Your guesses made Emmy and I giggle and laugh all evening and morning.
Tons of you thought I got a tattoo.
I know we are not ever supposed to say “never”…
{ya’ know “never say never”}
but if I ever got a tattoo you would know that I was drugged, dragged off
and forced at gun point completely against my will.
It ain’t happenin’ to this silver-haired Mama and Mimi.
I’m more the “Little House on the Prarie” type….
and I guarantee Caroline would not have entertained such an idea.
Besides Pa would’ve had stood for it either.
{And yes, most of my grown kids have one or two or….}
and I guarantee Caroline would not have entertained such an idea.
Besides Pa would’ve had stood for it either.
{And yes, most of my grown kids have one or two or….}
Tons of you thought I might have went for a hot air balloon ride.
I love watching hot air balloons and we can see at least a dozen
on many days right near our rental home.
on many days right near our rental home.
BUT
I like my feet firmly planted on planet Earth.
I’m just way, way, way too chicken to lift off and float around.
Besides, I’m one of those people who would be afraid of “what if I jump?”
the whole time.
Now Skydiving?
A different story altogether.
Growing up I always wanted to.
{I admit, kind of ridiculous that a hot air balloon would freak me out,
but skydiving sounds super fun! What a weirdo.}
The thought of flinging myself out of a plane sounded like a rush that would be
crazy wild and I seriously used to dream about doing it daily!
And then I had kids.
Funny how kids can sure change our wild and crazy ideas!
And then I had a son enter the Special Forc*s and he “gets to”
bravely jump out of planes and repel out of helicopters for a living…
and the stories he tells have only confirmed my “wiser” thinking that what
once sounded like a blast, doesn’t quite so much anymore.
Many of you guessed that I shaved my head….
That was awesome!
And believe it or not, I have threatened to do it….
hair can be so stinkin’ annoying…
but face it, me with a shaved head?
Thinkin’ this young man wears it much better than I.
Some of you even wondered if I went back into the men’s room to see
if the naked lady was still in there?
You guys are hysterical
and
“dibs” ~
it’s Emma’s turn to check if she’s still in there!!!!
Several said “skinny dipping”….
and that made me laugh out loud!
And if you are my friend on Facebook, did you see what my hubby wrote?
He does stuff like that just to embarrass me.
Crazy-fun man of mine – makin’ me giggle and turn bright red.
{And if you aren’t my friend on Facebook, you are welcome to friend me,
~Linny Saunders~ cause I’m most definitely not repeating it here.}
Soooo,
what did I do?
I think I’ll make y’all keep guessing.
Just one more day.
Just kidding.
{I couldn’t be that cruel.
Well maybe I could be, but I won’t.}
Sooooooo here’s what I’m giddy about…
as it turns out, the Lord made it crystal clear that we were not supposed to
buy this rental we are in.
We love this home.
It has been a wonderful place of transition to Phoenix…
but it will not be our future permanent home.
We had one big prayer:
“Lord, we will live anywhere in the Phoenix area. We will live in whatever home you,
Lord, would have for us. Our only passionate request is this:
Please could our home feel like home instantly to all of us and to our grown kids?”
We have lived in wonderful memory-filled places over the years
with our ever-growing boatload of treasures.
From 2 bedroom single-wide trailers in the rolling Virginia countryside
to a sweet yellow home in a Charlotte sub-division and everything in between.
Homes with spectacular Rocky Mountain views and homes with the view of a
major highway where cars zipped by at record speeds.
A home where we {literally} saw drug deals in the street smack dab in front of us,
a home that was burglarized when we were out of town
{and they stole things that were never recovered}
and another home that they were literally in the process of preparing to break in and
we interrupted their plans because we were home!
Lots of memories both wonderful and of course, some that were not-so-wonderful,
but the thing that stood out was that while most felt like home ~
some most definitely did not.
Following the Lord’s lead we have moved across the country and up and down the East coast,
our grown kids have mentioned how it has been difficult to feel at “home”
{at times} in whatever home we are living in.
And true enough, home is where your family that loves you is,
but there is something to it all too.
One of our homes at our third pastorate was a white farmhouse
with a wrap-around porch on 31 acres.
We lived there 5 years.
It was set way off the road and felt like home.
We have so many joyful memories there.
