WE countered...

So we countered their ridiculous offer with our asking price and some of their closing costs...

And they want to come back an look at the house for a third time tomorrow.  Not sure where this is going but a phrase we used a lot in Germany really applies here:  It is what it is  

The House

In my online Christmas letter (posted 2 days ago)  I put it in writing that I would love to buy mom's house but without selling the Greenview that just was not possible.  That I was going to leave this in God's hands and not worry about if the Greenview sold or if we should buy mom's house...

Then yesterday we got an offer on the Greenview.  Not a good offer, a ridiculous offer, an insulting offer.....an I'd rather stay in MY HOME then sell it to someone that doesn't value the worth her offer....


What an eye opener.  I love my house, I don't want to move, I want to stay right where I am.  I love that I am 10 minutes to the office.  I love the design and layout of my house.  I love that our children lived in this house with us and that our granddaughters have played with us here.  I love entertaining my family here.  I love that the back yard is a great place for kids to play.  Since moving in to this house I have wanted to grow old(er) with my husband in the comfort of this home.


Then this morning the daily verse from KLOVE was Psalms 147:5 "How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension!


So I ponder the "For Sale" sign in the front yard.  Do we stick with the selling price and so be it if our value of our home doesn't measure up to some buyers expectation?  Does leaving it in God's hands mean that we should counter and take a lower offer and move on? Or does this offer jolt us into seeing that we don't want to sell after all?  Or is this a spring board that will catapult us into to making decisions about our next temporary home?  It is all so confusing.

All of this is beyond my comprehension for sure. But it is such comfort knowing that God is the master conductor and with His orchestration what is decided it will be good.

Happy Birthday....DIL

Today is my daughter-in-love's birthday.  We celebrated with the girls at lunch at 501 Cafe'.  The food was great and the fellowship wonderful.

Each year as we gather to celebrate her birthday I say a prayer thanking God for looking out for her all those years before we knew her.  Indirectly praying for her that is because it wasnt until she was 17 that we even knew her.  I was praying for a life partner for Michael sight unseen knowing that one day GOD would put him with his perfect match.  I have been blessed by this sweet woman of God and so thankful for the parents that raised her.  And now they have a sweet daughter!!

This is the 2nd year Isabella has joined us for lunch with the girls and I find myself extending prayers for her future spouse just like I did for Michael's so many years ago. 

“Lord, we ask for purity in her life and that of her future mate. We ask for protection over their innocence and purity; protect them from others and wrong choices, call them to a higher standard. We ask for wisdom and discernment in teaching and preparing her for a life of purity and modesty. I also ask that you grant her husband’s parents wisdom as they raise a man of integrity.”

"The Lord is great!"

But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The Lord is great!"

~ Psalm 40:16, NLT

Christmas Letter 2011

The Mitchell’s are BACK!!  After almost 2 years in Germany we moved back to Oklahoma City late July.  After much renovation we are back in the house.  While in Europe we managed to work in trips to many of the tourist hot spots, enjoyed visits from family, and experienced some wonderful German cuisine.  The Christmas Markets were amazing and we shopped many a Flowmarkt with our Saturday morning breakfast club.  In 2011 we traveled to Prague in January (my favorite), February found us in a very cold Berlin, March we traveled to Venice for Carnival and to Dublin for St. Patrick’s day, April was Paris and May was Switzerland and all over Germany, June we went to Munich to see the summer sights (our first trip in Germany was in the middle of winter to Munich and this is definitely a town of many seasons) and in July we flew back to Oklahoma City.  We took thousands of pictures of our travels and are enjoying the slideshows now that we are HOME.   

Mom has purchase a garden home in Norman and is in the process of downsizing.  The other house is for sale and very tempting but the Greenview would have to sell first so we are leaving this in God’s hands.  Mom joined us in Germany for almost 3+ weeks in May and we worked in several Castles, a trip to the Black Forest and to the small town of Alsheim (tracking our ancestral line).  It was fun to imagine family members walking the town square and working in the vineyards.  My brother Pat managed a visit that coincided with Mom’s and it was so nice to catch up with him.  His passion for wine and beer making prompted us to try and find a brewery tour but the only I could find (during his visit) were only in German.  Pat and Alan took a side trip to Munich and enjoyed the sites as well as the famed Hofbräuhaus.  And they will never forget the STAU (major traffic jam) they sat in on the way home.  

I hit the ground running upon return to OKC and am happy to be back in the same general time zone as my staff.  Alan has been overseeing the house renovations, chauffeuring me around and spending time with family as well as taking over most of our meal preparation.  He spent some time in Pennsylvania in October earning certification for heavy equipment appraising so when we decide it is time for him to go back to work full time this might be the path he pursues.  

