Little Red Cabin in Southern View

Well, we made it to Illinois and the rental house!  It is a 2 bedroom /1 bath home in Southern View.  It is a cute little red house and has a terrific backyard.  There is a loft area where Neil can hang out and a basement that houses our washer/dryer and a very interesting conversation piece.  We found out from neighbors that a “Catholic family” with six children had lived here at one time so they renovated part of the basement into a second larger kitchen.  The upstairs kitchen is very small so I can see why they did that, but at the edge of that basement kitchen is this interesting conversation piece.  For that reason, we are using the upstairs kitchen.  I just can’t picture myself cooking down there and knowing that this fixture is at the end of the counter!  We have told the children that we are camping and so the little red house in Southern View is affectionately known as our cabin.  It reminds me of a cabin to be honest.  So in future posts if I say cabin….you’ll know what I mean.

If you look directly to the left of the kitchen sink, I think you will see our "conversation piece" in the basement!
This has to be one of the most unusal household features I have ever seen in all our house hunting!

As our journey to Illinois has continued to progress more interesting things have happened, and I will share those in time.  For today however, I will just let you see where we are for now and give everyone an update on the Ferris family.

First and most importantly, the six of us are under one roof again, and I can’t even begin to share how good that is!!  Brad had shared with us that one of the things he had missed most these past months was dinner together around the table.  One of the first nights in the cabin our dinner conversation turned silly and everyone was in tears laughing.  It’s not surprising that Brad was the instigator in that dinner time event.  There is something about watching your husband transform back into a kid that is charming and makes you kind of fall in love with him even more.  His presence back into our daily routine and lives has brought about peace for me in knowing I’m not a single parent and also security for the children.  Sam and Sarah are still having some separation anxiety, and they get upset when he leaves the house because they think he is leaving for a long period of time.  Brad and I both have to reassure them he is just going to the office and he will be back later in the day for lunch or for dinner.   With time together again and prayer I know this will get easier.

Upstairs kitchen and eating area.  No interesting conversation piece here :)!

Secondly, we have enjoyed getting to know our new church family at RCC.  We have met so many kind and wonderful people.  God’s kingdom is so big and encompasses so many people and personalities.  I love the fact that I have even more brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world and someday will get to meet them as well.  Until then, God has planted us here to serve and minister and I eagerly look forward to doing just that.  For now, I am visiting Sunday School classes and Brad and I are looking forward to participating in a small group.  The children have been able to go to their Wednesday night classes and Sunday morning programming.  While it has been different for them, they seem to be enjoying their new teachers and making some new friends.

We were able to get internet and Wi-Fi up and running so we were able to get school back underway again.  That alone was a big blessing and allowed us to get back into a routine again.  There is something very comforting about the routine of daily life.  We have been able to get a library card and visited the library yesterday which was a big thing for Maddie, Sarah, and Samuel.  They were able to check out books and even found some of their favorites from back in Newburgh.  Sam said he liked this library and they asked when we were going to go back! 

The backyard is very large.  The few warm days we had the children enjoyed playing outside.
It will be a great place for the kids to enjoy snow if we get some!

The rental house is very different from what we are accustomed to and it has taken some time to adjust to some of the changes, but God has used this experience already to teach all of us some very important lessons.

1.        Simplified Life:  Because the house is small we were only able to bring the necessities.  Remember we are going from a 4 bedroom/2.5 bath home to a 2 bedroom/1 bath home.  Beds, washer/dryer, refrigerator, kitchen table, 1 love seat, school, clothes, and bare essentials for kitchen were all that we brought with us.   Our dressers are 50 gallon grey Rubbermaid tubs.  I went to “clean” house on Saturday and it took about 30 minutes….instead of three bathrooms to do I had one, etc.  Learning to live with less is not a bad thing.  It makes you realize how much you really need vs. what you want or would prefer to have!

2.       Strengthening family relationships:  In a 2500 square foot home we had room to spread out and not really see one another if we didn’t want to (please don’t take that the wrong way).  We are bumping into one another here and the children, especially, have been forced to be together more and get along.  While that hasn’t always made for quiet, peaceful moments, it is teaching us about how to truly love one another (love is patient, love is kind, it is not rude or self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no records of wrong).

3.       Being joyful while waiting on the Lord:  While we still don’t understand what God is doing, we are learning to trust Him and our faith is being strengthened.  We are learning lessons we never could have had our house sold quickly.  No matter our circumstances we are, as Christians, to have joy.  We are learning about having a joyful attitude while we wait.   Some days I do well and have such a peace and then other days I struggle, don’t understand why we have to wait, get frustrated, and have a Mary moment.  Waiting is difficult but we have been encouraged by so many of you who have been where we are.  You have told us it is just temporary and how God used your time of waiting to do something bigger.  We are encouraged by your prayers on our behalf and are so humbled and grateful for each one.

2839 O'Hunter Avenue - Our Newbugh house. 
Please keep praying it will sell!

Lastly, I just want to ask that you continue to pray for us as we settle in together under one roof and for our house in Newburgh to sell.  God’s timing is perfect.  Until then, we’ll be keeping in touch with you all from our little red cabin in Southern View!