The End of Homelessness (for now)

Those of you who only follow my blog and don't know what else is going on in my life (i.e. you don't stalk me on facebook) are probably wondering if we fell off the face of the earth, if something came up with our apartment and we weren't able to move in, if we did indeed move to Green Lakes State Park (brrrr it frosted last night, I am SO glad that we are in our apartment and NOT in a tent!!) Sorry for the delay in updating this blog but I have been having fun posting to our new blog http://lovenpeanutbutter.blogspot.com/ that I am using to keep a record of God's provision for us through our 4 paycheckless years and have been neglecting this one.

We did get to move into our apartment finally on Wednesday, October 14. When we arrived to start moving in the entryway, living room, dining room and main bathroom we all full of stuff and sawdust. There was a wall in our bedroom (the previous wall had been destroyed by a water leak upstairs) but the main bathroom was not in working order. We had already swept Caleb's room so we decided to go and get our beds at least and put them in Caleb's room while it wasn't raining (they had to go on top of the van) and our landlord worked at getting the rest of the apartment to a place where we could move our stuff in. We moved in our beds in a couple of loads then went to get the first load with the van. The van doesn't have the storage capacity of the Burb but, with the seats out, it still does hold a lot of boxes when they are stacked in there well. Our stuff was stored in the attic of the apartment we sublet this summer so to get stuff to the van we'd carry them 7 steps down to the landing, turn, 7 steps down to the 2nd floor, turn, 7 steps down to the next landing, turn, 7 steps down to the 1st floor, turn, 7 steps down to the side door landing then one step down and you were outside. It was very helpful that there were 7 steps on each section because then you just had to count, not look where you were going.

It took about an hour and a half to fill the van the first time then a half hour to unload it then we took a lunch break of leftover pizza (I made sure the microwave came in the first load!) After lunch the landlord asked Glenn to help him get the stove that he was going to put in the kitchen up from the basement. They got it most of the way up the stairs when Glenn's back went out. He ended up laying on his back for the next hour or so unable to move but thankfully at about the same time Kendra showed up to help and helped me get the van filled another time. More stairs and more heavy boxes and the van was full again. Kendra helped unload then left and Matt and Christina showed up with dinner and helpful hands. Christina had just been rear-ended the day before so she couldn't help carry stuff but she could help unpack and keep the kids occupied. Robert came to help too and he and Matt carried 3 loads of the big stuff down from the attic and into our apartment (our steamer, table, dressers, etc). I was SO thankful for their help! When Glenn's back went out I had no idea what I was going to do! Glenn was able to walk back and forth between the apartments (we just moved a block north) and carry chairs and stuff that we had stored in the basement while I moved more stuff out of the attic while Matt and Robert were moving the big stuff. Finally, it was dark and the kids in the 1st floor apartment were supposed to be going to sleep so we gave up for the night with mostly boxes and random stuff left in the attic. Robert went home and Matt and Christina helped us set up our beds and I collapsed in exhaustion while Glenn and Caleb went back to Julaine's and spent a couple of hours cleaning and getting the rest of our stuff (partly because Glenn needed his white coat for the next day at school but I am so glad that he went and did it - I was exhausted!).

I spent Thursday unpacking at our apartment while Glenn was at school because my body refused to walk those stairs again and my arms refused to carry boxes very far then on Friday we finished emptying the attic with about 3 loads (with the seats still in the van). I guess I really should have been in training while we were homeless my body was not prepared for all those stairs and carrying of heavy boxes. I am so thankful that we moved into a 1st floor apartment because I couldn't imagine carrying everything up lots of stairs to get in it! The kids were real troopers and pretty good helps through the days of moving. They walked those stairs lots of times too carrying down what they could. Our kids are amazing. I am so thankful for their good attitudes through all of this. I am also thankful for the help in moving. No one could be there for the whole time and I missed my brother (he has helped us with many of our 15 moves) but I am very thankful! I am also thankful for the strength and endurance we had to get everything done. God is so gracious.

After moving in our landlord was at the apartment every night and all day Saturday and Sunday for the first week and a half. He had hoped to have the bathroom in working order for us when we moved in but he had run into some problems and it had not worked out. When we moved in the toilet off of our bedroom was working but the main bathroom was completely not operational. He got it fixed enough for us to shower in it by Sunday morning which I am sure people appreciated at church. The toilet and sink finally moved from the dining room, where they had been, into operation the following Saturday night. There is still a bathtub in my living room but where else would I put give away stuff that I find as I unpack?

Well, enough of my book. Lots more has happened but that will have to wait for another time. We are so thankful that God provided this apartment for us! He is amazing and knows what is best!