My arm hurts...

but that is just fine.

We decided to go a different route with the house. There are just too many problems with this particular lender, so we are withdrawing our offer and talking to builders this week to start over. We found lots of land that we can buy outright and then have the house built on it. It will take a little longer, but I am happy to know we are doing something productive now!

I found a rental house and went to paint today. (I can't tell you how scarce rentals are here... we found two total throughout the four closest towns!) The landlord was super nice. We can have our pets, and since I was willing to do the painting he let me paint the walls any color I wanted. I went with a taupy brown for the living room, hallway, our room, and the boys' room. The girls room is a spring green to coordinate with their pink/green/springy bedding, and the kitchen, the utility room, and the bathrooms are country white. We have a big yard for the kids to play in, and the neighborhood is very nice. I love that the deputy is living right across the street from us, and Faith loves that she can see the horses and their ponies from our front porch. Tomorrow I am going back to finish with the cutting in and the baseboards, and then I will start moving furniture in. I am trying to have it all put together before Jack gets back on Friday so he doesn't feel like he has to drive across the country and then do a lot of manual labor. It isn't ours, but at least it can be a comfortable home until ours is built!

I found a really fun science program for the kids through the library that Chet is going to love. Matt is going to scout camp with his troop through the church here on Monday, and he can't stop talking about it. I have to get him to a doctor for the physical he needs before he goes sometime this week. It feels good to be settling in!

I had to add today's quote so I can use it later. I love it!

“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.” Oscar Wilde

I won't be on for a couple of days most likely, but I wanted to update and let you all know things are looking up! When the phone gets turned on in the next day or two I will email it out to everyone who needs it!

Have a great week!