Moving on Up

Yes we are!

As I write this we are having our bed delivered, and oh my, we cannot wait to sleep like Royalty tonight. It's going to take some getting used to surely, our view from atop our new bed will be stunning!

You might remember when we set out on this journey from the U.S. we left with 22 bags and a guitar. Obviously, a bed wouldn't fit in the suitcases(if it had you bet we would have packed one!) However, we did manage to disassemble many other household items and bring those with us. The larger items we were lacking we were able to borrow from various gracious givers here in Brazil. So the mattress we are borrowing has been perfect! We just were not able to find a bed frame or even a box spring that we could afford. As is everything else in Brazil, box springs and bed frames are an investment.

So since January 17, 2012 we've been just 12 inches off the floor. It hasn't actually been so bad, minus pregnancy belly and post surgery. God has always provided what we've needed and your personal creativity and humor truly shine when you accept the way things are. For example, the first time Stella fell off a bed in the U.S. I was sure we'd be in the E.R. I mean, it's a whole 3 feet down! But here in Brazil when she slides off our bed, I pick her up and say "you know that was only 12 inches, suck it up!" Just kidding. Some of you are thinking "how many times have you let your poor baby fall off the bed Mandy?!?!" My answer is never! She pulled herself off head first both times!

Back to the point, you always have to look on the bright side. Today that side comes with a view about 2 feet higher with storage underneath! Woo hoo for the bonus storage space! (Closets don't exist here).

Maicol and I celebrated 4 years of marriage in August and this week was our first major home purchase. We've never owned anything new and it's exciting to take a few more steps towards building our home. That's not to say we've never had anything of value. We've always sought to be deeply thankful and in awe of the way God has moved the hearts of people around us. We've been given many nice things for free and bought used furniture and vehicles from friends for very reasonable prices.

It's always fun to celebrate and thank God for his graciousness. We found this deal almost by accident, and that's how we knew it wasn't an accident at all, but divine intervention!