one little e-mail, one huge blessing

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

I'm taking a small break from packing so I can keep my sanity! As I'm going through closets and finding all sorts of treasures and memories, I can't help but be a little reflective and a lot emotional about this move (I can only partially blame pregnancy--I'm pretty weepy naturally!). My kids have grown up so much in this house. My youngest was only six months old when we came to Seattle, and my oldest was two. Now they are five and seven and are little boys with opinions and talents and memories of their own. They've started school here, learned how to ride their bikes here, and made so many great friends here.

When we came to this area to look for a home, I was devastated at the enormous prices and small inventory of the real estate market. When we narrowed it down to two choices, it seemed like an impossible decision. There was the converted apartment, tiny with no yard, but priced nicely within our budget. Then there was the condo, as large as a home with a huge yard and two-car garage, but way out of our price range. I cried most of the drive back to Salt Lake.

A few nights later, I was out of town for a little getaway with my parents while my husband was stuck at the hospital. We were both still stewing about our decision, not quite sure what the right move for our family was. Late that night I received a long e-mail from my husband. (Augh, getting weepy just thinking about it!) In it he told me he had been thinking and praying about this decision, about where we should settle our little family for the next five years. He had an overwhelming confirmation that we should buy the condo with the yard. He said that he felt strongly this is where the Lord wanted us. That even though it would be more difficult to make the payments, the Lord would provide for us. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt that same confirmation over the last five years, as I've found close friends, been a part of an amazing church congregation, and fallen in love with the little city we call home. In fact, I'm 100% positive this blog would not have been started nor become what it is today if I had not been here. This is truly where we were supposed to be, and we have truly been blessed for following that prompting. This house is really our home.Yes, it's been hard to cover our mortgage some months, and yes, the commute into Seattle has been torturous at times for my husband, but the blessings far outweigh those difficulties. I saved that precious e-mail, and have been thankful so many times that my sweetheart put those words into writing instead of a phone call. I have often reread them at times when I have felt discouraged or worried about money, and it has carried me through. What a blessing technology is!

In this time of wondrous technology, I'm often a proponent of the human touch--sending cards and gifts rather than texts and e-mail. But I must say that I am so thankful for that technology. That I can send a quick e-mail to keep in touch with a friend, or put into words something special that I want someone to know right now. And that I can search my e-mail inbox to find that sweet message from my sweetheart any time I want. I loved the new Yahoo! campaign that included this video about using e-mail to say "I'm sorry" to someone you love. So cute!