Sunday ramblings

Another sign that prayer really does work (and another one that the veil is really thin).

We were talking today in Sunday School (Kelly Phillips was teaching-she is such a great teacher and wonderful person all around!) about the Spirit World. She read a quote from President Brigham Young that said something like, "Where is the spirit world? It is right here."
Then a few people shared stories about experiences that they have had. I didn't share mine just because I feel like sometimes in church we share things that are too personal, but here it is: When I was young my Grandma Henrie used to touch my hands and say, "those are piano playing fingers".
One of the first things that I remember Roy saying to me is, "Wow, look at those long, beautiful fingers".
When the girls were born I was amazed (and continue to be) at just how small they were. One night when I was alone with them in the NICU (minus the seemingly endless numbers of doctors and nurses!), I was holding Saige's hand and I happened to notice her fingers. They looked really long for such a small hand and I said out loud, "Saige, those are piano playing fingers".
At that moment, I felt my Grandma Henrie SO Strongly. I KNOW that she was there with me. It was a time in my life when I felt VERY alone (Brett had gone back to Pullman for the week and I was staying by myself at the Ronald McDonald House) and I know that she needed to let me know that I wasn't as alone as I thought. I have felt her presence more then that one time-although not near as strong. She had twins herself and I know that she knows how I have felt.

Now, on to the story about prayer.
Brett and I have been actively looking for a home in Bakersfield for almost 3 years. We started looking a few months after we moved here and it has been a very long process. We would look with our Realtor (Jim) for a few months and then we would tell him that we need to take a few months off. Then we would call him after a few months and start the process all over again. It has taken it's toll on me more than once and there were a few times that I told Brett, "I can't spend so much of my time looking if we are never going to buy anything. I need a break"! Literally for the last 3 years I have looked up the MLS listings EVERYDAY!
Well, we started a few months back looking at things that were far beyond our price range because nothing new was coming on in our price range. The stuff below our range was trashed (because people here who are forclosed on like to take everything out of their house-countertops, bathtubs, blinds, you name it-and then they trash the rest). One day I found a house that was listed for $449,000. I know-it is a crazy amount of money. The house had been on the market for 8 months and I figured that if the house was in perfect condition, we could afford to buy it at 400,000. So, we set up a time to see it and Brett forgot that he had a Dairy Comp. Pfizer meeting. So, he tells me, just go see it and if it something we are interested in, I will come back with Jim and look at it. A few minutes before the appointment, he calls and tells me that he really feels strongly that he needs to be there and he is going to skip his meeting. We meet at the house on Far Niente Dr. and Jim is no where to be found. So we park across the street and Brett comes and sits in the van with us and starts talking to the girls. I said, "lets say a prayer before Jim comes so that we will know what to do when we see this house."
We said the prayer and as we say, "Amen", Brett looks up and there is a guy right at his window. Brett rolls down the window and the guy says, "are you here to see my house?" Brett recogizes him, his name is Troy Ochoa and he is a member of the church. Brett had visited him before with the missionaries. So, Brett says, "No-we are here to see the one across the street. Is your house for sale?" He told him that it was but that he hadn't signed the paperwork for his agent yet and that he would be faxing it in tonight. I asked him a bit about his house and it sounded like it had a lot that we wanted. So, the next day it shows up on the MLS, we saw it and made an offer that very day. I don't think anyone else even saw it because they accepted our offer. It took a LONG time to close escrow (it was a short-sale and we had trouble communicating between the banks, escrow company, title company, his agent, etc.) but we closed on June 4th and we now have a home!
We haven't moved in yet. Richard Phillips is helping us update the house a bit. We framed in some wierd window boxes that they had inside, squared off the bar area, had it painted, and are getting new carpet. It should be done by the weekend and we are so very excited! It is the perfect size for us-four bedrooms, 1/2 acre lot, 3 car garage. It also has a pool so the girls are very excited about that!
I am excited because I finally feel like we can settle in somewhere. Our whole married life we have been so transient. This will be our 7th move in 9 years so we are excited to settle in somewhere and feel more permanent than ever (even if that is in California!).
We are so grateful that we didn't find a house when we started looking because that is when the housing market was at the peak and it has dropped so much since then. Prices just kept falling and that is why we just kept waiting and we feel so blessed that we did.