First...a few pictures...
This is the tile in the hall bath:
This is the master bath:
This is the foyer:
Now that we’re all settled in for the afternoon/evening, curled up watching a movie (Matt picked Back to the Future) with our blankets, I thought I’d take a few minutes to write another update. This week has been a long one, filled with the usual ups and downs and I am very grateful that Principal has decided to give us Martin Luther King Day off as a paid holiday so tomorrow I can have another day to rest and catch up on things around the house.
Matt’s eye is healing nicely, and after several days of hopelessly blurry the vision, things are finally starting to return to normal. Even though this surgery was only on Matt’s left eye, it was sorer than any of the previous surgeries, so Matt was down for the count most of the week. While Matt still sees double, the tilting of the one image has been resolved! Matt and I are hopeful that we are definitely on the right track for resolving the double vision. We’ll see what the treatments in China bring us.
I’ve also been scrambling all week trying to get our paperwork in order for our China Visa applications. We were in a bit of a time crunch to get the paperwork submitted now, since Chinese New Year is in February and apparently the whole country basically shuts down. Filling out the forms and compiling the necessary pictures, flight itineraries etc ended up being much more complicated and frustrating than I could have imagined. But after a trip to Office Depot for a printer cartridge, and a stop at Walgreen’s so Matt could take another passport photo…I finally got it all together and was able to drop it all off at the post office Friday afternoon. Hopefully I filled it all out correctly and the Visas will be approved and sent back to us soon.
Things are moving along with the new house. Our neighbor Todd was able to prime the interior on Monday while we were in Iowa City, and the tile was laid in the entry way and both bathrooms too. They should be working on installing the cabinets and trim in the next week and we will be meeting with Ralph to pick out fixtures and discuss the finishing details too. Now that we’re getting nearer to the end, things are starting to get more complicated for me as well…trying to figure out the loan details for covering the rest of construction, as well as the new mortgage and possibly a bridge loan to get us through the next few months if we don’t sell our house. I had a bit of a meltdown on Friday trying to make it all come together in my mind…and getting extremely frustrated that I can’t figure it all out now. With everything that is going on…it all seems to be hitting at the same time and I was finding it all a bit overwhelming. I know it will all work out somehow, and in the right timing, but sometimes it’s hard to keep my chin up when I start feeling so bombarded with responsibilities and tasks.
Going to church this morning was just what I needed…a woman sang the hymn ‘Be Still My Soul’…the words really touched me:
‘Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.’
This is the tile in the hall bath:
This is the master bath:
This is the foyer:
Now that we’re all settled in for the afternoon/evening, curled up watching a movie (Matt picked Back to the Future) with our blankets, I thought I’d take a few minutes to write another update. This week has been a long one, filled with the usual ups and downs and I am very grateful that Principal has decided to give us Martin Luther King Day off as a paid holiday so tomorrow I can have another day to rest and catch up on things around the house.
Matt’s eye is healing nicely, and after several days of hopelessly blurry the vision, things are finally starting to return to normal. Even though this surgery was only on Matt’s left eye, it was sorer than any of the previous surgeries, so Matt was down for the count most of the week. While Matt still sees double, the tilting of the one image has been resolved! Matt and I are hopeful that we are definitely on the right track for resolving the double vision. We’ll see what the treatments in China bring us.
I’ve also been scrambling all week trying to get our paperwork in order for our China Visa applications. We were in a bit of a time crunch to get the paperwork submitted now, since Chinese New Year is in February and apparently the whole country basically shuts down. Filling out the forms and compiling the necessary pictures, flight itineraries etc ended up being much more complicated and frustrating than I could have imagined. But after a trip to Office Depot for a printer cartridge, and a stop at Walgreen’s so Matt could take another passport photo…I finally got it all together and was able to drop it all off at the post office Friday afternoon. Hopefully I filled it all out correctly and the Visas will be approved and sent back to us soon.
Things are moving along with the new house. Our neighbor Todd was able to prime the interior on Monday while we were in Iowa City, and the tile was laid in the entry way and both bathrooms too. They should be working on installing the cabinets and trim in the next week and we will be meeting with Ralph to pick out fixtures and discuss the finishing details too. Now that we’re getting nearer to the end, things are starting to get more complicated for me as well…trying to figure out the loan details for covering the rest of construction, as well as the new mortgage and possibly a bridge loan to get us through the next few months if we don’t sell our house. I had a bit of a meltdown on Friday trying to make it all come together in my mind…and getting extremely frustrated that I can’t figure it all out now. With everything that is going on…it all seems to be hitting at the same time and I was finding it all a bit overwhelming. I know it will all work out somehow, and in the right timing, but sometimes it’s hard to keep my chin up when I start feeling so bombarded with responsibilities and tasks.
Going to church this morning was just what I needed…a woman sang the hymn ‘Be Still My Soul’…the words really touched me:
‘Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise
On earth, believing, to Thy Lord on high;
Acknowledge Him in all thy words and ways,
So shall He view thee with a well pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of life divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.’
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