But we had to move because the farmer next door was spreading
sewer sludge and my health was not holding up well.
We moved to a wonderful rental on a busy road owned by a friend and it served us well.
We then built a home that was handicapped accessible because I was spending
more and more time in Charlie {my wheelchair}.
Then the docs said, “Move west to a dry climate, it will help.”
We felt the Lord speaking through that doctor and before long we were
pastoring in Colorado.
In Colorado we eventually moved to our little log home.
Our grown kids loved, loved, loved it.
It reminded them so much of the cottage my in-loves had had
on Silver Lake, NY! It was amazing how much it was like it.
But then the log home burned down.
When we rebuilt another home where the log home once stood,
our Abigail walked in and said,
“Wow. This feels just like home.” It was a cherished statement.
We had built it with a floor plan very similar to our last home in Virginia on purpose.
So all that to say….
Our one prayer:
We would love a home that feels like home.
Instantly.
To us and to our grown kids who will never live in it.
Just before Dw left for Colorado a few days ago I said,
“Babe, are you okay with me looking at homes while you’re gone?”
He said, “Sure”.
And that same day I received an email from our realtor.
“Want to look at homes on Tuesday?”
She sent me a list of homes.
I picked a few, but there was one that stood out above the rest.
I honestly, kept watching the clock to see how many hours till we
would meet to look starting on Sunday!
We met up yesterday morning.
Elijah and Ruby were with me.
I had been so drawn to that one house it was crazy, crazy, crazy.
I just thought, “I think this is it. It seems to have everything we need
and there is just something about it.”
I was honestly beyond giddy.
The homeowner was home.
She graciously welcomed us inside.
The second we stepped through the front door, I knew.
This was it!
Bizarre as it sounds, I didn’t even care if we looked around.
I just wanted to run and sign the papers.
Our realtor was as excited as I was.
When I got outside I called Whitey.
I said, “This is it. I want to buy it.”
{He has still not even seen pictures of it.}
I told him about the garage {the way to a man’s heart} and he said,
“Go for it!”
I asked if I could bring Emma and the other kids back
just to make sure Emma felt the same thing.
The homeowner was more than happy to have me show the other kids.
When I returned with the rest of the kids, the lady of the home
and I spoke for a long time. She’s a Christian and her and the neighbor across
the street have been praying for the neighbors! Get this, she has always wanted to adopt!
{She loved meeting our treasures!}
And she has always wanted to do missions!
She said, “We can tag team…you can take my place in the neighborhood!”
The husband’s job is taking them to the mid-west.
They built the home and it holds wonderful family memories.
So, without Dw even seeing it in pictures, I signed the papers and made an offer.
I giggle as I type. It is so not me to do that!
I know some of you have done that or your husbands have…
but this was new crazy-brave territory for me.
He hasn’t even seen pictures of it!
Emma has said at least a dozen times today,
“I really want that house mom.”
Dw, Graham and Liberty will go tomorrow to see it with us.
They can’t wait!
It’s a Short Sale.
So we wait on the banks/homeowner.
We are trusting the Lord and His plan,
because He is faithful.
Lastly, Martha and AnaLisa, you guys were right!
Way to go sweet friends!!
Oh!
And the flower picture I posted yesterday?
That is my favorite, hands down, flower in the desert.
When we are traveling the roads I always point them out.
And yes, there is not one, but two on the front desert scape “lawn”
at the home I put the offer in on!
Yippee Jesus! Can't wait to see the pictures of your new home! Janet
How exciting!
What wonderful news. I always think that you know immediately you enter a house that it is 'the one'. We found our new house in England recently and knew from the moment we saw the outside that it would be for us.
Looking forward to seeing photos….very different to any English house, I'm sure.
Awhhh, that is SO exciting and SO brave of you! Clearly God just gave you that peace to 'know' you were 'home' …love it! Praying it all works out and quickly so you can get 'settled in' soon and start making some new treasured memories there. He is faithful!! <><
Blessings & Hugs,
~Tanya
How exciting!!! That is awesome about this family building the house (praying they find the right new home for them too) and the connections you already had with the neighbors too is a BIG WONDERFUL plus – how cool is that?!?! Sharing in your excitement, xo -Alisha
The flowers are lantanas. They are so pretty. Congrats on your new home and many more memories to come:)
Praise the Lord! His mercies are new every morning. Thank you for sharing the wonderful ways He works in and through and around you and your family.
