Whirlwind of a week...
This was my longest time without DS! My laptop cord shorted out, leaving me high & dry for too long! Many of you sweet ladies sent messages, but my phone won't let me read them, and when I desperately needed updates on your journals, it would only show me the first sentence or two...argh!! I kept praying for all of you though and will now need like 4 days to read journals and catch up!
So, the million dollar question everyone has been asking...what about our house? Well, since I have last been on D.S., we have called every possible resource that we were told about and/or discovered on our own...all to no avail. We also have a fairly large church, and we applied for emergency assistance from them. Our pastoral council had us submit a summary of the events, and all our documentation. Then, they met with several experts (a couple of attorneys, a mortgage lender and 2 realtors) to discuss our options. Our Pastor called my DH and explained that our mortgage company (Citimortgage) has a reputation as being completely unethical, dishonest, and ENTIRELY untrustworthy...more so than other nasty companies out there...the group said they are the WORST of the WORST. (For the record, they were NOT our lender when we originated our loan...our loan was sold a couple of time, and ended up at Citimortgage.) Apparently, their modus operandus is to threaten foreclosure through a dirty smoke & mirrors trick, like they did with us, and then people pay up to avoid it, but they foreclose ANYWAY!!! So, unless we can get some iron clad agreement from them that had NO LEGAL LOOPHOLES for them to manipulate, there is no hope of saving our house.
Our church DOES want to help us. They are waiting to see if there is some type of guarantee we can get that they will not proceed with foreclosure if we are able to raise the money, or that Citimortgage will even honor the extension they said they would give us til the 15th of June. (The attorneys said citimortgage never honors even an extension, so we should know soon.)
One thing our pastor said the council wanted to do, if we cannot save our home (which is what they suspect the conclusion will be) is to help us find a rental home and help us get established in it. Now, this sounds WONDERFUL...and should be very reassuring...but I am mindful of the fact that our credit history is now BEYOND destroyed...and we do not have income to QUALIFY for any rental home, so we'll see how God works this out!
I know God is in control!! I have not yet hit a moment of panic over this...I just trust He is working on a solution! It is a relief to think that my WORST CASE SCENARIO of us living in a camping trailer may not be in our immediate future! But, we'll see what plays out.
The good news, I guess, is that the attorneys whom our pastoral council met with believe that we have about 45 days in our home...NO, really that is NOT good news...but it is better than June 30th, right? lol However, it is NOT long enough to try to coordinate packing up the home we have been in for 7 yrs...especially when several days a week include medical appointments for Sophia and one for me....and DH is running ragged w/job applications and such and has several injuries he is working around..his back has been killing him lately...he can't even HOLD SOPHIA!! DH has not been able to keep up the house for the nearly 3 & 1/2 months I have been on bed rest...There is a mountain of washed, but not folded clothes (I have TRIED folding while laying down...it is NOT as easy as you think!!!)...I always end up with A HUGE increase in contractions!! I know there are rooms he has not dusted at all in the entire time...he is overloaded...so to imagine him packing up is awful. And, I don't know about you guys, but every time we move, I like to weed things out...like this stuff can be donated...that stuff sold...you know the routine...and organize how it is packed. I CAN'T DO ANYTHING!! I literally cannot see from my little "perch" unless things are dangled in the air or are all the way across a room. Grr.
I am babbling that part because all my "real world" friends don't seem to "GET THAT" and it is driving me nuts. They just say, "no problem, so-n-so and I will come pack up for you!" It IS a problem, because I don't want to UN-pack stuff that I won't have room for in whatever little place they set us up in...you know what I mean...they won't know what linens my grandma gave us or whatever and I can't be in every room of the house! I just want someone to UNDERSTAND that and show me some compassion about it. Oh well. I guess I have to get over that.
