We made it! We’re in! And can I please say that we could not be more thrilled to be here?! On September 24, less than 12 hours after I flew back in to Duluth, we closed on our condo on the water and by noon that day, we were moving our things in. We are now nearly settled. It doesn’t take long with only a small U Haul. Pete and I did the unloading and we took the next week to get everything put in place. A lot of it was done while Pete was working at night and the kids were sleeping. The time was a bit magical, playing music and finding a home for each item. Now we’re working on getting a few pictures hung and are considering buying a few small art pieces for the mantle. But that’s about it!
How about some photos? I thought I had more than these, so I’ll have to work on capturing a few more!
Here is a view of the living room into the kitchen and dining room. The condo was furnished with everything but that when we moved in. Isn’t it beautiful? We are so very grateful for the opportunity to live here!
I sit on the balcony of my rented studio aparment overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the fine sand, feeling the sightly cool breeze through my thin sweater. I’m taking the opportunity to breath deeply, to soak in the near-silence, and to rest my racing mind. When I dreamed of this momentary getaway months ago, I couldn’t have known how much I would need it after weeks of uncertainty in the confines of a small hotel room. I’m glad I didn’t know about it then. It is months like these that I know I am growing. I am remembering how to trust when I can’t see what’s next. I am remembering what it feels like to trade my anxiety for the peace of Jesus. I know this time of uncertainty will soon be over, but I need to remember how it feels to ask in nearly every moment for God to guide my simple, daily steps.
On Tuesday this week, our big girl made the journey by bus for her first day as a kindergartener. I was thankful to have Pete by my side as she walked up those bus steps like she had done it a hundred times before. What was I expecting? A hesitant, questioning glance back over her shoulder as she climbed slowly up the steps? Not Ella. The girl who approaches new experiences with more confidence than her mama possesses on any given day. The girl who makes friends at every turn and who proudly introduces every member of the family to anyone who has an ear to listen. She was more than ready for this next big adventure. She marched right up those bus stairs and into the world of formal education.
When we began to prepare for our estate sale in July, we didn’t know where it would lead us. All we knew was that we felt we were supposed to go through all of our possessions and pray about the next step. Pete and I laughed together at the freedom we were feeling as we picked out the few things we wanted to keep. It was so far from how I usually feel about my possessions! Family asked what we would do without any of our furniture and most of the kids’ toys and and so many other things. The simple answer was that we had no idea. But we did know we needed to keep praying about it.
About a week after we went through the entire house, we felt like we needed to look into other housing options. We love our home, and we thought we would have it for many more years. However, there are issues with renting it while we’re in Kenya. One, we’re not technically in a renting zone. Two, it’s 90 years old and requires ongoing upkeep. And three, if a family moves in and we come home from Kenya, are we going to kick them out for the few months we’ll be in Duluth? Probably not. We would have to find another place to live. Why have the house if we can’t stay in it? So the search began.
Sammy loves the lake!
We started, as we often do, by dreaming and praying. (We’re big dreamers!) I’ve been interested in the tiny house movement, though there aren’t many options for that in the Duluth area. We looked for small cabins, and then came across ESCAPE cabins made in Wisconsin, 400 square-foot portable homes that completely appealed to both of us. The idea of being that small and simple sounded magical. The issue was where to put it while still staying close enough to Pete’s hospital. We began looking at pieces of land on the edge of town, but then we would have to deal with water and sewage hook-up, clearing a space for the cabin, and creating a driveway. Land around here is not cheap. And then what would we do with it while in Kenya? So we continued looking and praying.
At that point, we felt that our move was supposed to be a way for us to simplify, so we counted out houses and stuck only to condos and apartments. I did, however, want to have a space for the kids to play outside, whether in the grass or at a nearby playground. We chose to look at renting or buying and, on a date night in late July, we drove around town looking at possibilities. We checked out multiple nice apartments, even though they are primarily for college students. Then we looked at a nice condo building, though there was no space for the kids to play. Then we drove through an area with fairly new rentals, but I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the kids’ safety in the neighborhood. It was 11pm by that time, and we weren’t feeling entirely encouraged. We jumped on the Interstate to head home, but as we drove by one more condo building, one that was far nicer than what we’d been imagining for our family, we decided to swing in and take a look. Really, it was just to lift our spirits.
