Settling In

A lot has happened in the Patton family the last few weeks!

 For one, we are all moved in to our new home…at last! And we have internet! SO we are official! ;)

 The weather has been gorgeous since moving in to our home. The sunlight makes the home glow even more. I know that a home isn’t the key to ultimate happiness and contentment, but it sure is bringing be a lot of joy these days!  I am so grateful for the space, especially after living in essentially one room for a month and a half with so many babies and people! I don’t even care that the carpet is worn in some areas or  that the plumbing has been giving us some problems... I’m in love with this home!!! 

The NEW Patton Home! =)

It is absolutely perfect for us. It has so much natural light, and we overlook the Tualatin river from our back windows.  It has the perfect bedroom for Caleb, Levi and James, and  a lovely little space for Evie and all her toys. It has a daylight basement,  perfect for crazy years of playing and destruction. ;) And the private guest quarters in the lower level is just what we needed!!! (more on that later…) 
It's in a lovely, friendly, quiet neighborhood, with kids and dogs and strollers. 

It is the perfect place to raise our family. =) God has blessed us indeed. 

Moving day was fast paced and a bit chaotic. All things considered, it actually went quite smoothly. Towards the end when we were packing up the final items, we were frantically  sweeping items into boxes as if we were escaping from an approaching enemy! Once John drove the truck across town, John and his Dad and his brother Rob unloaded that huge moving van in record time. Grandma and my mom sat in the living room with the three boys, rocking and feeding them according to schedule, watching everything unfold.  John’s mom took Evie and her two cousins to the park. My sister in law helped me unpack my kitchen. And many of John’s friends showed up to lend a helping hand. It was a team effort, but the day ended with us successfully moved in to our new home. 

Since then, we’ve spent every spare minute unpacking a box, sorting through items, trying to get somewhat settled.

A trip to Target to make this house a HOME! =)

 My Grandma left last Friday. Driving her to the airport was bittersweet. I knew it was time for her to leave because she worked so hard for us, and frankly, she was exhausted. But we would miss her tender care with the boys; she would miss them. She was here almost 5 weeks, and I got used to her presence in the house. 

However, a few days later my Aunt Robin flew in and welcomed us with a hug and an enthusiastic smile. She got right to work and reorganized my whole kitchen! 

We all have spent the past few days enjoying the gorgeous weather, taking walks with the boys and Evie around our new neighborhood. 

Perhaps one of the most difficult thoughts swirling through my head lately is the fact that my mom, who has been here since Jan. 20, is leaving in less than a week. She has been with us through it all. She arrived three weeks before I gave birth when I hobbled around, weak from the hospital and weighed down from the 15 lbs of baby inside of me. She watched Evie during our stay in the hospital which happened to be when Portland’s winter blast occurred.  She cared for me when I came home from the hospital with the boys, overwhelmed and exhausted. She has sacrificed her sleep and health so that I could heal and thrive. She helped us pack, prayed for a renter and saw us through our move. She continues to care and love my children so I can have the freedom to unpack and get things in order. 

And now, she is leaving. I will have to do this without her. 

I will miss her more than I can write. She has been an encouragement to me and a source of strength.  Her sacrifice and hard work for us has been an inspiration. I wish she could stay forever, but I know she can’t. I am an adult woman, with four kids, and together John and I must now figure out how we are going to do this. 

"Ok Levi...time for a story!"

It became very clear to us quickly that we can’t do this alone. And although we have family and friends who are eager to help us out, we can’t expect or rely solely on them everyday. We realized we need hired help.

 As I mentioned before, our house has a very private bottom level area, perfect for a live in nanny/"right hand woman!". John and I decided that this would be our best option because we could exchange some  hours for room and board. We also realized that we need flexilbity in hours. 
So, we made the decision to start looking for a new member of the Patton family for a season.  Honestly, it is slightly scary to think of someone living here, working beside me during the day and eating dinner with us at night. I like my quiet times alone, but I know that this is what must happen in order to survive the next few years. 


So we began to ask around. We posted our ad on Craigslist. Friends referred friends... and friends of friends! We had phone interviews, a few in-person interviews. We called references and did background checks. We prayed for the right person to come along, for discernment in each conversation. 

And there was a moment when we thought we'd found the one....but it turned out it wasn't meant to be. 

A friend suggested we join Care.com, so we did. I immediately started getting responses to my ad. And then one morning, I got a message from a  21 year old girl name Amanda from California. She seemed sweet and full of life. She worked at Disney land for a season, and she was really involved in her church. She was looking to move to Portland. There was an instant connection on the phone and then John and I had a Skype interview. Her references went on and on about how great she was. And so we offered her the job. And she accepted!! 

So,in about two weeks, Amanda will be packing up her life in California and driving up to join our family here in Portland...and we couldn't be more excited or feel more at peace. It's definitely a new experience for John and me, and I'm sure she is a bit apprehensive too. But this is all part of our adventure as we raise our daughter and boys. And I have a feeling that she was meant to be a part of all this too. 

SOS!