New plans

Boy a lot can happen in two weeks. First of all let me say that this has really all happened in two weeks we have not been planning this for months...I promise.

Last Monday Jeannie and I decided to look at houses in Durant, Oklahoma. We took all four kids and looked at six houses in one afternoon. It was an adventure and we found a house that we were told was getting ready to go into foreclosure and it was perfect for our blended family. Each child had a room and their rooms were away from the rest of the house. There was a pool and a one car garage next to the pool that could be used for a game room for the kids.

The real estate agent gave us the run around about putting in a offer for two days. I talked to my long time friend Dawn and she looked up the property and it was not in foreclosure so the next day I called a different agent and ask her to put in an offer for us. She informed me that the house was under contract with a closing date of the following Monday. I was really upset because we REALLY wanted that house. We broke the first rule and fell in love with that house. It was SO hard to let it go. The new agent looked up about ten houses that we might be interested in and showed us four that day. The last house was the best and we realized why the other one was taken away from us.

The house is the kind that you pull into the driveway and IMMEDIATELY think, I can't afford this. But that was not the case with this one. The house sits on 2.2 acres and the house itself has 5848 sq. ft. The listed price was 194,995. That comes out to 33.34 a sq ft. So I know you are thinking what's wrong with the house? Well we haven't had an inspection yet but it doesn't seem like there is anything apparently wrong with the house.

We decided to put an offer on the house the following Monday. In the meantime life kind of fell apart. My van broke down, and needed a new engine. Thank goodness for the lifetime power train warranty. It was completely free. We decided to put the house in Garland on the market and called my friend to see what we needed to and started packing. Then we took Chris to look at the house and Jeannie found out her dad had a stroke. That night I also found out that we had a broken pipe leading into the house had broken and would have to be fixed. When we finally made it home on Tuesday night we found out that our house was re-infested with fleas and we couldn't stay there, so we went to a hotel. I called an exterminator the next day and they worked us in and got the fleas out of the house and the yard. Then we found out the plumbing was going to cost $3500.00. I am hitting my knees to pray for the whole thing. Are these obstacles there because we shouldn't move forward.

Early afternoon on Friday I heard from the agent. They had countered our offer and it was higher than we wanted to go. Not that it wasn't a great deal but we still only have so much money and resources. I hit my knees again. Prayed for a clear answer, unmistakable. What should we do Lord? I fell asleep. I mean dead asleep. I slept for four hours. I got up to go to Ada with Jeannie and the kids to get Chris something for Father's Day.

We were going to Burger King to get something to eat and Chris sends me a text to tell me his mom has decided that she might want to buy our house. I think to myself this is my sign. Just twenty-four hours before she was not interested in seeing the house at all and was upset we were moving. But now she was interested in buying our house to help us. So I ask Chris what he wants to counter with and he says 189,000. I call the agent and she is skeptical but I hold my ground and ask her to counter with 189,000.

This morning I was getting up to fix breakfast for the kids and it was about 9:00am when my phone rang. I saw it was the real estate agent and I didn't really want to answer. I was afraid of the answer. The first thing she said was I have some good news for you, girl! I was still holding my breath, but she continued and said they accepted our offer. I was SO excited. Now we are in the next phase. Chris is at dinner with his mom talking about the house in Garland, and we are scheduling the inspection on the new house.

It is scary, it is a risk, and we are taking a step in faith. There are lots of teaching jobs in Sherman, Tx and Durant, Ok which are very close to the town we found the house in, Colbert, Ok. I have more opportunities to find a job and I will need a job to be able to afford the house we are buying. There is enough room for all of us and when Chris is gone I won't have to be a single mom and Jeannie won't have to be a single mom. Our kids can grow up together and we can be sisters to each other.

Please pray for us. We are trusting in Him to shine His light on our way so that we know we are on the right track.

Encouragement

Summer is in full swing around here. We have been enjoying our pool and playing outside ALOT. It is amazing to me that even when it is HOT the kids love it outside. We have found that our one real tree on our property provides us with wonderful shade and keeps us at lease 10 degrees or more cooler than anywhere else outside.