So, about our baby Lily...she is growing well! I have cervical checks w/Maternal Fetal Medicine every other week and doc visits on the OTHER weeks (so I go once a week, either to OB or perinatologists). My cervix shortened a TINY bit, but since I had "SUPER cervix" it is no reason to worry. I still have a full placenta previa, and still have contractions 24/7...good fun. My injection sites (mostly from the Progesterone) have begun to be VERY VERY PAINFUL...burning acid-like pain in both hips and butt cheeks. Oh, and I DID mention I have to lay on my butt/hips all day and night right?!? ha ha Good times. LOL Also the mega doses of progesterone are killing my head (murderous migraines), making my reflux horrendous, AND causing my carpal tunnel to go nuts...but PLEASE KNOW...I am happy to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to get Lily here safely and I feel SO SO SO BLESSED that she is joining our family! She is all the girls can talk about!! And she represents hope in a HUGE way for our family!!
Sophia has been having more and more joint and back pain and we aren't sure why. We had been in a better place, so it is sad to see this happen, but they are still trying to get to the bottom of it. No (barely) 3 yr old child should have to stop playing because her hands hurt or stop doing silly dancing because her feet and knees hurt too much. We are praying for answers for her!
Thank you sweet ladies for all your prayers and messages!! I am sorry I was gone and not able to keep up with what is going on with everyone, but I hope to catch up SOON!! :-) Again you were all in my prayers!
Love & Hugs!!
So, the million dollar question everyone has been asking...what about our house? Well, since I have last been on D.S., we have called every possible resource that we were told about and/or discovered on our own...all to no avail. We also have a fairly large church, and we applied for emergency assistance from them. Our pastoral council had us submit a summary of the events, and all our documentation. Then, they met with several experts (a couple of attorneys, a mortgage lender and 2 realtors) to discuss our options. Our Pastor called my DH and explained that our mortgage company (Citimortgage) has a reputation as being completely unethical, dishonest, and ENTIRELY untrustworthy...more so than other nasty companies out there...the group said they are the WORST of the WORST. (For the record, they were NOT our lender when we originated our loan...our loan was sold a couple of time, and ended up at Citimortgage.) Apparently, their modus operandus is to threaten foreclosure through a dirty smoke & mirrors trick, like they did with us, and then people pay up to avoid it, but they foreclose ANYWAY!!! So, unless we can get some iron clad agreement from them that had NO LEGAL LOOPHOLES for them to manipulate, there is no hope of saving our house.
Our church DOES want to help us. They are waiting to see if there is some type of guarantee we can get that they will not proceed with foreclosure if we are able to raise the money, or that Citimortgage will even honor the extension they said they would give us til the 15th of June. (The attorneys said citimortgage never honors even an extension, so we should know soon.)
One thing our pastor said the council wanted to do, if we cannot save our home (which is what they suspect the conclusion will be) is to help us find a rental home and help us get established in it. Now, this sounds WONDERFUL...and should be very reassuring...but I am mindful of the fact that our credit history is now BEYOND destroyed...and we do not have income to QUALIFY for any rental home, so we'll see how God works this out!
I know God is in control!! I have not yet hit a moment of panic over this...I just trust He is working on a solution! It is a relief to think that my WORST CASE SCENARIO of us living in a camping trailer may not be in our immediate future! But, we'll see what plays out.
The good news, I guess, is that the attorneys whom our pastoral council met with believe that we have about 45 days in our home...NO, really that is NOT good news...but it is better than June 30th, right? lol However, it is NOT long enough to try to coordinate packing up the home we have been in for 7 yrs...especially when several days a week include medical appointments for Sophia and one for me....and DH is running ragged w/job applications and such and has several injuries he is working around..his back has been killing him lately...he can't even HOLD SOPHIA!! DH has not been able to keep up the house for the nearly 3 & 1/2 months I have been on bed rest...There is a mountain of washed, but not folded clothes (I have TRIED folding while laying down...it is NOT as easy as you think!!!)...I always end up with A HUGE increase in contractions!! I know there are rooms he has not dusted at all in the entire time...he is overloaded...so to imagine him packing up is awful. And, I don't know about you guys, but every time we move, I like to weed things out...like this stuff can be donated...that stuff sold...you know the routine...and organize how it is packed. I CAN'T DO ANYTHING!! I literally cannot see from my little "perch" unless things are dangled in the air or are all the way across a room. Grr.
