The last few weeks...

I have yet to reveal the most important things happening in my life. I usually only have a few spare moments to throw together something about what I have recently heard, seen or read. But we have some important, tumultuous, anxiety-inducing, great things happening.

Mel and I last year attempted to move into a better home than we have now. Things didn't work out, and we decided to make the most of what we have. Between November 2005 and February 2006, we had our basement finished in order to add some extra living space to our otherwise crowded 2 bedroom condo. But again I got the bug to move, much to Melanie's "I wish he'd make up his mind" chagrin. I feel our family needs some extra space and though the new family room in our basement is nice (because of it we've been able to have some friends stay at our house for a weekend), condo living does not provide what I would like my son to experience. He loves the outdoors, but somehow 2 feet by 4 feet of grass does not quite cut it. He loves to run around and pound on things, but sharing walls with 3 neighbors precludes any truly jubilant expression of boyhood.

One more thing created in me a renewed desire to move: Melanie and are are expecting our second child. Tentatively due December 24th, this new reason to celebrate has awakened in me a need to give my family a better place to grow and play and learn and love. I cannot imagine keeping two dynamos of energy locked up in a tiny condo.

We just completed a whirlwind weekend rehabbing our kitchen in preparation for putting it up for sale. Crazy that after 5 years of saying "We should really fix up our kitchen," we are finally doing it just to sell it. Last Wednesday we tore out the old cabinets, then Thursday and Friday I laid a new tile floor. Saturday we put up the new cabinets and cut the new countertop, and Sunday we secured the countertop and sink and replaced the vent hood above the stove. The result is a completely new kitchen that looks fantastic. Our hope is we will be able to sell our house more quickly with this remodeled kitchen.

We also hope that we will find an affordable home to buy. If you know the market in the western suburbs of Chicago, you know what we're up against. We've been house-hunting and have seen some houses that are good candidates. We hope either that these homes remain on the market until we list ours or that similar homes come onthe market when we list. Either way, it will take a great deal of prayer and faith to get through this.

So celebrate with us the new life that is forming and pray with us for the future home of our family. Whether we find a new home or not, we know that God's way is better than ours.