Pasture Fires and a New Home!4⁴

Looking back over 2018 I can't help but think about all the changes we have faced as a family.  It's hard to believe we put our Frisco, TX home on the market in April, and it sold in two days. We then moved into a short term apartment (we had to move bc there were foundation issues and the house was literally sitting on a fault line). Norman ended up getting a job offer in D.C. that included a pay raise, so we jumped on it, and by June he was out here starting his new job.   The boys went to church camp in June, and immediately upon picking them up we drove out to DC.  Norman is liking his job, but even more than that, the both of us are glad to be back here. 

We had purchased a townhome, but with my TBI and balance issues I started worrying about being here long term.  Then the boys started falling, even  Norman too.  By October we realized we had to get out.  We put it on the market, and we we're fortunate it sold in 2 weeks.  The buyers asked us to do a lease back after closing, so we agreed, bc it gave us more time to find a home.  We did find a beautiful home in Woodbridge that's 3500 sq ft and closer to what we are used to.  We signed the  papers today, so it is officially ours!!

I will back track a little to Christmas.  A few days before Christmas a UPS  lady came delivering packages and news that there was a fire behind the house.  I ran and got everybody and from that point on it was nuts. A neighbor down the road came barreling up the driveway and asked if he could hop in the tractor to plow a fire break.  Mom and the boys got the hoses out and started spraying down the backyard so that it hopefully wouldn't get the house. Norman took the buggy and raced out in the pasture to get my dad bc he was tired from running, and I eventually caught up with them.  Norman and I switched so I could go check the herd and donkeys to make sure they were ok.  Thankfully they were.  When it was all said and done 9...NINE fire departments had come out plus the Red Cross was ready to assist if we had lost the house. The last number I had heard was that 150 acres were burned, but as far as Christmas blessings go, this was the best one ever.  We are so thankful for our volunteer firefighters.

We flew home Christmas Day, and I started getting sick. I have bronchitis that was brought on by inhaling so much smoke.

Other than that, we are just biding our time til we can move.  It's a 5 bedroom home, but we are knocking down wall upstairs to give Chase a bigger room, and we are knocking out a wall downstairs to give Eli a bigger room as well.  We are so thrilled to have found this home which feels like any other small town in America, yet DC is such a short distance away.  It's the best of both worlds.  We promised we'd stay in this home til they graduated, and we have been talking about what is needed to get the ground ready to put in a pool. Who knows...maybe this will be the house my grandbabies come visit me in. Here's hoping!! We have so much coming up this spring, so we need to get settled fast!  I will even be a bit busier as I was asked to be a publicist for someone whom I will be talking about soon.  I am truly excited to have this opportunity!  That's all for now peeps! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that 2019 will be everyone's best year yet!❤️
Ciao peeps!