Ch-ch-ch-changes: The House Edition

     So, we bought a house!  The past few months have not looked at all like we thought they would at the start of this year, but we are excited where God has brought us.  

     It all began in July....

     I had become a bit of an har.com junkie.  I browsed houses in my free time just thinking about our options for a year or two from now.  One day, I noticed a house hit the market on my parents' street.  I mentioned it to Dave, and on a whim, we decided to see it.  From then on, I had visions of my kids running down the street to Nana and PawPaw's house.  Long story short, we made an offer!  I wrote a letter to the sellers about how I grew up on this street and how exciting it would be to live near my family.  (Granted, our house wasn't even on the market yet).  The sellers were very gracious, but wanted to wait to officially respond to our offer until we at least had things rolling with the sale of our current house.  After talking, Dave and I thought it would be wise to spend a little time looking at other houses in the area to confirm that we really wanted this house.  

     Meanwhile, we scrambled to put our house on the market.  Our realtor is a dear friend who has known me my entire life, and she moved mountains for us.  We took photos on a Wednesday, listed it on Thursday, and got an offer on Friday!  (Throw in a couple of showings where we loaded up 3 kids, a pot of chili from the stove, and dogs we were pet sitting). We dog sat during our whole house-moving adventure, because I sometimes make poor decisions. 

     Anyway, while the house that originally sparked our interest is a wonderful place, it ultimately wasn't right for us.  Some issues with the floor plan made Dave cross it off the list pretty quickly after visiting other homes.  Curve ball!  

     After resigning ourselves to being homeless and waiting to find the right place for our family, I started rethinking one of the homes we saw.  This house was in the perfect location, had a floor plan we loved, but the showing was just...strange.  Picture this: we go to see a house, and the homeowner was there (because she wanted to stay).  She asked us to remove our shoes, so we walked around on carpet that felt a bit sticky between the toes...  And there were cats.  And lawn furniture in one of the bedrooms.  And dumbbells holding down an electrical cord that trailed up the stairs.  This is the kind of house where you see the listing online, and the photos are messy.  There were dishes in the sink.  And also the cats.  

     Once removed from the awkwardness of that situation, I asked Dave what he thought about that house.  Hypothetically, if we get it for a certain price and do a bit of work prior to moving in, would he consider it?

    From then on, our excitement only built.  Our realtor thought we were a bit crazy, but she helped us seal the deal.  Now, it's home!

(The key of champions)

 We even inherited an old hammock.

 "I will finish this kitchen before I go to bed," I said, twitching.  Three days later, it was functional.

 Everyone pitched in to help.

     So, we have done a lot of work.  There is much work to be done, but we are here.  Dave's office commute is about 7 minutes long.  I self-preach against laziness every morning when I have to walk upstairs to feed a baby.  The last few weeks have been filled with total first-world problems (broken refrigerator, wonky outlets, plumbing issues, etc).  We are expecting many more to come, but for some reason, it all feels right.  As we continue to unpack and dream about the things we'd like to do in years to come,  I hope we stay grateful.  I hope the Lord uses this house to bless us and to bless others.  I hope I remember that this house is a wonderful place to stay for a while, but that one day, I'll be in my real home with my Savior.

     What a great day that will be.

Dad Went to Alaska Today...

... because our grandpa passed away.  

It feels weird saying that, mostly because I can't put a finger on my emotions.  It's always sad when you lose family, but our situation is a bit complicated.  I didn't know my grandfather very well, and Alaska isn't exactly close to Texas.

You see, my grandpa left when my dad was 5 years old.  Dad is the oldest of three boys, so my grandma became a 25-year-old single mom in the early sixties.  By God's grace, Ruthann Kemp had a ton of help and support from her family to raise my dad and his brothers.  By the way-- have you met the Kemp men?  I am sure they weren't what you would call "easy" kids. 

Grandpa Kemp (or "Grandpa Eskimo" as some of my cousins liked to call him) was a functional alcoholic.  I in no way want to dishonor his memory, but I want to tell our story.  There is a reason my dad has never had a drink in his life, and that's because he saw the effects of alcoholism take place in his own family.  I know this isn't the only thing that mattered about my grandpa.  There is so much more.

I know that he forged a relationship with my dad as an adult.  It may not have looked like a normal father-son relationship, but it was still redemptive. 

I know that he called us every year or so and always, always said, "I love you" before hanging up.   

I know that Grandpa made lifelong friendships in Alaska.  

I know that his housemate physically took care of him until the very end.  That's love right there.

I know that my dad inherited Grandpa's clear blue eyes, his charisma, and his gift of storytelling.  

I know that there are three Kemp men who are steadfast husbands and fathers that are part of my Grandpa's legacy.  

I hope that those three Kemp men can find some beauty in their trip together and maybe even have a few laughs along the way.  I hope they learn new things about their dad and find some peace in laying him to rest.  

The whole thing has been weird to process for all of us.  But you know what?  My little family has been staying with my parents for the past week as we prepare to move into a new home.  I have watched my dad be the "official announcer" for princess pageants with my daughters.  I have watched him rock my son to sleep almost every night.  He wouldn't miss this for the world.  And they will always know how he feels about them.  

If that's not beauty rising from the ashes, then I don't know what is.