Goldilocks and the Three Bears and Cleaning Invisible Dirt

If death by vacuuming were possible, I'm pretty sure I'd be dead by now.  We've had our house on the market for 9 days and we've had 7 showings and no offers.  Our first showing came just 2 hours after our house was posted online.  Those buyers said all the rooms felt too small.  If you've ever been to my house, you know that really the only room you could say that about would be the kitchen, so we find that comment hilarious.  Others have said they didn't like the layout of the upstairs, one thought our lot was nice, master bathroom amazing, but the kitchen too small.  Yes, we know. 

It all feels very Goldilocks and I find myself day after day wiping off counters and floors when it's already clean because we are living in a freaking MUSEUM!!!! Every morning I've been squeegeeing the shower and then removing all the shampoo and such so that there isn't any trace of us actually living in our house.

We have so much carpet, despite the fact that "all the rooms feel small", that it takes almost 40 minutes to vacuum the main floor and the upstairs all the while keeping kids from putting footprints where it was just vacuumed. I don't even touch the basement carpet and I'm in a full body sweat trying to hurry so the kids aren't fighting while they are waiting for me to anally fluff up the carpet on the stairs by hand.  It's a sad, but true, story. Moms with 5 kids and OCD probably shouldn't sell their homes while still living there.

 All the agent feedback says that our house shows above average and is priced about right so we are waiting for those buyers that don't mind our small kitchen or that the kids bedrooms are across the catwalk from the master.  

All the baby gates are down and the upstairs hallway toddler jail stowed, so I've been finding things to do away from home so I don't lose my mind keeping Ellie out of trouble and that the kids aren't making messes while we wait for the next showing.  This might do me in if I have to show the house at this frequency for another few weeks...or months!  

I made this wreath for the front door (thank you, Pinterest!) so that it might offset the hideous lovely peach brick on our house.  Surprisingly, we haven't heard about that in the comments.

I am going to miss our bathroom. The tub is amazing, but right now it's off limits because I refuse to clean it for the showings.

The kids have been really good sports about picking up and making their beds.  The boys' room is probably the biggest feat since it usually looks like a Lego/Matchbox car bomb went off in there.

 I have it worked out that in 15-20 minutes we pretty much are ready for a showing, minus the vacuuming, of course.  Last Sunday we had a showing, but I refused to vacuum because it's supposed to be the day of rest.

Around mid-April I may have gotten the van stuck on our soon to be property. Mark was walking the lot with our builder and the manager from our company when our lines of communication got crossed and I pulled onto the soggy lot and attempted to turn around. It's a long, silly story and it's not worth the details.   Since our house will sit back over 1,200 feet from the road, it took the men awhile to weave through the trees and brush to even get back to the entrance where we were stuck.  The kids were very patient, but it was quite the project to get out.  I should probably wait for the driveway.  ;)

Later that same "stuck" day, Mark took us back to show us where they put the stakes indicating where our house will be.  This was only the second time I'd been on the property and I fell in love all over again.  Our excavator guy told us this is the last real gem in the county and that we'll have quiet the retreat when it's all said and done.  For real.

Above, we're walking along the front little creek. And...

This is the big creek in the back!

The back of our house is going to overlook this beautiful spot.  There are so many adventures waiting to happen!

We are likely going to call our farm "Cypress Creek" because we have some very rare baldcypress trees growing on our property. More info here. The picture above is the root system which looks more like knobs rising up out of the soil.

This is the actual tree,  It will be interesting to see what they will look like when all the leaves are back.

Right now the property is completely wild.  When we close on the land, Mark is going to rent a forestry mulcher which is basically a Bobcat with a crazy shredder on the front which will mulch any thing in it's path. There's lots of clearing to be done so we can see what we're really working with. I think this will be a man-child's dream come true.  ;)

Speaking of dreams come true, this is basically what our farmhouse will look like.  It won't be gray, but the iconic white with black shutters. There won't be a pitched roof over the front door and there also won't be a railing on the porch.  I really can't believe we are getting a farm and a beautiful house to go with it.  It's more than I could have ever imagined and when I stop and think about it, I get teary eyed thinking how God allowed this dream of mine come true.  All glory to God!