I am babbling that part because all my "real world" friends don't seem to "GET THAT" and it is driving me nuts. They just say, "no problem, so-n-so and I will come pack up for you!" It IS a problem, because I don't want to UN-pack stuff that I won't have room for in whatever little place they set us up in...you know what I mean...they won't know what linens my grandma gave us or whatever and I can't be in every room of the house! I just want someone to UNDERSTAND that and show me some compassion about it. Oh well. I guess I have to get over that.
So, about our baby Lily...she is growing well! I have cervical checks w/Maternal Fetal Medicine every other week and doc visits on the OTHER weeks (so I go once a week, either to OB or perinatologists). My cervix shortened a TINY bit, but since I had "SUPER cervix" it is no reason to worry. I still have a full placenta previa, and still have contractions 24/7...good fun. My injection sites (mostly from the Progesterone) have begun to be VERY VERY PAINFUL...burning acid-like pain in both hips and butt cheeks. Oh, and I DID mention I have to lay on my butt/hips all day and night right?!? ha ha Good times. LOL Also the mega doses of progesterone are killing my head (murderous migraines), making my reflux horrendous, AND causing my carpal tunnel to go nuts...but PLEASE KNOW...I am happy to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to get Lily here safely and I feel SO SO SO BLESSED that she is joining our family! She is all the girls can talk about!! And she represents hope in a HUGE way for our family!!
Sophia has been having more and more joint and back pain and we aren't sure why. We had been in a better place, so it is sad to see this happen, but they are still trying to get to the bottom of it. No (barely) 3 yr old child should have to stop playing because her hands hurt or stop doing silly dancing because her feet and knees hurt too much. We are praying for answers for her!
Thank you sweet ladies for all your prayers and messages!! I am sorry I was gone and not able to keep up with what is going on with everyone, but I hope to catch up SOON!! :-) Again you were all in my prayers!
Love & Hugs!!
Replies
Oh, I feel sooo bad for you. I could have written this exact same blog entry. No, \"real world friends\" don\'t understand. None of mine could understand why, when we were informed in April that we had to move but didn\'t have to actually be out until June 15th, we started looking right away. Because it takes a long time to pack, find a place, sell stuff if you need to, get settled, etc. You DON\'T want to be running around at the last minute. And not only are you leaving the place that\'s your HOME, but it\'s your source of stability, you\'re tied to it emotionally, and your kids are attached to it. I know the whole thing about \"home is where your heart is\" but what do you do when your heart is in your home and you have to leave it behind? (Yeah, now I\'m babbling... :)
I am so glad that your church is helping you. I am not Christian but it pleases me to see people are trying to help you and support you. That\'s what a GOOD church should do, or any organization or support type association that you belong to.
One of the worst things for me was that duriing the time when my impulse was to nest we had to move. As soon as got into our new house my husband immediately started unpacking, hanging pictures, and generally trying to make the place \"homey.\" He did this for me because my son and I both kept crying that we \"wanted to go home.\" (That\'s another thing, too, being forced to move when your choice is taken away from you.) It helped sooo much for him to do that, even though he got flack from my mom for doing THAT instead of helping her move more of her stuff. (She had 4 other guys that she finally hired. She should have been happy that he was trying to make ME happy.)
I do think that things eventually work out. Not always for the best, but at least in a way that is acceptable for the time being. I hope that things improve for you and that you find something that is perfect for your family. Heck, I hope you find something that\'s NOT perfect and then a month later get a 3 million dollar settlement from the mortgage company and can turn your nose up at your new place and go build your REAL dream house. :-)
Good to hear that Lily is doing okay. I\'m still dilated and my cervix is shortened but we reach 34 weeks on Wednesday so we\'re over the bad humps.
Cliche though it might be the darkest hour does seem to be before dawn so maybe this is a new turning point for your family. I talk about you to my husband every day and we both feel for you and your husband. I hate it when people say \"I know what you\'re going through\" to me because every situation is different, yet I keep saying it to you! :-) I do know a little bit, though, and if you ever need to talk I am here for you.