Keep up the God work.
🙂 I will be praying for a smooth transaction and process for you as you wait for signatures, approval from the bank, and take care of details. It is exciting when you can see the Lord's hand on the details.
Congrats on the new diggs… praying it all goes "shortly" rather than longly. What a true blessing. Only God.
AWESOME!!
I don't know if I could do that either, but when you know- you know.
Does it have a pool?? And, is it wheelchair accessible? No, not for "charlie"!) For Me..when I come to visit? SO happy for you, you Brave Woman of God!!
So excited for you. Will be praying that it all goes through smoothly.
I too, love lantana. I agree that it is a sign 🙂
Linny, I'm glad to see your FB name, but seriously, I've tried looking you up on FB 3-4 times (including just now) and it won't show you to me!! AArgh!! If you have the inclination to "friend" me on FB, I'll gladly accept: Julie Chapman Rolffs!
I also could not find her searching by that I had to google "linny saunders facebook" and then it came up with a pipl profile with a link to the facebook. Not sure why it doesn't come up when you just search.
Wahoo Linny… That is awesome:) I will be praying that if it is God's will that, that particular home should be yours that it WILL be!:) Much love from OK:)
Sara
My mom is moving to San Antonio from the Phoenix area. I thought for a second wouldn't it be hilarious if you were buying her house?!
Oh so exciting!! I LOVE it when something is just so obviously the right thing that there's no question! I can't wait for your follow up post saying that you got it! I'm so happy for your whole family! 🙂
Of the few flowers I know of by name – portulaca – I discovered them about 25 years ago and loved them too!
🙂 I tried to find you on Facebook, but you don't come up when I search your name. 🙁
Same here!
That is so exciting! I'm always amazed at how God answers prayer. It is wonderful to hear you share so freely just how He blesses your socks off!
Yaaaay! How marvelous! How wonderful! So cool that the previous owners are like-minded. And I agree on the lantana, particularly the red and yellow kind. Such happy flowers! Congratulations and I hope the short sale will go record fast!
For the record, I had hesitantly thought it must be a tattoo, but my 10 year old daughter said, "No mom, I know her and I KNOW it is not a tattoo. She just wouldn't do that." Hahaha. She knows you!
Love Megan (and Annie)
That is so awesome! Can't wait to hear more about it! So very glad that is has some flowers you love too, what a bonus! God is so good!
I didn't have time to post(we were running to meet our newest little foster baby – right out of rehab), but got tons of giggles out of all the crazy guesses. I knew (with you being so much like me) that the tatoo thing was not your style. I was thinking it was about your house!
God is so good and faithful! He cares so much about even the little details in our lives, if only we would surrender to Him.
I am rejoicing with you, dear sister (and precious family) as He continues to lead you and this transaction along.
Yeah..I'm so excited for you…can't wait to hear all about it.
So excited for you Linny! I cannot wait to see the pictures. I love how you know when God is talking to you!
Tricia
PS thank you for NOT keeping us waiting another day! LOL
How exciting!! 🙂 So happy for you and your family!!!
Awesome, can't wait to see pics! And I'm going to go find you on fb right now! 🙂
Bummer…facebook is saying you don't exist…now how will I ever know?!
Wow! You certainly were very brave:) Don't you just love how God gives us courage we could have never had on our own!! God luck:) Can't wait to see pics! Praying they accept your offer!!
I was so far off saying a tattoo. Giddy with you.
Linny, I am SO excited for you!!! You and your family have had such a rough year, I think God knew this is JUST what you needed!! I can't wait to see pics too!!
What would be REALLy cool is if you get the new house tattooed on your forarm, then go skydiving and parachute in your new house's front lawn!
(Ha-ha! Oh, I crack myself up!)
Luana
I have that very same variety of lantana in my front flowerbed! :). So excited for you guys, and can't wait to see photos!!
So cool! I hope that by the time we come to Phoenix you have some resolution…I know it can take a long time for a short sale, but I ALSO know we have a GOD who's got our backs! Maybe you will be in the new house while I am in Phoenix…I can help ya move! Or help watch the smallest treasures…oh, how I would love that! 🙂
Nancy in CT…who is headed your way in 7 short weeks!!!! YIPPEE, JESUS!!!!!!!
