We're Here-Cleveland, OHIO!

Crazy crazy craziness has been our lives for about 2 months and it finally feels like the stormy sea's are calming. Finally.
But we're here. In Ohio.
I think it would be easiest to make a list of my favorite things here....its a long one. :)

This house...59 years old and all. Perfect for us..for now.
The trees on our street and in our yard-though raking might be a task.
My sun room off the dining room-cozy and cabin-esque. Perfect place for late night chats with moms, sisters and best friends-even if its over the phone. (thanks Lee'sa for the futon-thats where it is.)
Neighbors; they brought us cookies. And have two boys...yea!
The yard is big. No fence. No one else has one either. Love it. I don't feel couped up.
We have a basement. Plenty of light and storage! yea!
Our town is quaint. Very cozy and New Englandish if you ask me (never been there)
However quaint it is...theres a COSTCO AND TARGET AND OLD NAVY and plenty other things just a mile away! Outside of the quaintness. Not disturbing it.
Football games. We must be close to the high school because teenagers all walked past our house to the game. Announcers, bands, cheering and even a fireworks show at the end, all happened tonight. I like it!
Landlords...they're cute and ever so helpful. Bob and Mary first met in this house, and they're about the cutest couple ever...and she's so funny and delightful and such a fine lady. And he's about as handy as ever and retired.
The church. They've taken good care of us. Been fed two meals already and women-mostly young moms have called to check on us. More than a few times Jake has called and I cut him off with "I love our church." or "I'm so grateful for this church." or "I couldn't imagine doing what we do without the members of our church."
I know this church and religion are the most important thing to me. I can't imagine my life without its support. And with each move I appreciate it on a whole new level. I like the reminder.
The Post Office. Its sooo close. Our city post office in Texas was 30 minutes away.
Now, maybe one minute-depending on if you wait for a car when backing out of the driveway.
Produce...oh how I've missed you! Fresh peaches, tomatoes and corn. All at a roadside stand. Locally grown. Glad to have you back in my life.
Public School. I've only spent 5 minutes with her and I LOVE, Love her already. And I needed something to give. Three boys with no friends yet....makin' me a bit CRAZY!
Open windows. Need I say more.
Airport...oh so close. And no tolls to get there. :)
Only one full bath to clean. You can consider it however you want. (I maybe should mention however...no outlets in the bathroom. This should be fun!)
My living room feels good. We can have Family Home Evening night with the piano in the same room. Maybe we'll actually do it more often.
The Puerto Rican neighbor I met at the bus stop who invited me and the kids in to say hi, and to meet her pastor husband and their three cutie patootie kids. They remind me of Jake's brother and sister in law Steve and Charmenia!
Did I mention the basement. If I don't want to deal with it...down it goes.
oh, oh, oh....Huntington Beach! Its on Lake Erie...you know, one of the Great Lakes you had to memorize in grade school. Its fresh water but it feels like you're on the ocean. I'll post pictures when I get a sec! Just minutes away and the boys loved building in the sand. My mom even got in and swam with us!
Which reminds me...we can ride our bikes down to a little old fashioned ice cream parlor around the corner a ways.
All the church historical significance here in Ohio. Never occurred to me before.
A quilting store at the end of my street. Maybe I'll take a class and learn to sew after all. (My mothers' dream...)
Oh, and how can I forget, the skunk we saw on our street our first night here. And the red fox that crossed through traffic leaving our neighborhood the next morning.
Lovelies-you can't forget those.
I have four master closets...they're old...if you know what I mean. But I love them-and one is cedar lined.
My small kitchen...its so easy to keep clean, but somehow far more functional than our last one. (Easy to get way messy though, too.)
The neighborhood makes me feel like going for a run.
There's a little church just a little ways down the road. And another steeple I can see from my kitchen window.
Church bells ring in the morning.
So many people exercise up and down our street.
Long drive way for bike riding.
Jake taught Josh how to ride his bike at said church parking lot tonight! He's a natural, too!

All in all I have many things to feel at peace and have gratitude about here. I know the Lord blessed us in finding our home. I feel it as one of His tender mercies. I did not want to move. It took me 5 months to mentally accept this change. He has taken care of us here. In every way, I know God led us here. Even down to...we leaped in faith into this house never looking at this town, and seeing the house in the dark at 9:30 at night before flying back to Texas the next day. We did not know of any of what we were getting into. We had no other options. Doors kept getting "shut" in our face. We'd find a house; decide to go with it and it would already be under contract..within hours. We begged and pleaded one lady to let us contract with her on hers over someone else. Nope. And it was sooo small. Crazy to beg for house you'd never want to live in all because you can't find ANYTHING! The Realtor dropped us off at the hotel by Friday night-6 p.m. with nothing. No home. Not even a worst possible choice-except for the mildew infested one.
The story itself; finding this house is a miracle, literally. Maybe I'll get to blogging about. Huge trial of faith.
So, all in all, have faith. If you need mountains to be moved in your life. Have faith. He moves them. But a mountain's a lot to move so it can take quite a long time. So in this moment, patience has been the key to enduring all that we've been through in the last 6 months.
Gratitude is how we choose to enjoy it now.
At dinner on Sunday a new friend said all the black ladies she takes care of as a nurse, respond with "I'm Blessed" when she asks them how they're doing. Forget the "I"m fine, how are you." its, "I'm blessed...the Lords been good to me."
I think I like these ladies already.
We all struggle and all have trials. We all are trying to conquer something. But for now if you ask how I'm doing...."I'm Blessed."