It only took about 8 hours to decide what the exterior and the interior finishes will look like.  Mark and I put in 5 hours in the design center one day and then a few days later, I drug my sister back with me to finish up.  Pictured above is what the kitchen will look like...white cabinets, gray and white quartz counter tops, white subway tile back splash, a farmhouse sink and a rustic floor. I can't wait to see it all come together! Wait until you see the mud room.  It's going to be epic.

At the end of our pre-construction meeting I asked our builder how long this project will take and he thought we could have a foundation by July and move in by the end of the year.  If by a miracle we could move in before Christmas, that would be very helpful since all our Christmas decorations are buried in our storage locker.  Oops!

Mark has been so busy meeting people at the property to get quotes, septic plans and approval, electricity figured out and so much more.  It has been key that we got permission from the sellers to do all this work ahead of time which is why I do think we have a chance to move in before Christmas after all.  Most of the decisions are behind us and now we just wait and pray that we can close at the end of the month as scheduled.

There was hardly an idle moment in the month of April and besides all the busyness of the new house stuff and regular life, Mark took the boys camping and on the same weekend, our FNE group officially got installed.  Akela Chris from Jersey flew in to do the honors so it was a big deal. Above,  Mark is making his "promise".



Yes, the group was founded in Europe hence the berets.  It's funny, but you get used to it after a while.

Our priest, Fr. Wood was on hand to give a blessing to each leader and boy.  It was really special.


Mark purchased a cake for the gluten eaters in the group and he wanted the cake to say "Federation of North American Explorers" which is what FNE stands for, but instead got an abbreviated version.  I think it was way more fun that it wasn't right.

We have a girls group with 9 girls, but Brooke was the only one who could make it.  Next year, Stella will move up from the co-ed Otters to the girls' Timber Wolves.


I found this cute picture on my phone from one unusually warm day last month.


Another random iPhone picture...A local Catholic school had a traveling STEM science exhibition and they gave a time slot to home schoolers which was so awesome. All the kids pictured are home schooled and this is just a tiny fraction of the Catholic home school families in our area.  We are so blessed!

Yes, it is that time of year again.  Mark is bummed that our farm is going to be further from Kings Island.  Instead of getting there in 5 minutes it might take closer to 20.  Oh, the horror!  Pictured above is one of the roller coasters Luke was able to ride when he got his very first 54 inch bracelet.

Mark was so jealous because he was working when we went.  This was a much anticipated event in our family.  #myhusbandisaweirdo

Speaking of being married to a weirdo,  Mark and I just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in different cities.  Well, he was working and technically we "celebrated" the day before over his and hers Graeter's ice cream and then we laughed our butts off in bed for a half hour before we turned the lights out.  We were trying to decide which one of us got the raw end of the deal and then laughing about me having to confess to beating Stella with her shoe on the way to Mass one morning.  You had to be there.  :)

I really can't imagine a more wonderful life with anyone else.  Mark and I have know each other for 21 years and we keep changing, growing, and adapting.  It's beautiful to see God working in our marriage and our family.  It's been a wild ride and I feel so very blessed.

Ellie loves KI too!  I tell you more about that situation at the end or... you can just skip there now if you're that kind of person. I won't judge.

We rode the log flume in shifts because Nash has to ride with an adult and Ellie can't go.  Brooke and Luke stayed behind with Ellie first while I went with Nash and Stella and then we switched and Stella rode again.  I wore a rain coat because I'm no fool.

At the last girls' meeting we made Mother's Day gifts.  The girls are so sweet and it's been a lot of fun getting together twice a month. We have yet to go camping because well, I've got a lot on my plate right now.  We're going to save that for the fall.

