Update!

~Roo'sMama~ wrote: Hey everyone! I just realized I've posted here and there in the last month but haven't updated since we moved back home. We're all moved in and trying to get settled still... we worked like mad for the first week and then sort of lost steam. We've had (and still have) a LOT of cleaning and repairing to do... apparently Scott's mom and sister have no respect for other's property - lets just say if they'd been renting from us and had given us a damage deposit they would not be getting it back.

But the biggest news is Scott got a teaching job for this fall!!! A position opened up in the town we live in not long before we moved back, and right before we moved he got called for an interview. He had his interview the day after we moved, and he got offered the job on June first. We're just so excited that he's actually got a job teaching, and in the town we live in! We're so thankful. He'll be the 9th and 12th grade English teacher, and he'll also be in charge of the student council.

He hasn't been able to get a job lined up for the summer though, so that's kind of putting a cramp in our plans for getting our house in shape this summer. We're a little afraid our savings (which is actually just the leftover of our tax return from this spring and Scott's last student loan disbursement). He's going to pick of some shifts as needed at the hotel my friend manages so that will help... he used to work weekends there before he went to school so it's something he won't have to be trained for at least. But so far it sounds like it won't be a whole lot so we're a little nervous about that! It's nice knowing he has a job lined up though and we just have to make it through the summer. God is so good - when I look back at all the things that happened to make it possible for Scott to go back to school, and for us to keep our house, then for him to get a job in the town our house is in, I know it just had to be God. It's pretty amazing!

amymom replied:
Wow! how great is all that! God certainly is good. Maybe he could put a small ad in the paper for summer tutoring. I know some kids need a bit of extra help in the summer to not fall behind, but don't need summer school.

Good luck to you in this new phase of life.

mom21kid2dogs replied:
Amy very right about summer enrichment. My daughter's school does a 1 hour per child per week enrichment program. Parent picks the subject (subjects) for $15 per hour. I bet he could make some mad cash this summer.

So glad God has worked things out for you. Doesn't sound like it could have fallen into place any more perfectly!

my2monkeyboys replied: I just love to hear when God has worked things out in such remarkable ways!!
I'm so happy for your family!!!

Our Lil' Family replied: That is so wonderful Sara!!!!! Try not to worry, this is God's plan, He will make ends meet until he starts working, no doubt about it!!!

I like the tutoring idea! So how does it feel being back in your own home, just your family???!!!

~Roo'sMama~ replied: Thanks everyone! The tutoring idea is a good one... He tried calling the slyvan learning center to see if they needed tutors, but I don't think he's thought of just doing it on his own or through the school. I'll ask him about it and see if he wants to check it out. He's also going to call the local berry farm to see if they need help - he called this morning but just got their automated message so he's going to call again later.

Naomi it feels GREAT! I'm not nearly as stressed out as I was living with my parents. My mom always made comments or hints (she's a classic Minnesotan passive aggressive ) about anything that wasn't picked up or if I left anything left unwashed or not put away in the kitchen. So I always felt like I had to keep everything perfect, which isn't easy with two little kids. And going grocery shopping was always stressful because my mom would complain if the fridge and freezer were too full, so I never knew if I was buying too much and would cause problems. And it's so amazing how nice it is just to be able to sit own in our living room after the kids are in bed and watch tv together, just ourselves. The kids are doing much better than I thought they would be too. Andrew has had a bit of a hard time with not being able to go outside to play by himself anymore now that we live in town, but we've been making time to go out with the kids so they can ride their bikes and play in the yard. They like being able to go to the park more often now, too. My parents came for Andrew's birthday and my dad built an awesome sandbox for the kids so that really helps too - the sandbox was one of their favorite things at my parents house. Now if only our yard was big enough to hold a trampoline and a playset they'd be perfectly happy.

mummy2girls replied: AWESOME!!!! CONGRATS to scott!!!!! And you guys ~~~

Now hoepfully marcus will follow suit in 3 years....

boyohboyohboy replied: Sarah, congratulations! Thank you for sharing this too! It's encouraging reminder in these hard times that God is in control and will take care of us.

coasterqueen replied: Congrats! I'm so glad things are going well!

luvmykids replied:
This! When everything lines up that way, there's no way God would do all that and let it flop so just keep chuggin along!

Congrats on being back in your own home...y'all really endured and it must feel like life is finally normal again!

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
Yep! That's what we kept hanging on to when we didn't know if Scott was going to get a job teaching this year - for a while it was really looking like it wouldn't happen. It's been a hard 3 years of trusting God when it things looked impossible. It's amazing how much easier it is to trust when things are looking up. Now that we can see how everything is turning out it makes me so glad that we held on.

Oh and my relationship with my mother has already improved. I really do love my mom, but we do not get along when we live in the same house. It's why I moved out when I was 18. Living there with my own kids made it 10 times worse - my parental toes got stepped on a lot, and trying to call her on it always ended up in her being offended or hurt, and no matter how good I tried to be about it she'd say I was being disrespectful of her. There were several times in the last 3 years when Scott and I considered trying to find an apartment or married student housing on campus to live in because my mom was making us crazy. But I know it would have really hurt my dad if we'd have left, especially after all he'd done to make it possible for us to live with them. And it wasn't all bad, my mom and I had some good periods but there was always that stress of trying not to do something to upset her, and whenever the kids acted up it stressed me out so bad because I felt like I had to race to beat her to dealing with them. So yeah it feels great to have life going back to normal. I've even noticed that I'm a lot more patient with the kids.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
Yes! I hope he does! I also hope that the next three years go by MUCH faster then the last 3 have for me.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Oh Sara--I'm SO happy for you--on ALL accounts!!!!!

youngmomofone replied: That is amazing!!!!!! God IS good!