Did you know before moving out here to the middle, we made multiple offers on a house? When that didn’t work, we looked at more amazing old houses. Two sat upon two hills nestled in the woods. The one was way too risky-structurally. The other was wonderful but the shared driveway that needed to be repaired became difficult, so we walked away. When those doors closed, we looked at one in a small town that used to be used as a hotel. It was one of those that kind of made you nervous to open the next door. It didn’t have a great vibe so that was a no.
It was August. Our twins were starting their big year of kindergarten and I had declared that was it. I was finished searching for a home…a home we never had intended even looking for that year. So I thought. One day I was rocking Parker who was only about 7 months old. I decided just for the heck of it to widen my search from the area we had been looking in to the entire county. That is the day I found the homestead, but what followed was when I knew God had been literally closing the doors of all of those homes no matter how much of an effort we had been making and was getting ready to open a door that would lead us to where we were meant to be…out here in the middle.
I had notified Landen and Caroline’s kindergarten teacher that we would most likely be moving during the school year just so if the kiddos seemed “off” or distracted she would know why. Our home was listed on a Saturday and within the day we had a few people go through and as well as an offer. Because the showings were somewhat back-to-back appointments that day, we knew the first people to visit had only been there about a half hour. To our surprise they were the ones to make us an offer we couldn’t refuse.
I kept thinking wow-an offer on the first day, which we really needed to move into our new old house, and I kept getting hung up on how that short visit was enough for them to know it was a good fit….wouldn’t they want an inspection? Wouldn’t they want to come back and measure or look again more thoroughly? I was grateful because it meant fewer hoops to jump through and at the same time still puzzled. In the days to come our relator mentioned that they buyers knew our family… “Wait. What?” I was thinking.
It turned out that Landen and Caroline’s kindergarten teacher had just been casually looking online for houses herself and came across ours. She didn’t realize it was our home until she saw a photo of the mudroom and she recognized the backpacks being Landen and Caroline’s! What are the odds? How amazing to have our home being taken over by a wonderful couple! We were ecstatic! But it gets better! Landen and Caroline’s teacher at their new school was a friend I had gone to church with when I was little and worked with at Hallmark in high school and also just so happen to be family of my brother in-laws! You can’t tell me God wasn’t busy weaving this time in our lives!
We moved in January of 2018. It was rainy and cold and I left something behind I never had thought about but has bugged me ever since that spring. I had received these sweet miniature daffodils in a beautiful spring basket when I had been on bedrest in the hospital for three months in 2012. I had Aaron, my husband, plant those flowers along the walk, of our now old house, and they would pop up every year in March just before the twin’s birthday in April.
Until we moved and spring came, I didn’t realize how much I loved those miniature daffodils. At the time I didn’t want to seem pushy and ask for something that wasn’t technically mine anymore and anyways, they’re just flowers right? The next year came and I was nearly out of the woods of carrying the load around here after Aaron’s back surgery mishap that led to him having to learn how to walk again. I was desperate for spring in 2019. When signs started to appear of winter ending I found this immense feeling of hope. I swear I noticed the smallest of changes outside and I once again missed the daffodils that spring but I was too exhausted to even think of asking for a few bulbs to plant here.
2020 came and as you all know-COVID hit and asking for bulbs wasn’t even on my radar. Then this spring came and I finally did it. I messaged the kiddos past teacher and explained why the flowers were special to me and she invited me back to snag a cluster. So last Friday night, after we passed through 3 different fast food joints to satisfy everyone, we pulled into our old driveway. We had a lovely visit outside while I carefully dug up some bulbs and covered the hole. In exchange for the daffodils, I gathered some flowers from the homestead to share with them.
The next day, I woke to a beautiful bloom and by the end of the day two more- One representing each of our children in my mind. Caroline and I planted the bulbs by a rock out front by the walk so we always know the spot to look for them to come up in years to come. My heart is so full this Spring.
I could have never navigated or planned a more perfect journey out here to the middle. Within 7 months of getting a gut feeling that we needed to move, several doors opened and several doors closed. Looking back, I can now see how God’s “domino effect” of events were all connected and led us to where we are today. I truly believe the experience has given me the peace of today. I know He’s in control. I know he has a plan. I just need to stay close to Him and listen.
With last year behind us and this year looking a bit brighter already, I truly wish in this new season ahead we don’t forget all that we clung to so hard last year- family+ home.
From the middle,
Danielle