First I’d like to say that I have rock stars for in-laws. Jeremy’s parents have been coming over nearly every day to scrape, patch, plaster, sand and paint our house—and I can’t express adequately how grateful we are for their help. I have very un-rock star elbows this summer. Thank you a million times over, Karen and Bill!

I know, I know. You want bathroom photos. They are coming. Besides installing some quarter round (is that the right term?) and adding a candle or two, the bathroom is complete. Showering is quite the luxury, I’ve discovered, and after living without a bathroom mirror or lighting for way too long, seeing oneself in the mirror is quite delightful, too. Adequate shelving and storage are nothing to sneeze at either. I love this new bathroom.

I am struggling to get this house ready to put on the market. There’s a lot to get done. But I am really blessed with loving parents (mine included), a hard-working husband, generous friends, and a mostly patient kid. While this journey feels never-ending in some senses, I have a lot to be thankful for.

When the economy feels really shaky, and when I worry about all the what-ifs of the future, I am reminded of these verses and take comfort in the sovereign nature of the One who strengthens and equips me.

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
– Habakkuk 3:17-20