Our Journey Home

Hey Family!

I know, I know, I KNOW, it's been forever since I last checked in. Please don't throw virtual tomatoes at me! Life has been on fast-forward these past few months, and honestly? I've been trying to actually experience it all instead of just surviving it. Lately, I've noticed how easy it is to become numb to both the chaos and the blessings that come our way. But let me back up a bit.

The Ferry Street Chronicles

As many of you know, my family and I have lived on Ferry Street for our entire marriage. We moved there about four months after our wedding when the complex was brand new. Sure, the street had a... let's call it "colorful" history of crime and drugs, but we were young and optimistic. We thought (along with the city of Middletown) that this new complex would help turn things around.

Y'all. Our FIRST WEEK there, we witnessed a massive brawl. Talk about a welcoming committee! From that point on, there was never a shortage of "entertainment" on Ferry Street. We should've charged admission for the show.

In our 16 years there, we've seen it ALL:

• Riots? Check.

• Shootings? Unfortunately, check.

• Break-ins? More than I can count.

• Living next door to a literal murderer who would helpfully take out our trash? 🤦🏽‍♀️ Check. (Nothing says "good neighbor" like a criminal record, am I right?)

• A revolving door of about six leasing managers and four maintenance staff

• Countless next-door neighbors

• Fed all the neighborhood kids (my grocery bill has the receipts to prove it)

• Me interfering with improper police work (sorry not sorry, Josh stayed out of that one)

And that's just what happened OUTSIDE our apartment walls.

Inside our little 50 Ferry Street sanctuary, we:

• Raised two amazing children

• Welcomed two precious grandchildren

• Survived a devastating car accident

• Weathered a suicide attempt

• Opened our home to many of our son's friends and others who needed shelter

• Lost and buried close family members

• Had our fair share of marital arguments (because we're human, folks)

• Faced money constraints that would make financial advisors weep

• Discovered new family connections

• Lived through COVID

• Battled sickness

And so much more. I often say that in the 16 years we lived there, those walls absorbed enough trauma to fill a psychology textbook. But through it all, God kept us. He really, really did.

The Dream Deferred

Josh and I consistently prayed for God to send us a home. We had those picture-perfect dreams of our kids playing in the backyard, hosting epic family cookouts, holiday dinners, and competitive game nights, you know, the full American Dream package.

But year after year, we watched that dream slowly fade. By year 12, I was convinced a home wasn't in God's script for us. Then in year 15, God decided to test us in the most bizarre way possible. He literally placed the money we needed for a home RIGHT INTO OUR HANDS... and then told us to give it all away.

Our reaction? "Um, come again, God? Is this some kind of celestial prank?"

But God wasn't in a joking mood. "Give it away" was the instruction. So we did. We gave away over $100,000 to mostly people we didn't know and would probably never see again.

I can't front, there were many random moments afterward where Josh and I would look at each other and ask, "What were we THINKING? We could have had our house and the life we dreamed of!" But God used that test to teach us the difference between when to save and when to sow. (Spoiler alert: Sometimes the harvest comes later than you expect.)

The Prophecy

Fast forward to January 2025, when God told me clearly that we would be in our house by the end of the year. I clutched that promise like it was the last piece of chocolate in the house.

All year long, I made these bold declarations:

• "This is our last Fourth of July without a cookout because we'll be in our house next summer!"

• "This is our last Thanksgiving at our parents' house because we'll be hosting next year in OUR house!"

I said these things with my whole chest while our bank account was basically laughing at me. But I knew what I had heard.

We started working on our credit and taking first-time homeowner classes because we knew we needed to be ready for God's move. Even when it seemed impossible, we prepared.

The Process

In September, we started the home-buying process. Was it stressful? ABSOLUTELY. Anyone who tells you buying a home isn't stressful is either lying or has never actually done it.

We couldn't find a home that fit both our budget and our family's needs. I was getting frustrated and starting to lose hope. But then on Thanksgiving (talk about timing), a home we had seen weeks before came back on the market. We saw it, placed an offer, the offer was accepted, and the real journey began.

Y'all, I kept asking God to show us signs, to confirm this was our home. And He did! Clear, undeniable signs each time we needed reassurance.

God's Promise

The Miracle

We closed on our first home at the ages of 42 and 44, in our 16th year of marriage, in January 2025. Just as God had promised.

The journey was long, the wait was painful, but the promise was worth it. When God says "not yet," it doesn't mean "not ever." Sometimes the delay is just preparation for something greater than we could imagine.

The Sweet Life

Over these last two months, I've watched my 22-year-old son swing on the tire swing in our backyard (yes, a grown man on a tire swing, the inner child is strong with that one), our 16-year-old sitting in our family room putting together a puzzle, my husband snow-blowing the driveway with that "man with a power tool" pride, my grandson running wild through the house, and various family members visiting.

And I realized something profound: we hadn't lost any time at all. In fact, life was just beginning.

God's timing truly is perfect, even when it doesn't align with our impatient human schedules. The waiting seasons aren't wasted, they're just preparing us for the promise.

A'Rayla May

As for the rest of life, Janai is adjusting to being a new mom. It was rough for a good month as reality hit her: sleepless nights, missing hangouts with friends, feeling isolated. I had to remind her that this season is temporary, and she has our support. The baby is approaching three months and hitting all her milestones like a champ. She is BEYOND cute, I'm trying not to be a biased grandma, but seriously, this child is adorable.

Our whole family is finally in individual therapy, and Josh and I are also in couples therapy (we might do a Facebook Live about this soon, so stay tuned). This is one of my biggest answered prayers as we've experienced so many life changes and trauma over the last few years.

Can y'all see now why I've been MIA? It's been a whirlwind that would make Dorothy's tornado look like a gentle breeze.

For me personally, I'm working to actually FEEL what God is doing in my life right now. I don't want to rush these moments or check them off some spiritual to-do list. I don't want to miss how His hand is moving, shifting, and shaking things up. It's honestly a beautiful puzzle that I'm watching unfold piece by piece.

Thank you for continuing to follow us on this journey of life. Thanks for your prayers, your support, and for rooting us on from the sidelines. I pray that through it all, you see the power of God and hopefully it has encouraged you to believe deeper, have more hope, and get closer to the God we serve.

Until next time, family... be blessed and encouraged. (And I promise not to disappear for so long again. but let's be real, life happens!)

Theme song: Turning Around For Me - VaShawn Mitchell