Starting a new chapter in our life certainly was not our plan, as it unfolded the way it did. However as usual, God knew what was best as we held on for the ride, and boy what a ride it was.
I always had the dream that my children would live close and we would do life together. However I always told them to spread their wings and fly where ever God wanted them to go. I even told God many times they were His to do whatever He chose, I wouldn’t stand in the way. Our daughter went to Illinois to be a nanny after she graduated and never returned, to live that is. She met her husband and they settled in Illinois. Our son went off to college and met his wife and they have traveled all over the world and lived in many places. They now live in Arizona. Between the two we have ten beautiful grandchildren. So blessed, yet we were hardly ever seeing them and missing out on their activities they were involved in.
After my husband retired we decided we may want to move towards one of them. However we had lived in Iowa all our lives. We started working more on our home just incase we found a place we really liked. We even bought the neighbors house next to us, to fix up after we finished ours. Since that’s what we kinda do I guess. God’s plan, we definitely did not know at that time.
We were in Illinois celebrating our daughters youngest child’s birthday. As we were heading back to their house, after taking her out for the day. All of a sudden I see this realtor sign down in the ditch, hardly even noticeable. It pointed down a road that my husband and I had said many times as we passed by, we should drive down sometime. Several times we had noticed a sign that indicated there was a forest preserve in that area. Across from it was a place that looked like a lodge. We always figured it was the office or information center for the preserve. It sat off the main road aways and we couldn’t really see it.
However, that day was the day, we turned around and went down the road. I about lost it, a log home, and it was the one for sale. I tried finding it on the listings and no luck. We went on to our daughter’s and told her about it, and she couldn’t find it on any listings either. I figured it was probably sold and the realtor hadn’t taken down the sign. I told myself it was probably out of my price range anyway.
Later that night I had to look again, and sure enough there it was. It had actually just come on the market. I was ecstatic, I had always wanted a log home since I was a little girl. This one was twelve minutes from our daughter’s house. The detailed story will be a later post. Consequently, we moved, and am starting a new chapter in our life. That is part of the reason I haven’t been on here. Prayerfully I will be back now to share the many stories and ideas I have.
Thank you for not giving up on me.

Thelma;
Great to see your posts!!!
Can’t wait for more!!!
Thanks Pam 🙂
It is absolutely amazing how God works. I miss seeing your posts.
I absolutely agree!! Thanks Betty
Hi, I saw you from KA’s MM and your insta posts. Then I came over to poke around your blog some. Love this story. So happy to read you got your log cabin and close to your daughter. We are so blessed have us all close within 3 hours except our daughter 5 hours away at school. Our youngest just said today she was still really glad we are all on the same continent! At one point we were on 3!
Wow being on three different continents that would be something else. We were on two different ones at one time. Our son lives 24 hours away so it kinda feels like it with him. 🙂 Thank you for checking out my blog, come back again sometime.