Love
Rebecca
Wow I had really hoped for better news as I\'m sure so had you. I can\'t imagine how hard and frustrating this all must be I wish there was a simple fix for you to save your home. I have faith that things will work out though one way or another
Your faith is inspirational... Will be praying! So glad your church family is helping :-)
Glad you are back and have found your church as a helper/advocate in this house situation. Happy news that lily is doing well. Sad that Sophia is not. Could it be aggravated by stress or emotions. I am sure with everything going on she senses the stress and frustration at your house. Hoping and praying for a miracle. I still don\'t get how your situation is proceeding so quickly when the national average for a foreclosure process is 350 or so days. Basically a year before house goes to auction. In Florida because of the backlog it is 807 days. I just can\'t believe that there is no compassion out there for your situation. Just stinks. Hoping and praying for you and your family. Xo:)
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers
you are such an inspiration. i truly wish you the best !
xoxo
I am so glad to see you back! I am hoping it all works out with your home....but most importantly is that Baby Lily is all okay! Yeah!
Thank you ladies so much! I don\'t know how I survived the last chunk of time without you! :-) I don\'t think Sophia\'s pain is related to our stress, because it started before the mortgage news, which was our most stressful news and has been about the same...it is just hard to watch her go through this without being able to do much. Many times it hurts her to even sit with me on my \'perch,\' where we usually read stories together. Now she stands and squirms next to me or lays on the floor (where she can\'t see the pictures) and whimpers a bit. :-( NOT as bad as it used to be, but hard to witness...especially in the midst of all the crud.
Many warm baths and showers will help with the pain. When I\'m not on the heating pad I\'m in the tub due to neck and back pain...
I hate when the children are in pain. It hurts me as a mom for them to have to endure anything that a child should not.
You are such a strong woman and Lily is blessed to have you. Just make sure she arrives screaming... That\'s all I want is for all the rainbows to arrive safely making a lot of noise.
Love & Hugs!!!
N.
What a whirlwind. I am also still praying for you and your family. I hope you find a way to get packed the things you want if that\'s what you have to do.
So many prayers your way...I\'m sorry this is happening to you.
I\'m sure the lawyers thought of this but when I was in the mortgage modification business a while back I was informed by the legal team that if the mortgage had been sold a few times, the final company MUST PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION WITH YOUR ORIGINAL SIGNATURE in order for the loan to still be legal.
Have them look into it if they haven\'t. There\'s a possibility that if they don\'t have that paperwork the house could be yours free and clear, and you can charge them the legal fees too.
good luck!
Praying for you and your growing family!!
Oh my goodness, when it rains it poors! Ugh you are such a strong woman, I know I have said it before, but I would have had a nervous breakdown by now! You have really shown how faith can really pull you through the tough times. I am praying like crazy for you that everything works out in the end. I know it will! So glad you are back to DS and update whenever you can! Sending lots of love to you!!!
As I mentioned in the journal, the church offered to help us get set up in a rental, but as I also predicted, there are LOTS of stumbling blocks to that..so far we cannot find a place that will rent to someone without a JOB. Our church is not going to lease a place for us, so who knows what the outcome of their offer to help will really be. From what I can tell, we will have to find someone who knows someone who will rent us a home. :-(
A friend of mine suggested that we eliminate all of Jason\'s executive/legislative experience from his resume/job history, so low-level employers won\'t be so dismissive...uh..he is 35 and his last 13 yrs of experience is in this area. LOL So, it would look like he hadn\'t worked in 13 yrs...like since college. When each employer received hundreds to thousands of applications per position, it is easy to see why they would choose a former cashier, for a Costco cashier position...it only makes sense, right? Why choose an Executive Vice President? We were naive going into this, thinking he would be able to get ANY JOB just to help out...especially when insurance is what our world revolves around right now.
God knows all of this!! He is providing and I trust in Him!!