Answered Prayer When You Didn't Pray In Faith

A couple of days ago (Oct.31) we had our 4 year anniversary here in Idaho! 

Time goes so quickly and yet, in other ways, it seems as though

we have been here for a very long time - maybe 

the 4 moves in four years have something to do with that!

We started in Boise where we lived in an apartment for 4 months.  
Oh yes, I even painted a couple of walls in that place!

Then we bought a house in Boise by the foothills.  

It was built in 1973.  

Although I painted like crazy the year we lived there we didn't do any major things 

and it is one of the few houses that didn't get the makeover that I had dreamed for it.

During the time we lived there Warren started a cabinet shop in Caldwell 

that made for a much longer commute than what we wanted for him.  

We found a foreclosure in Nampa that I fell in love with and Warren decided was a good buy.

Made an excepted offer.  Bought that house.  Started the "big" remodel.  

What I didn't get to do in Boise I made up for in this house!  It was major.  

I love a good before and after!

After a few months of having it set idle with little work being done on it 

(we had other irons in the fire) 

we put our house in Boise up for sale thinking we would have some time to work on the "project"

before it we would have to move into it.   

We had multiple offers the first day!  

Yay for good realtors!!!!  (Monica & AJ Lehman)

I wish I had been better about taking pictures of these houses.  

I'm just not the best with a camera....

The house in Nampa took about 4 months of really hard work 

and two years of work now and then.

It was an old house, built in 1923, that I would call 

about as close to my dream house as I have come.

I love old houses.  

I spent a lot of time praying that Warren would come to love it too 

so we could retire there and finish out our years!

 In all fairness to him, he had told me before we made the offer on that house 

that we would not being staying.  It would be a "flip". 

He wanted to be out of town on a small piece of land.

It was a fun, beautiful, old house with enclosed windowed porches,

a built in buffet with leaded glass doors and beveled mirrors, 

enormous cast iron tub with a rounded foot, 

inlaid wood floors and built-in closets.  

And we made that house proud.

 She sparkled when we moved out. 

And God knew my heart because she went to new owners that maybe even love her more than I did.

I must tell you now that even while we were working on this wonderful house, 

Warren had his mind on property.  

And I LOVE to look at property!  

We looked at several and actually made 2 offers.  Both rejected.  

We were not so much disappointed as we were surprised.  

We thought we had made good offers with excellent terms.  

BUT we had been praying and we didn't want to be somewhere where we weren't suppose to be....

Then one evening, when Warren and I were praying together about what was next, 

I added

"and you know how much I love water views, Lord"

My faith is small, let me just say that, and I really didn't have any expectation of some great "view"

as a matter of fact we were praying about another foreclosure at the time 

that I just couldn't wrap my brain around.  

"if we were younger",  "if funds were unlimited",  "if it wasn't so far from EVERYTHING"

were a few of my concerns. 

Let me interject here that between our last rejected offer 

and my prayer there had been some changes in our lives.  

Warren had been asked to be the worship leader for a church plant in a little town

outside of  Caldwell called Homedale.  

I had been praying for a ministry opportunity for Warren.  

Having left Brazil and then Tennessee we had had a hard time connecting with a church 

and we missed fellowship.  

However, a church plant wasn't what either of us had in mind yet it felt like the Lord 

and we thought it was temporary..... !   

We love our church and that happened quite quickly SO our two rejected offers?  

They would have been in the wrong location!!!!  

It's almost as if God knew!  (sarcasm)

The day after my "water view" prayer our piece of property was listed.  

We happened to have our realtor (as our friends!) over for dinner that night and Kellie was visiting.  

I mentioned it after being asked "are you still wanting to look at property"   (well, by the way....)  

We drove out to look at it that evening.

Warren still says I didn't even notice the old, crappy mobile home

that smelled before you even opened the door.  

Or that the garage was one of the uglies things ever that sat smack in the middle of the property.  

No, I didn't notice that it didn't have my old, dream kind of house with glassed in porches and wonderful built-ins....   

I just saw the river.  The water view.  And I think I cried a little.

More to come.....

3 Houses - 3 Years: This and That

Wow - I've been lazy!  

We have moved 3 (yes, you read that right) times since I have posted!!!

First we bought a house in Boise that was built in 1993.  

We didn't get to do all that was in my heart for that house before we moved exactly a year later.

Then we moved to Nampa 

where we bought a house that was built in 1920.  

Love that house.

We pretty much redid that house and, I must say, she's looking pretty fine these days.  

Yes, we still own her but we are planning to put her on the market soon.

Now we are living in Marsing.  

In an old double wide mobile that stunk so badly 

that a person literally couldn't stand to be in it for long....

well, we have remedied that :) 

and we've done some fun, cheap things to make it livable until we build.  

But I must say, it's just not a bad little place to call home 

and I have had a lot of fun with her.

So....I thought I would just post some pictures 

of some of the random things I have been up to. 

Enjoy!

I just bought this old industrial storage shelf unit.  

Warren and I reconfigured it for this entertainment unit.  

It was more time consuming then we though (of course) but it turned out to be a fun piece.  

I'm loving it for now but when and if I get tired of it, it can be used in multiple other ways.

My brick wall - in the mobile!  

Bought some of that brick board at Lowes ($27 for a 4x8 sheet) and painted it white.  

It looks really great and it covers a hole where the hood vent had gone through the wall!

The kitchen 

Warren made melamine cabinets for this room because the old ones were so gross.  

A cheap fix - when you're in good with a cabinet maker!  

The "tile" is actually painted on the wall - grout and all. 

 I thought I would do this for two reasons: 

1.  would I get tired of so much pattern?

                  2. I would never buy tile with color because it's too 

             permanent and styles colors change to fast.

  

This way I could try out both and I am so glad I did.  I love what it adds to the kitchen.

A close up of the "tile".  

You can see in this picture where I have started

 to cover (edge) the butcher block laminate

with marble contact paper!  

It works and so far is holding up well.

Here you can see where we are putting down our "wood" peel 'n stick floor! 

We got it for .59 a square foot.  I ordered it from Lumber Liquidators.

We just wanted a quick, easy fix. 

When we started putting it down we were surprisingly pleased.  

It really does look great and is easy to clean.

OH, YES I DID!

I have been wanting a herring-bone floor so what better time to try it out but on a quick, cheap floor!  It wasn't "quick" but it was fun and I am so glad I took the time to do it because it makes me smile just to see it  AND  it breaks up all the flooring in otherwise a boring hallway.

Of course, 

 there has been more project than what I am showing you here

AND

I know you would probably rather see pictures of our 1920's house!

Maybe those will come....

or maybe this is a once every 3 year post!!!!