It has been 2 (or more years) since I have bragged about my family so I will take a few minutes to do this now.  Sean and April manage to stay busy at work with Sean working for the new owners of PDA OKC and April taking on extra duties supervising staff in the Radiology department.  They work in several lake trips with family and friends each summer and spend many hours in the gym with Sean coaching Ryan’s basketball team.  Ryan has grown, shooting up past April and will soon be taller than I am.  She enjoys reading, basketball, skating AND dance.  We managed to stay close via SKYPE with regular video calls while in Germany but sure are enjoying spending time together now that we are back.   Michael and Annaleise added a new family member when Isabella Grace made her appearance in September 2010.  Michael remains at Oklahoma Christian and recently accepted the position of Director of Admissions.  Annaleise is enjoying being a stay at home mom only working one evening a week.  Michael and Annaleise both are runners and work in a race every now and then.  Isabella’s face lights up when she sees us and already knows that Cappy will do almost anything for her.  Her vocabulary is growing with new words every time we seen her.  And her walking skills have opened up a whole new world for her.  We are so BLESSED to be able to spend so much time with family!

Upon return to Oklahoma we leased a lot and purchased a 23 yr old 5^th wheel parked at Lake Carl Blackwell.  The lot is right BY Phil and Sondra (brother/sister-in-law) with a large deck and a dock for our boat (now if there were only water in our cove).  We spent a few weekends at the end of the summer enjoying the view from the deck and spending time with family.  My brother Perry made a trip to OKC in August to ask us in person to be Caleb’s guardians; he and Tiffany were finalizing paperwork and wanted to make it official.  We are honored and will gladly stand in if this should ever be needed.  Alan managed to see sister Lea Ann and kids at Gettysburg while in Pennsylvania, it was a whirlwind trip but nice for him to see them.  We spent a couple of months with Alan’s parents while our home was being vacated and renovated and loved being there with them.  Evening meals are great when shared with extended family.  Sister Donita and family send frequent emails, texts and we SKYPE but we miss them.  We’ve enjoyed seeing sister Julie and family on occasion at Mom and Dad’s or family birthday celebrations.    

So there you go, all caught up with the 2011 comings and goings of the Mitchell’s. We are glad to be home and we extend prayers to your family as we celebrate CHRISTmas and the end of 2011! 

Top 25 to See in Oklahoma

Top 25 List

So 2011 is almost over....and it soon will be time to make a dent in this list....going over it I see that I can actually check two of these off the list!

 7.  Choctaw's Oktoberfest - We invited brother Pat and cousin Sheri to join us for an evening in Choctaw for dinner and some beer sampling.  It was fun spending time with them.  The food was typical German fest food, the tents were filled with music and we saw several friends.  It was a fun evening.

19.  Orr Family Farm - We went to the Orr Family farm to see the Christmas lights with Isabella, Annaleise and Michael.  We rode the train, went on a hay/tractor ride, saw Santa, enjoyed some hot cocoa and fudge, visited the petting Zoo.  It was a cold, wet evening but the rain stopped just before we arrived and made the lights glisten even brighter.


Looking closer at the list I realize I am going to have to put some dates on some of these as they are are tied to a specific time of the year.  Others can just happen last minute when we have a free Saturday or maybe even some time away from the office.  

2012 will be a great year in Oklahoma.  And maybe we will make it at least half way through the list this coming year~

Glory to God in highest

Sunday 12/25/2011

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others - the armies of heaven - praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.'

~ Luke 2:13-14, NLT

Success

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."
- Henry Ford

Differences

Differences between Stuttgart, Germany and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

In and around OKC:
During the Summer air conditioners are needed, necessary and noisy
During the winter the furnace dries out the air

The autoflush toilets in public restrooms use excessive amounts of water
Said toilets are very low to the ground
Streets are wide and cars are big and so are most parking spots
The night skies are all lit up - there is not much darkness
Recycling is not mandatory and packaging is excessive
Restaurants are everywhere and open all hours of the night and day
Cold drinks are served with ICE and refills are FREE
Big Box stores sell food by the case not just beer or wine
Debit/Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere and you don't have to be in a special line to use them
Trucks are allowed to drive on Sunday
You can mow your yard on Sunday, even during quiet hours if you choose to
You can wash your car in the driveway (unless there it is a dry one and there is rationing going on)
I can actually read and understand the street signs before we pass them
Chips and salsa are provided gratis

And my favorite........

Family fills the house for holidays!!

Good News!

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them...;'Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior - yes, the Messiah, the Lord - has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!'

~ Matthew 2:10-11, NLT

Paper Snowflakes

Here is how I make  fancy paper snowflakes

Step 1 Fold a sheet of 81/2 X11paper over as shown and cut off the strip across the bottom (save this for notes)

 

Step 2 Fold the triangle in half again

Steps 3 and 4 fold each side in towards the middle overlapping in the middle

Step 5 trim off the overlapped points to make a straight edge across the bottom

Step 6  make the cuts through all layers - this design or many others:

Step 7 unfold and see your Snowflake!!  Depending on the cuts you make your design will be different.  Play with it and enjoy the results....no two snowflakes are supposed to be the same!