I told Mark that we have to have a pond dug on our property because I want it to be like summer camp every day. :)  Our little subdivision pond has provided a lot of fun so much that I rarely hold it against the pond that it's not a community swimming pool. Most of the time.

Nash was so excited that he caught his very own fish.  Brooke was sweet and helped him cast it out and then took the fish off the hook and let him throw it back.

This is so random, but I keep forgetting to say that Brooke is now seeing a new psychologist that specializes in OCD and anxiety. As Brooke is getting older and gaining new freedoms, she now has more opportunities to make decisions which has been very difficult on her. These sessions have really challenged her, but are so helpful.

I participate in her sessions and every time I come out of the office I feel so overwhelmed that we are finally in the place we've needed to be all along!  This lady is good at what she does, her insight is spot on and we are getting a bang for our buck because I'm getting  therapy too!  I'm not joking.

My mom always wondered what she did to make me "this way", but Brooke inherited her issues from me.  This may not be surprising to some, but it sure as heck was a light bulb moment when I realized that all this time I have been struggling against this invisible "force"  for lack of a better way to describe it, my entire life.  It's been very eye opening and good for both of us.  Brooke is making progress learning how to cope and we've had many great discussions which has been wonderful.

Stella surprised me when she reeled in her own fish and took the hook out herself.  She's so independent like that!  She felt so proud which was adorable. And yes, she's still growing her hair out.  One painful centimeter at a time.  ;)

I know I've made you wait all this time to hear about Ellie and I'm sorry.  It's just that I dread rehashing it here after dealing with this in real life the last few days. The bottom line is that we still don't know exactly what's going to happen.  Surprise!  That is dripping with sarcasm just so you know.  There is a last minute scramble for custody from all sorts of unsavory characters and the county will now decide what they're going to do about it by June 1st... I think. :)  It's a hot mess!  Are you ready for this?

Ellie's dad still hasn't done anything, but still says he wants her.  If he "can't" have her, he wants Ellie to go to Vegas to his younger sister who is unmarried and already has an 18 month old of her own.  Ellie's mom had a relapse, but is whining that the county is out to get her and seriously expects that she'll get custody of Ellie again anyway.  Good luck with that!  Ellie's maternal great aunt has now come out of the woodwork saying she wants Ellie if her mom can't have her.  Seriously, it get's more ridiculous by the day!

Currently, we are actively taking measures to protect Ellie and to advocate for her and ourselves. I can't say anymore, but standby, and all this will come to light.  If I sound nonchalant about it all, it's because we still trust that the Lord will work all this nonsense out.  Satan is trying to have his last roar and to get everyone's feathers ruffled.  In the Gospels, Jesus tells us to ask the Father for anything in His name and He will give it to us.  We have prayed and asked since last summer for Ellie to stay and so now, by the grace of God, we hold tight to our hope and faith and let Him figure out the details while we wait for Ellie.   Ellie's attorney says the county has to have this all wrapped up by August 8th.    We are so close.

We are headed to Gatlinburg, TN for a little family R & R in the near future.  You'd think we are just having withdrawal after not traveling anywhere since December, but this time, we actually really need a break from all that's been going on.  We'll hit up Dollywood and do some hiking.  It will be a lot of fun since the kids have never been.

Well, this is quite the novel I've written this time or again depending on who you ask.  If you had to take a nap in the middle while reading it, you can imagine that I'm EXHAUSTED living it.  We all are really. It's okay because God's mercies are new every morning and we will make it.
 I'll leave you with this quote I came across recently that I just love.  Peace to you and yours!

xoxo,

Katie

"In this mortal life, our peace consists in the humble bearing of suffering and contradictions, not in being free of them, for we cannot live in this world without adversity. Those who can best suffer will enjoy the most peace, for such persons are masters of themselves, lords of the world, with Christ for their friend, and heaven as their reward."

— Thomas á Kempis, p.73