Thursday, August 27, 2009

apartment living

So....we've taken the leap. We are now -- currently-- apartment-dwellers: something we haven't been for 7 1/2 years. All it not yet unpacked, by a long shot. And of course, it won't be. There's far too much to fit inside our tiny little place. Many of our belongings (furniture, keepsakes, kitchenware) is sitting in our two rented storage spaces.

And here we are. The boys are loving it, I think. Benjamin and Kyle are clearly happy to have their bunk beds back, along with some toys which haven't seen the light of day for months on end. Owen has his own room, but gleefully toddles into his brothers' bedroom whenever he has a chance. He has so much fun hanging out in there, playing with his brothers' toys, and just being with them.

All three boys have been sleeping like champions since we moved in, which is more than I'd ever asked for or imagined. Especially considering that we're on the ground floor, and that the boys' bedrooms are out next to the parking lot: so they're potentially exposed to the noise of people passing by, etc., as well as vehicles coming and going. What a gift their sweet sleep is!

Jeff and I, I must tell you, are struggling a bit. Not with each other...we're just somehow feeling very low about our new living arrangements. Everything feels crowded, and we still have boxes of things which we'd like to be here with us, but have no good place to put them. We're facing a new round of "Do you know where the ________ is?" It's very frustrating, and often the items are fairly important - recently missing was Benjamin's soccer uniform (the season's first game is Saturday...Jeff found it, thank goodness!). This is a minor example, I know. But this kind of thing contributes heavily to our morale.

Also, many things seem to be going wrong - the case in point being the theft of our van's CD player, as well as the family camera (as I mentioned in Monday's post). Jeff's car is not working right now, and we have no idea when it will be running again. We're receiving help of various kinds from our friends and wonderful church family. Yet we find that we are living with a sense of "...what will happen next?"

I hesitated to even write this post, because I don't want to come across as complaining. We are very blessed, and we know it. We're incredibly excited about the new house in January...it's just that January seems to be so far away. And there's this foreboding sense of "...what could go wrong with that?" Still, I decided to go ahead and write it, after all, for two reasons. First, I wanted to let you know how we are, now that the (first) move is over. But secondly and most importantly, I wanted to ask you to pray for us. It seems clear to me that we are under spiritual attack. We're holding on, but we're discouraged. So if you think of it, please keep us in your prayers. We truly covet them.

We're getting there, though. I'm getting back into the swing of things in my tiny little kitchen. I believe it is doing our hearts and bodies good to have nourishing food on a more consistent basis. And our family is in the midst of a very busy few weeks; hopefully once we're past that time, we'll be able to relax and breathe a bit better.

We are so thankful that the sale of "our" house did close, and for all we have to look forward to. Jeff and I are grateful for good health, a lovely pregnancy, and easygoing children. So as we begin this new chapter of our marriage, we're reminding ourselves to count our blessings. Because we are so, so blessed. We do know that.

8 comments:

Mama said...

I can only imagine how hard it must be. You're right, there is much to be thankful for. And there are many holding you guys up to the throne of grace. We love you guys so much.

Ami said...

Back online and catching up on you and your family situation. Not sure of all of the details, but wanted to let you know that you've been on my mind lately, and now I know some of the reason behind that. Praying for you!

Sarah, Nathen, Aiden, and Evan said...

Praying for you guys. I can't imagine living in an apartment after being in a house with a family. I'll pray that January comes quickly. One thing to raise your spirits (hopefully) is that I absolutely LOVE reading your blog:)

Searching for God in the everyday said...

Oh Mindy, I am praying for you guys. Glad you can continue to look to the blessings (like sleep!!) and glad the boys are enjoying it.

Mindy said...

You guys are so sweet. You're making me cry...but in a good way. Thank you for your kind words - and especially for your prayers!

Andrew said...

It's taken the better part of a month for us to finally quit asking the "Do you know where ___ is?" questions every five minutes! I know it'll be different for you guys since this a temporary stop along the way, but still - it does pass. For me, it was a particular item or two - the book I was reading and my phone charger - that, when I finally found them, made things seem right again. Good luck with all the searching and I'll happily pray for you guys as you grit out the transition!

steve and corrine said...

Love you guys. So sorry to hear the hard things and we will definitely keep you in our prayers daily. May God grant you good sleep and a quick passing of the next four months. We will be glad to have you come visit us on the west side of town any time you want.

Kristin said...

Praying...