bi-winning

Quick little update on our housing situation, which seems to have taken a sudden turn for the yippee-ai-oh! I mentioned last week a place we were second in line for. Long story short, we've put in an offer and should know by tomorrow evening whether it's a go. Meanwhile, because we wouldn't be able to move in until August, Jason also happened across a sweet rental that he was able to start moving in to the next day after finding it, with no lease. It's a real laid back situation, just the kind we like, and the owners are excited about Jason doing some remodeling and property projects in lieu of rent. Hello! If the purchase of Place #1 doesn't go through, we can rent Place # 2 indefinitely.

Both are farm houses in or near the hill country, with open acreage all around, which is what we've been looking and hoping for. By "hill country," if you are from the northwest, you'd do best to imagine "slight alterations in the flat terrain." ha ha. No, they are actual hills that would leave you out of breath if you walked up them quickly. They have trees and a jillion little lakes and bird varieties, plus plentiful deer, moose, and elk, hard as that is to believe about North Dakota!

We will be happy with either option and are really grateful things are panning out. I think of the old saying, "Families that live in houses together stay together!" or something like that. I hadn't realized how much the lack of a house to go to was weighing on me, but when these options opened up within a day or two of each other, I was surprised by my relief. When I think of standing at a sink doing dishes or of lying outside on the grass with the baby or of making a little quiet place for Zoralee to read her books, it just helps to have actual mental footage, you know? My friend Elisha had a good point: my body is in prime nesting mode, so it was a particularly awkward time to not be able to envision our future environment.

Pics will be posted when we know for sure whassup, oh yes they will!