Home Sweet Home...

For three years we have been waiting to purchase our 'perfect' home...and I never thought this day would finally get here! Since I have a real estate license, we were able to go and look at homes as we pleased. We figured we would get a jump start and begin the process early so that we would eliminate any rush to hurry and 'settle' for a house before the baby arrives.

We went to look at a house on a Thursday and, in viewing it online, we were prepared to fall in love with it in person and put in an offer. Wrong! We got there and realized how tiny it was, not to mention the backyard was one giant slope going down. Next! We then went to look at a home on Saturday. It was okay, but not for us. It was not a good floor plan and the backyard had a house right behind it. The good thing is we realized what we HAD to have and what we could live without. We needed a big back yard that was leveled for the kids to play in. We wanted a three-car garage, but would live if we didn't have one.

The next morning, Sunday, I'm making breakfast and Herm is searching on the computer. He calls me over to look at a house. It's great, but we assume there will be something we don't like about it when we get there. Oh well, worth a shot, right? I schedule a showing and we set off to go and check it out.

It just so happens to be a GORGEOUS, warm, and sunny day, so as we pull up the driveway the house looks so warm and welcoming. Right off the bat we love that it is in a cult-de-sac and also has a dead end side street to the left of it (the house is on a corner lot). Great for the kids! Also, there are tons of trees behind the house (and we have since found out that no houses will ever be built back there!). Privacy!!! So far so good...

Once we are in the house we walk through it slowly and we are very quiet. It's all too perfect. There has to be a catch. The kitchen is all granite. The sink has a 'boiling hot water faucet' (I had never heard of that?!), there is gorgeous crown molding everywhere, plantation shutters, granite in EVERY bathroom (Master shower is granite from floor to ceiling with a 'spa' shower AND a seperate deep jacuzzi tub...pinch me!), ALL bedrooms are upstairs along with the laundry room (I'm seriously dreaming!), there is a formal living space, a family room, AND an unfinished basement that Herm can make into his 'man' cave. All of these 'extra's' are things that we (or should I say Herm. LOL!)never would have added to a house.

And then...we step outside to the backyard. It is stunning. Covered patio, stoned portion that included a gorgeous fire pit, beautiful NEW vinyl white picket fence, tons of space, it's flat, and has a sprinkler system that actually has sensors that tells it when it rains so it won't turn on if it has. Are you kidding me??? Dom is running around the yard with a huge smile on his face and the warm sun beaming down on him...and I imagine our sweet little girl and Tarzan running around back there with him. Perfect.

We know we want this house. We ALL love this house! We rush home and Herm gets to work finding a lender who can get him a pre-approval letter STAT!!!! I'm pregnant and overwhelmed so I take Dom to the park to calm my nerves (and pray...pray like I've never prayed before!). It was so peaceful at the park and so pretty out. I prepared myself mentally for worse case scenarios.

After what seems like forever, Herm calls. He got the letter! We schedule another showing for that night just to MAKE sure this is the one...and we stand in a circle and pray as a family before we go back to the house. Once we get there we want the house even MORE! It FEELS like home. We submit our offer at 8pm and go home to wait...they have two days to counter back.

The next day was THE longest day! As we are sitting at the table eating dinner my phone rings...and we have a counter offer! And we LOVE the counter offer!!! FINALLY, the following day, all paperwork is signed and we are set to close on the home we've been waiting SO long for. It has been so hard to live in our tiny little bungalow for the past three years...but it has been WELL worth the wait and the lessons we have learned living in this tiny little house will stay with us for the rest of our lives. For that I am SO grateful.

Our new home is not huge or really fancy...but it's warm, cozy, and, above all, perfect for US. I know I say it all the time, but I know we are so very blessed and I'm so thankful for all God continues to provide our family with. Life is good.

Here are some pictures of our HOME...