The Adventures of the Reese's Pieces Gang

I wanted to update everyone on our quest for a house. At this point we will not be purchasing a home nor renting. When we were going through the financing we realized by crunching the numbers that it would not be wise for us to purchase a home until we knock off some of the debt we've accumulated the past two yeras of living without much income and until we get a renter in this home that we own in Pembine. We aren't planning to sell our Pembine home right now simply because we owe more than we can sell it for because of having to use the second mortgage to live off of the past two years.

For now Phil will be renting in the Clevelane/Manitowoc area and gone Sun evening - Friday evening and we will remain in Pembine.

Some of the advantages of this arrangement:
1. We will be able to significantly reduce our debt.
2. The kids will remain in the Pembine Public school for the remainder of the year. Thomas & Sam are striving academically making this a good choice. Plus it will save us a couple thousand dollars that we would have had to spend on home schooling material.
3. Thomas will keep his current therapy team. Our Senior Therapist told us that the team of therapists that we have for Thomas is the best she has ever worked with. Thomas is really triving through his in home therapy program through WEAP (Wisconsin Early Autism Project).
4. There won't be the stress of moving to rent for a year then moving again to hopefully purchase a home.
5. It will give us more time to determine if we want to purchase this year or wait until next.
6. It will allow us to seek some counsel from a Christan Mortgage broker about the coorect price range to search for a home. A price that will allow us to reach our goal of being debt free all but the mortgage within the next 3 years.
7. More time to find a renter for the Pembine Home.
8. The opporunity to apply for Wisconsin Charter school for the fall. This option will give us all our home schooling material FREE plus we will have a school teacher available to tutor the kids in areas that they are struggling in. Yet we will have the kids at home an be able to give them a Biblical Worldview and complimentary education.

Some disadvantages of this arrangement:
1. Having to be seperate from each other for the next several months all but 2 days a week.
2. Me having to single parent the majority of the time.
3. Sam having to stay in the Public School where he is really struggling with peer pressure and His security in Christ. Please pray for him.

How can you pray for our family during this time:
1. That we will stay close and focused on God's goodness during this time of seperation.
2. That God would provide a renter for the Pembine Home.
3. That God would prepare the home he wants us to rent or buy for Fall 2008.
4. That our hearts & lives would remain pure, righteous, and tender during these months.
5. That the Lord will teach me how to be a balanced parent as I fill two roles during the weekdays.