This fall has been full of new for our household. We thought we'd put some of that into pictures to give you glimpses into our life.
We spent a few days, together as a couple, celebrating our 20th anniversary at the beautiful Oregon coast and kayaking at a nearby river. We rejoice that after years with Lyme disease, Millyellen was able to enjoy this activity once more.
Drew hands over the keys for our Son's first drive. Also he began his first job this fall at Little Caesar's as the "dough guy" 24 hours a week. His schedule is packed, but he is managing it all well.
Our Daughter has been blessed to ride a horse with her new friend on multiple trails. Much of her school and her passion for writing requires use of the computer. One crisp October day, the three of us enjoyed our annual apple picking. We made 41 quarts of applesauce over the course of the next week!
The picture on the left is of 19 neighbors who helped with cleanup and beautification of the main street of our neighborhood. The morning was an opportunity for those who live and/or work here to volunteer. Most participants didn’t know one another prior, but became acquainted while serving together. The next picture is of Drew standing at his desk in our rental home. His job has evolved yet again this year, and now he is coordinating Covid-19 outbreak testing throughout the state. If you notice the boxes in the background, THAT IS BECAUSE ...
...we will close on the purchase of THIS home in our neighborhood this week! Can we just take the space here to give God praise? Awesome, we will! This past year, we have prayed and invested in this neighborhood. During the summer, we walked each street writing down addresses and looking them up online to see if they would accommodate our current family, hopefully future additions, and a house church. We mailed 37 letters to neighbors essentially saying that we value them as a neighbor but if they are thinking of selling, we'd love to hear from them. The housing market in Salem, Oregon is high due to investment firms buying up property and an influx of new residents. The couple who lives in the above-pictured home thought of listing their property this past summer, but felt from the Lord it wasn't a good time. The day we sent them our letter, they decided to sell. After receiving our letter, they chose to meet us for coffee to get to know us and our intentions! We told them our hopes, and they chose to sell it to us without listing and below market value since no realtors were involved. Visiting the house, completing home inspections, and taking our kids to view it have led us to this point in time that we are about to be homeowners in the neighborhood God has called us to! What can we envision there: people sitting on couches and chairs studying God's word together and worshipping collectively. We envision it being a safe, welcoming space. What does that look like in this Covid-19 season of life? We await God's guidance. God is providing and is faithful!
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