A NEW START IN SEABROOK, TX

FROM THE MOMENT I DECIDED TO MOVE TO SEABROOK, I WAS BLESSED. FINDING THE HOME WASN'T SO EASY, IT WAS WAY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WE WERE USED TO, AND OUR HOUSE WAS ALMOST PAID FOR. MARTIN WASN'T TOO HAPPY ABOUT THE DECISION TO MOVE, BUT I COULD NOT LIVE IN OUR HOUSE ANY LONGER, ALL I COULD SEE WAS THE SPOT WHERE OTTO WAS KILLED AND I WANTED OUT. I WANTED TO BE IN A COMPLETELY NEW ENVIRONMENT. IN SPITE OF MARTIN'S OBJECTIONS, THE KIDS AND I SET OUT TO FIND OUR NEW HOME. THE PRICES FRIGHTENED ME, BUT I FIGURED THAT WITH BOTH OF US WORKING AT GOOD JOBS, WE WOULD JUST HAVE TO MAKE THE SACRIFICE. I WANTED TO GET THE KIDS OUT OF ALDINE TX, WHERE THINGS WERE JUST TERRIBLE, GANGS HAD ESCALATED AND CRIME WAS HIGH. MOST OF ALL, I NEEDED A CHANGE, SO I PERSERVERED. WE SPENT THAT SUMMER LOOKING FOR OUR HOME, AND PRAYING FOR SOMETHING JUST RIGHT. I WANTED TILE FLOORS, A BAY WINDOW IN THE KITCHEN, AND A LARGE YARD. MARTIN SAID IF WE COULD NOT FIND A HOUSE ON THE CORNER, NEAR THE WATER, WITH LOTS OF PARKING ROOM, AND MADE OF BRICK, JUST TO FORGET IT, HE WOULD NOT MOVE. EACH HOUSE WE LOOKED AT HAD SOMETHING NOT JUST RIGHT. OUR BUDGET WOULD NOT REALLY ALLOW US TO PURCHASE HIGHER THAN ABOUT 90,000. BUT IT SEEMED THAT EVERYTHING WAS THAT OR MORE. STILL WE LOOKED. WE ALMOST SIGNED FOR A HOUSE ELSEWHERE, BUT STILL IN THE AREA, BUT THE FEELING THAT IT WAS WRONG PERSISTED. IT WAS A LARGE HOUSE, WITH LOTS OF ROOM, BUT, NO, IT WAS NOT FOR US. THEN ONE DAY, AARON SHOWED ME A MAGAZINE WITH AN AD FOR A HOUSE IN SEABROOK. IT WAS VERY NEAR THE WATER, ON THE CORNER, MADE OF BRICK, HAD A BAY WINDOW AND TILE FLOORS. IT EVEN HAD A GARAGE APARTMENT! THE COST WAS 69,000. I TOLD AARON IT MUST BE A MISTAKE, BUT I CALLED THE REALTOR, AND THE PRICE WAS CORRECT! WE DROVE OUT TO SEABROOK, (43 MILES AWAY FROM WHERE WE LIVED) TO GET A LOOK AT THE PROPERTY. NESTLED BACK CLOSE TO THE BAY, AMONGST GREENERY AND TREES WAS THIS COMFY LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD, JUST PERFECT! THERE WAS THE ADDRESS, A LITTLE BRICK HOUSE, RIGHT ON THE CORNER WITH A BREEZEWAY BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE GARAGE. I GOT MY NERVE TOGETHER AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR. THE OWNER WAS HOME, AND I TOLD HIM WE WERE INTERESTED IN THE HOUSE AND HE INVITED US TO COME IN. I WALKED INTO THE FRONT DOOR AND WAS ENVELOPED WITH THE SENSE THAT I HAD COME HOME. IT WAS AS IF WELCOMING ARMS ENFOLDED ME. THE OWNER WAS COOKING CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS, AND OFFERED US LUNCH! WE DECLINED, BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO NICE. THE HOUSE WAS PERFECT, JUST PERFECT. IN ADDITION, IT HAD A NEW ROOF, NEW CENTRAL AIR AND HEAT, NEW WINDOW TREATMENTS AND MANY OTHER IMPROVEMENTS. MY PRAYERS HAD BEEN ANSWERED, BUT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT FINANCING. I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN, AS USUAL, HEAVENLY FATHER PAVED THE WAY FOR US. WE TALKED TO A REALTOR, A WONDERFUL WOMAN WHO TOLD US NOT TO WORRY, AND TOOK US TO A MORTGAGE COMPANY. WHEN WE WALKED INTO THE COMPANY, THERE WAS A BIG SIGN THAT SAID, "WELCOME JODIE AND MARTIN!" AFTER THAT, EVERYTHING FELL INTO PLACE. SUMMER HAD PASSED AND IT WAS FALL. WE HAD PLANNED TO MOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER, AND ON MOVING DAY, WE GOT A CALL. THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE WAS MOVING HER THINGS OUT AND HAD A TERRIBLE FALL, HITTING HER HEAD ON A TREE AND WAS FOUND UNCONCIOUS IN THE YARD. IT WAS VERY SERIOUS, AND THEY HOPED WE COULD PUT OFF MOVING IN UNTIL SHE WAS ABLE TO MOVE OUT TO HER NEW HOUSE.. OF COURSE WE COULD, WE WERE JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A NEW HOME. IT WAS TWO MORE WEEKS UNTIL WE COULD MOVE, BUT MOVE WE DID! WE HAD NEVER HAD A BRICK HOME, A SIDEWALK, OR TILE FLOORS. I COULD NOT AND CAN NOT THANK HEAVENLY FATHER ENOUGH FOR THE CHANCE TO START A NEW LIFE. I WILL TELL YOU MORE TOMORROW! LOVE, NANASEE