It has been eleven days since we moved into our new home. I sometimes wonder if it hasn’t been the longest eleven days of my life, but then I remember being in first stage labor for a week and think maybe not. Nevertheless, as I told you last week, this move has been one of the more difficult trials I have ever encountered. The days are long and the nights of rest are far too short. However, we are right where the Lord wants us, and for that we are grateful. His grace has proven sufficient time and time again.
The first week here was spent cleaning. I must say a special thank you to my mother and Sarah who were star players in this arena. I simply could not have made this move without them. The people before us had three dogs plus our Maddox living in the house. Samuel and I are both allergic to dog hair and pet dander. Therefore, major deep cleaning had to take place before the house was liveable for us. Talk about a lot of work! These two were tireless in their efforts to help me eliminate every ounce of dog hair from this house and even the garage! I was repeatedly humbled by their servant hearts and lack of complaining as they worked. I have much to learn from these two.
To note, natural cleaning products have shown their true colors these past eleven days (read: they worked like a charm), and for that I am grateful. To not have to resort to chemical laden products was a blessing. Melaleuca cleaning products are absolutely amazing and completely safe for my family and friends who helped us clean. If you haven’t used these products, then you are missing out.
Along with cleaning the inside of the house, we had much work to be done on the 4-5 acres of land surrounding the house. The flower beds were heavily overgrown, and the bushes and trees were in great need of a hair cut. My in-loves came out to help for several days and brought along all of their yard tools for us to use. We live on the water so to leave these beds untended so close to the house was just inviting every snake within a five mile radius. With a baby who wants to get down and go, this just was not ok for this mama. Not to mention, there was too much potential to put God’s amazing creation on display! This land is a testament to His creativity, and we want to steward it well. 
My in-loves, and a couple of our dear friends, also graciously helped us paint much of the inside of the house. With their help, we were able to completely finish the living room, dining room, hallway, and half of the kitchen. What a blessing! We are working to complete the painting in all the areas that does not have carpet at the moment. We still need to paint Samuel’s room and the bonus room before this coming Saturday, which is when our carpet will hopefully be laid. The guest room and remainder of the kitchen can wait since these areas already have the proper flooring.
Finally, in the middle of all this work, Samuel came down with some sort of bug. We thought it was teething, but seeing as he still doesn’t have a tooth, we’re not so sure anymore. We have no idea what he had, but for three or four days, we fought to keep his temperature below 102. Between painting rooms, pulling weeds, cleaning floors, etc., we were giving Samuel lukewarm baths, rubbing Melaleuca oil on his feet, and trying to nurse frequently to keep him hydrated. He was miserable, and so were we. He was waking every couple of hours at night, which now that we have to walk everywhere with shoes on because of the plywood, this was quite challenging in our sleepy stupors. However, God healed Him before the weekend was up, and he is back to playing and laughing again.
I look forward to this time next week. Lord willing, and if all goes as planned, I will be walking around bare foot again on nice plush carpet. We should have the remainder of the house painted, and the deep cleaning should be complete. We might even have several more boxes unloaded since our furniture will be in its rightful place. My son will be able to go anywhere he pleases, and we might even be caught back up on sleep. 
In the meantime, thank you for your continued patience with the decrease in posting on Intentional By Grace. I have been surprised to see that no one has canceled their subscription, but just the opposite has happened – my numbers have gone up. I am so grateful for your forbearance and support during this time of transition. Thank you for releasing me to my family, and I look forward to connecting more faithfully in the very near future. Your continued prayers are much appreciated!
