Tender Mercy

I think the Lord knew I needed a tender mercy to help encourage me during these past couple difficult months. So He had Ruby potty train herself. Seriously.

I had been wondering when I would do it and when I would have time to dedicate to it with a new baby who was still nursing. One day a few weeks ago, I put Ruby in underwear and thought I'd give it a shot. She didn't go at all (in the toilet or in her underwear) for most of the day. But I had a babysitter come while I took Ellie, Hattie and Libby to gymnastics, and she had an accident. I decided I would just put her back in diapers and try again when I could be home solid for a few days straight. Well the next day she was in diapers just like before but that night Brian was at my parents' with her while I attended a New Beginnings for another ward. I got a text saying that Ruby had asked to go to the bathroom and that she did. I thought that was kind of weird, but okay, good! The next day I had her in a diaper (I didn't anticipate that she would keep it up), but I did tell her to let me know if she needed to go. Well, she did each time and we haven't looked back since. It has been a tender mercy to say the least in that I really had nothing to do with it. Yay, Ruby!!!!

Moving, Not Moving

The past couple of months have been the most trying, difficult, discouraging, tearful I think I've ever had. We had been looking for a house since about July/August. We found one we really liked and that would really fit our family, so we put an offer on it back in August. We went back and forth and back and forth with the bank on it (it was a short sale) until December! We were told that the bank accepted our offer on December 12--two days before Ezra was born--but that we'd have to close by the 28th. It was a crazy time in that we were going to have a baby and that it was Christmastime, but we decided we would go through with it. So thinking that we were moving, Brian was released from his calling from the bishopric. That was emotional for me since it happened while I was in the hospital--not the greatest timing in my opinion--but it is what it is. He was actually released that next Sunday, but since I had just had Ezra, I couldn't be there. I think I cried the whole time they were gone at church that day. I tell ya--these past couple months have been doozies! It gets better though. Ha! That next Monday, we were told that our offer had only been "verbally" approved and that the bank really was wanting more money from us to close the deal. At that point, we were done. We felt like we had gone up and up in price and for them to want more money was ridiculous. So we backed out of the house. We decided not to do it. It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't set the ball rolling for so many other changes that took place rather quickly when people heard we were moving. You can only hear comments like, "Well, that is one way to get out of your calling" so many times before you want to pop the next person who says it. We had even started packing.

I guess things happen for a reason, but we are still trying to find that reason. We are still looking for a house with another bedroom or two but nothing has worked out yet. We've had a couple of possibilities, but nothing yet. We'll keep looking. Hopefully I can look back on this experience as a trial that helped us grow. Until then, I'll try not to be reminded of it as I look around and see packed boxes and empty shelves.