Forward Momentum

We are finally able to move forward with the next step in the permitting process for our future home! You see, our property will need a well and a septic system but the majority of the property is a "wetland" which means it is protected space and cannot be used.

It's not called "wetland" for nothing, these are floodwaters

There is currently a well our property but it feeds the neighbor's house (Site B) as originally their house was the farmhouse for the farm we now own a piece of. We have been waiting for THEIR neighbor's property (Site C) to be sold so that we can make arrangements to have a well drilled on Site B and therefore have our own well on our own property. Drilling a well on Site B, however, will encroach on Site C meaning that they cannot drill a well in the corner of their property since the two wells would then be too close together. Long story short, Site C sold a few months ago and the owner has agreed to sign a well covenant stating it is alright for Site B's well to slightly encroach on his land. We can now bring this to the county and propose that we have our own well, site B has their own well, and site C will be ok with the situation!

Phew! We are nowhere new having actual permits but this has been a step we have been waiting for for almost a year.

In the meantime we're making sure the goats are comfortable, doing a bit of landscaping (aka burying huge rocks), and enjoying our lakefront property during this time of flooding.

Capper was MORE than thrilled to help with excavating!

We've been seen!

Today I should have been able to post that over the course of 2 1/2 months I was able to schedule and ATTEND all eleven of Anellah's medical appointments. Instead I can only say that we successfully scheduled them. More about that in a minute. The good news is that we have been able to see all of Anellah's specialists and I really like each doctor! I was sad to leave her old providers but I am shocked to discover her new doctors are just as thorough, fun and genuinely caring as her old providers.

Today was a lesson in taking a deep breath and saying, "Ok God, I'm in this frustrating situation and I don't understand why but with your help I can keep calm and make the most of it." After making the hour-plus drive into Seattle Children's Hospital, we arrived at security to check in, and were told that Anellah did not have an appointment today. I knew I had received a confirmation letter so when I inquired further the security desk said it was cancelled. We trekked to the registration desk and they made a further inquiry. After a few phone calls and meeting with a staff member from the department I was told that the appointment with a genetic counselor was cancelled since what was really needed was an appointment with a geneticist and this was going to be scheduled instead. What made the situation extra frustrating was that I had brought up this point and TRIED to schedule an appointment with a geneticist to begin with over a month ago but was told I could not. In addition I had called the previous week just to check and make SURE that this appointment was necessary but had not heard back.

I'm not sure what the "silver lining" of this experience was and I may never know other than that it was a lesson in patience. But I do know that no matter how hard I try to keep my life in order, to dot all my i's and cross all my t's, mistakes happen. Life is messy and frustrating and frankly it's not fair. I spent the morning telling myself that although I didn't want to go to the appointment and kept having thoughts about how it wasn't fair Anellah and I have to spend so much time doing this when we could be doing something FUN, I would go about the situation with grace and use every opportunity to be a light to those around me. And then this. It is a big deal, it was most of my day, and it was frustrating. But at the end of the day, God cares more about my heart doing everything as if for the Lord rather than how much I could have accomplished had I been home. And this afternoon we were still able to ride bikes outside because it wasn't raining. And spend time sitting on the couch reading to warm back up. So tomorrow I will wake up, and I will thank God that it is Veteran's Day. I will thank God that we have a day off as a family. I will thank God that I live in a country in which I have access to 11 different medical providers for one child. And I will thank God for my children with whom I can share life with and that I have the opportunity to show grace in the face of frustration.