longing for time to slow down just a little bit and to be able to have longer than we do. But then some days I just want to get out there and get settled in our new house and start our new routines. Have school started again with all 3 kids this year. Sawyer keeps talking when we live here again and I've tried to explain to him that we aren't coming back for a few years and he still gets that but doesn't get what time actually is. I think he just thinks we'll be there for a "little while" and not as long as its going to be. Our long term plan is to come back, but I also want to make sure we enjoy our time out there while we are out there, our we are going to miss 3 years waiting to move back to Michigan.
The craziest thing is that I am the one who is the emotional one about everything especially when it comes to my kids, and my family, and I am the calm one out of Jake and I right now. The even crazier thing is that I had that calm from the time Jake told me. Deep down I knew this is what we needed to do for our family and in the past I have not had that. I have had it only in certain other situations for us as a family, so when I had that same feeling after he called me that day when Bruce came in to ask him if we would consider it, I knew then this was something we needed to pursue. Even through the emotions I was having at Sarah's house and how fast my mind was racing, my gut was telling me we needed to go and do this.
From day one this has always been in God's timing. Looking at all of this and how it has been laid out for us its always been God's plan and when God calls you to do something you need to listen. Today I talked with our Pastor Ryan about everything as we finally told church what was going on as well. He said when something is what God is calling you to do, the devil will work his way into making it feel like something it isn't. That was something I needed to hear more than I realized! All this time I've been worried about the birthdays, the holidays, and what we would be missing instead of focusing on what we are gaining! Jake has also been stressed out about things like I said before which isn't like him, and thats where the devil is clearly trying to get to Jake. He knows how Jake works and what's on his mind, and instead of letting him enjoy the first few weeks and days of his new job he is preoccupied with other things that are going on with selling and buying houses and moving all of us.
There are still a lot of moving pieces to finish things up with both houses and moving us all out to North Dakota! About 3 dates have been thrown out for closing dates and possible moving company dates so only time will tell! I will continue to update as we move forward with the process and get into our new house, as well as our new journeys continue when we get to North Dakota. Until then we appreciate all the kind words and prayers that have been sent our way!
Never say never in your life, and always say yes to God!
xoxo,
Brittany
No comments