That's awesome. After I left my comment, I was thinking that perhaps you put an offer on a home. How awesome and exciting! Praying that God opens those doors for your family!
Linny, I LOVE your honesty with us and LOVE how much your LOVE our GOD and that you really show us how easy it is to talk to him as if he is really sitting right next to us (of course I KNOW he really is)…Thank you so much for just being open and honest with us…I can't tell you how much that helps me get through rough days!!! Question for you though…do your kids EVER fight?? I love how much they love each other, and we are going through such a rough patch right now with our kids and I don't know how to stop the train wreck that seems to be coming our way (aside from praying of course). We've really been struggling and just wanted to know from a Mama who has been through many teenagers and littles at this point! Thanks for any insight you can give me! Sarah from Portales, NM
So exciting! Can't wait to see pictures.
That is an awesome story. I, too can't wait for pictures. Those flowers are beautiful, I have them in my front yard, same color and everything. I saw them in Israel when we visited a few years back. Reminds me of our trip.
Tamara
Awww, well, I didn't guess that one at all. I'm so glad you've found the perfect home! I have lantana growing outside my diningroom window and love the cheery blooms. It's a very hardy plant. 🙂 Hope all goes quickly.
And the thought that you went back to see if the naked lady was still there…we laughed out loud!
That is much braver than anything we came up. Wow! And what a husband to say OK go for it. And the part about God writing it on the sky was not literal ? I had a fun time imagining that it was 🙂
Congratulations!!
And I totally get the "feels like home". When I first walked into our current home, I felt it. This is the house I didn't care to see, the one I went to just because the realtor told me I might as well… the one I fell in love with walking in the door. I couldn't wait to start new memories here and can't imagine not being here.
YEA! Can't wait to see!!
You are so scarily like me once again! I knew that the house we are in now was "the one" after years of looking. It hard to find a 4 bedroom ranch with no basement in central ohio! I called my husband and said "This is it. Can I put an offer on it?" He didn't see the inside of the house until just before we closed…nearly 6 months after I/we put the offer in. (short sale…) Have fun!!! Sheri
Linny, I can totally relate with the part about how your family has lived in so many houses. My family has lived in five different houses before I graduated from high school, three more after I graduated from high school. My dad was also a pastor. Some places we liked more than others. I have so much nostalgia for certain houses. Going back to visit a house we used to live in just feels like stepping back in time. My parents settled down in a home with a great yard – perfect for them. I'm very thankful.
Linny,
so happy that you have found a place to call home. My husband and I are going to Norway tomorrow to meet with the bank and see a few more homes. Hopefully we will be shown exactly what to do…that is my prayer.
Anyway, because of the craziness I have not been able to get the pictures of our family and the letters out to you. Do I still have time or can I email them to you and have you print them out for me? I can also paypal some money for tshirts and a candy pack if you guys have paypal. Please let me know I really want to get those things in the backpacks for two precious children.
Thanks,
Laurie
lauriekjernald@msn.com
So very happy for you!!! Of course I would love to get a look at that special home:) When is the move?
Way to go Linny!! I am so glad your home here in Durango sold and you are on your way to buying a new home in Phoenix!! Yesterday, the girls and I were headed west out of town for home at about 12:30pm from the Doctors office(Elaina has bronchitis and strep) and I passed right by Dwight, the van and Uhaul parked across the street from the Exxon station/Subway on Hwy 160 heading West out of town. Dwight was walking beside the Uhaul and I thought, hey I recognize that guy and sure enough, it was Dwight. I am sure he did not see me in my white suburban as I cruised by at 45 MPH. It was such a blessing to see your family as they were headed out of town for the last time. We sure do miss you guys. We can't wait to come visit your new home one of these days. xoxo
Love how He provides! So thankful your home sold and your other home sold to YOU! 🙂
Linny, I am doing a Bible study on Proverbs 31 – and this story reminds me of such a lady! Proverbs 31:11 "Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value." Proverbs 31:16 "She considers a field and buys it…"
WOW! So very excited for you! I just friend requested you on FB via my alter ego (the initials will be A.S.A), 'cause I HAVE to see what your husband said ;-).
Yay! I love those flowers, too. I see lots of them here in San Diego and they are absolutely beautiful.