Along with summer we have heard "I'm bored" at least once a day. I am thankful that we have the pool for the go to activity. It is easy for me to throw them in there and just sit outside and read while they splash around. However, along with the pool I have started to hear lots of discouraging things from the kids. They all love each other, but they don't really encourage one another. But then again I listen to the words coming out of my mouth and realize, why should they? I realized this morning during my devotional time that I have not been very encouraging to those around me that I love either.

I took the time to read some scriptures about encouragement and forgiveness. I tried to encourage myself even though I think I have been seriously slacking lately. I also took the time to write down four encouraging statements for each child. It wasn't difficult at all. I am going to give each child the handwritten note and make a point to encourage each of them.

Think about any encouraging words you may have for those in your life you love. Try to be specific and let them know how you really feel about them. It is really priceless.

Ben's Kindergarten graduation

Ben graduated from Kindergarten on May 21, 2010!
He wasn't really feeling well that morning but sucked it up to graduate with the other Roff Tigers! He told everyone he wanted to be a cop when he grew up, just like all the other kids in his class. :) So cute! I can't believe he is now in first grade and he looks so old to me lately, him and Emily. No more babies!

Emily's Graduation

So my baby graduated from Pre-k on Monday morning. I can't believe she is really almost 5! And that next year she will be in kindergarten. It seems like just yesterday I was holding her all night because she wouldn't sleep, and changing endless diapers. I love her so! She is my light. She and I butt heads all the time because we are almost just alike, but I love her more than she will ever know! Here are some pictures of that day. Jeannie went with us. Jeannie is Emily's favorite person in the world she follows her around everywhere. I love it!

OKAY...really...

Sorry I have to give a little rant...medicine to regrow eyelashes....

Now don't get me wrong the medicine is NOT ACTUALLY the rant it is the fact the Brooke Shields is doing the commercials. NOW REALLY...does she really need to regrow her eyelashes. Am I wrong or does she look perfect the way she is?

So there it is I am jealous that Brooke Shields is going to be EVEN MORE perfect than she already is. I love her...but... REALLY?

sorry my green eyed monster is now back in its proper place just needed to share!

Tornadoes

So last night we had our first real Oklahoma tornado scare. It made me thankful we don't live in a mobile home!

I found it kind of interesting but I didn't worry too much. Krystal a friend who has become like a sister to me here was freaked out. Which I found a little amusing since she has lived here her entire life seems like you would get used to it when it happens at least two or three times a year. I managed to get the kids to be calm by keeping the news in the back bedroom and a movie on the TV in the living room.

There are definitely perks to living across the street from the school. Especially when the school is he storm shelter. All we had to do was walk across the street when the sirens went off. We were able to take the dogs. The girls packed a little bag of blankets in case we had to spend the night I grabbed essentials like money and we walked over.

We sat in the hot, stinky junior high school for about thirty minutes then went back home. Everything was fine and passed right over us. We went on with our evening, watched wrestling and got ready for bed. Those boys love their wrestling. It really cracks me up because I remember watching it when I was a kid too. My dad took me to see The Junkyard Dog and Hulk Hogan, but I digress really! :)

Everyone and everything in our little town is fine. I can't say that for everyone in the path of the storm and tornadoes last night, but we came through the event unscathed. I am praying for those who lost homes and livelihood to the tornadoes.

Tonight

So tonight I sit here alone in my house. I sit here watching movies and eating things I shouldn't that I will regret in the very near future, and doing the laundry. I am alone because Chris is out of town and the kids are at his mom's for the weekend. I am doing laundry because I take care of six people. I have been wondering lately who I am. Do you ever wonder who you are? Am I really the only one?

Well I don't think I have figured it out yet, not really. However, I think I am getting closer everyday. Almost my entire life has been spent pleasing other people. This is ultimately no one's fault, but it just is. I have realized lately that this alone does not make me happy. Because I never find the time to please myself. I don't know who I am because I don't know what I really want. And I feel like I owe it to the people around me to be happy.

Do I really want to please other people over myself? What defines me? Who am I? Where have I gone?

All these questions swirl around my head and start to define me. I find that I am unhappy because I am asking so many questions of myself all the time. Could it be that I am the person that takes care of people? Is that who I am? Is that okay?

What I think I realize tonight is that I am the person that takes care of everyone else. But here is the kicker, who takes care of me? How do I do both? How do I enjoy taking care of others, and still find time to take care of myself?