Life is Full of Surprises!

25 Aug 2018

1968 2018

Yesterday was our 50th wedding anniversary and we had a lovely day. We enjoyed dinner at the new restaurant in Durham where our son, John, is the front-of-house manager. Its called "Its a Southern Thing" Great meal! And, John seems to love this job, and the people he works with.

After we got home, we received the news that we have an official, executed contract to buy a house. This is WAY ahead of schedule!! I thought we wouldn't be looking until next spring and haven't even finished unpacking into the apartment we're currently in. I never imagined that three weeks after we got back from our mission, we'd be making an offer on a house! (And, then, three days after that it would be finalized.) But, Bob felt prompted that we needed to look now - so, here we are!

Now, we're focusing on the whirlwind of getting ready to close and to move (again) by mid October. I'm surprised that I am at peace with this, but, it feels right.

Here is the house we're buying. It's a 3 bdrm, 2 bath house in Fuquay-Varina and we'll be attending church in the Sunset Lake Ward. The house is two years old and the first owners put in many things that I would have wanted if I had been doing the choosing myself. It feels like the Lord prepared this house just for us. This move will be our 24th and, we hope, final. We want to spend the rest of our lives here.

In addition to closing on our new house in Oct., since this is such a special year, we have treated ourselves to a trip to the Holy Land (this has been in the works for more than a year) and we leave for that on October 25. It adds a bit of stress to be leaving the country so soon after closing on, and moving into, a new house, but, somehow, it will all work out. Life is full of surprises!

Post-Mission Epilogue

11 Aug 2018

This is a short note to say we made it home safe and sound! We met with our stake president the same day we arrived in NC (Wed, Aug 1) and were officially released as missionaries. (A bittersweet moment.)

The next day, Aug 2, some of our furnishings and boxes of stuff were moved to our new place, and we’re now in the midst of stacks of stuff to unpack and sort through in our cozy little two-bedroom apartment. At some point we’ll buy a house, but, this will do for now.

Last Saturday, Aug 4, we took a break from the unpacking, and are now finishing up a week at the  beach with the family!! (Its been lovely, but, lots of unpacking still awaits.)