Remember I said this was at 11pm? Some of the condos in this area are used as vacation rentals, so we thought there might be someone at the front desk. Indeed, there was a gentleman who told us all about the condos and then let us walk through a few of the empty rentals on our own. They were beautiful, and so very cozy, and perfectly situated right on the shore of Lake Superior. We left that night, feeling a little more encouraged, and sent an email to our real estate agent, the same one we’ve been working with for ten years, to let him know some of our thoughts on moving forward with a move.
We soon discovered that there were two units for sale in the complex. Upon visiting them, we immediately ruled out one and fell in love with the other. All this time we continued to pray. We wanted to make sure we weren’t getting ahead of God’s plan for our family. As we prayed, we felt He was telling us it was okay to move ahead, so we took it step by step, continuing to make sure this was the right thing. As we quietly started to share the news with close friends and family, it seemed that the move and purchase of this condo was the right thing for our family and our plans for the future. With that confirmation, we submitted an offer, which was accepted, and a closing date was set. Friends, we will be closing and moving on September 5, less than one week from today!
we’ll be doing a whole lot more of this!
With the purchase of this condo, it seems that God is aligning his plans for our future. The condo will serve as a furnished vacation rental while we’re in Kenya, managed by a company that takes care of many of the units in the three buildings that make up the association. That way, it will be available whenever we’re back from Africa. Our minimal personal belongings will be stored securely in a room down the hall from our unit. No kicking out a family or finding a short-term place to live! And the whole selling everything in our estate sale thing? Well, that’s been taken care of. When we submitted our offer, we also asked if the owners would be willing to sell it furnished. Amazingly, they agreed, so all the furniture that was selected for that particular space is already in place. What an answer to our prayers! Because it’s a part of an association, we don’t have to do any yard work or snow clearing in the winter. And remember what I said about needing a place for the kids to play? There is a stretch of green grass directly out our patio. It is only that stretch of grass that separates our new home from the lake that we so dearly love. It also happens to be right on the Lakewalk, a beautifully paved trail that runs more than three miles along the shore between our place and Canal Park, lined with coffee shops, restaurants, the iconic lift bridge, and ends at a beautiful playground. We plan to walk, bike, and run the trail regularly, something we already love doing. Now it will be right out our front door.
There’s one more thing. We learned after our first walk-through of the condo that the owners have another one-bedroom unit right next to ours. They aren’t ready to sell it at this point, but when they are, we’ve expressed that we would be interested in purchasing it. Can you guess why? Someday, a ways down the road, we want to have the option of providing Sam with his own apartment, if that is what he wants. He could live right next to us, yet have his own place. That makes our hearts very happy. Honestly, I get a bit teary whenever I think about the possibility. Of course, we don’t know just what it is that God has planned for Sam, but we love having the option!
So, we’re moving! We had no idea this was a part of the plan at the beginning of the summer. We couldn’t be more excited about all that is to come. We’ll move next weekend, and then the estate company will come in to prepare for the sale. At the moment, the sale is set for September 19-20, which I’ll confirm on a future post. We’ve been doing projects inside and outside our house to prepare it for market, so we hope to list it very shortly after the sale.
We’re exciting to share pictures of the new place once we make the move! We continue to be amazed and incredibly grateful of the path God has set before our family!
In two weeks – yes TWO – Miss Ella will be starting kindergarten. We’re mostly excited about that in our house. I think it’s safe to say that Ella is completely excited while I, like so many parents, am a little more hesitant. It has always felt like we have all the time in the world before this milestone, and now it’s a mere 14 days away. It’s not that we’re jumping into something brand new. Ella started Montesorri school two years ago, just after turning three. That year she went every morning from 8:30-11:30. Last year we extended her stay to include lunch. When she starts kindergarten at the Montessori school, she will be in school from 9-3 every day. Of course the most exciting part is that she will be riding the bus. I’m so glad she gets the opportunity to ride. It may be the only time she can, since it’s hard to know what school will look like on visits back from Kenya after we move.
Before school begins, we wanted to make one more trip to visit Grandma & Grandpa in Wisconsin. The kids were rock stars on the five-hour drive. Big sister told me Sam was scared after we passed a semi so she wanted to hold is hand. I just adore her protective heart.
Once we arrived, there was plenty of time for long chats and cuddles for these two.
And walks around the lake with Grandma. (Thank you, Kristin, for the photo!)
And yummy treats, because such things are inevitable at Grandma’s house.
We love when Auntie Kristin visits, too!
We all go to the park…
And get into all kinds of mischief.
And we definitely get in a healthy amount of coloring.
We had a wonderful visit! Thank you, Grandma, Grandpa, and Auntie Kristin for watching the kids so this mama could rest and for always sending us home feeling completely loved.
