The Dream Home

I wanted to put these in order for you, kinda like a virtual tour...but Blogger is a pain and I am lazy.

So here is The Dream Home. Move in will be in 3 weeks.

This is the side yard. (There are 20 more acres that look just like this)

Front porch (Hello rocking chairs and sweet tea!)

View from the front porch

Back of the house (I love the concrete porches here)

Dining room

Living Room (and a partial of Buzz)

Entry way (Love the natural light and light fixture - Both Belly and Buzz make an appearance here)

Met some of my neighbors. I think we will get along great. They have kids too.

This is the street leading to the house

Another pic of the street.

The front of the house and Buzz being a nut!

Hello kitchen...I love you.

Breakfast nook and one very happy Bitsy

There are more pictures that aren't being published here due to the fact that I am an idiot who can't seem to use a flash.

Picture a jacuzzi tub on a pedestal with a step up...

Picture 3 upstairs bedrooms for the kids that are just the perfect size...

Picture an upstairs kids bathroom that is blue and covered in fish stuff (ick...but the kids like it)

Picture a master bedroom that has two huge windows and a tray ceiling with two (yes..TWO) walk-in closets.

Thank you for taking this little tour with me and THANK YOU for praying along with me that this would be a reality!

Patience Patient

I really thought after I had The Scribblers that God didn't need to teach me any more lessons in patience. Just the fact that I am not popping Excedrin Migraine in a Pez dispenser, or beatinf my forehead into all the door frames should prove that I have really learned this patience deal.

I was wrong. I still need lessons. I am still a Patience Patient.

This house selling/buying business has pushed my patience level to the red zone of the pressure valves.

The theory from the reports coming out of the news and from Realtors is that once this April 30th deadline for the Homebuyers Tax Credit expires, that if a house hasn't sold it very well might not. Then there are the grumbles of interest rates rising...it's just not a good market to sell.

So I have been praying. I know we are supposed pray "Thy will be done" but OMGoodness that is hard when you really want something. Not only that, but how do you pray with true honesty on something like this?

Dear God,

I really would like my house to sell and buy that perfect house that I found...but thy will be done and I will glorify you no matter the outcome. Well honestly, I am going to be a little ticked off...Ok Ok...a lot ticked off. But then, you already know that. You see God, I am not trying to be selfish. It's not just for me that I want this house. I want the house for the kids so they can live in the country, go to smaller schools and have room to run. Alright...so I want the nice kitchen...I didn't fool you did I? But it's for the kids too. I know I am supposed to pray for your will to be done...but can't this be your will? Can't you work with me here and get my house to sell? I know you already have my life planned out for me, you know every hair on my head...by the way...what's up with the gray ones? What did I do to get those? Alright, off subject...back to your plan for my life. Can this house buying/selling thing go under free will? Can we go that route? I know better than to make deals with you...let's be honest...that deal I made about passing my SATs and tithing 40% for 10 years didn't work out to well, I am sorry about that. So I am not going to make any deals. You know my heart, I really want this house and I want mine to sell. This may not be your will and you may have something better for my life. So, if you don't have this house thing in my life plan, can you at least let me know somehow that there is something better so it doesn't sting quite so bad. Did I mention that I am going to be mad for a while...I hope you are OK with that, because I am human and selfish. OK so we are good now? Right? Amen.

I just don't know a better way to pray about these types of things to someone who is omnipotent and knows my heart. It does me no good to lie and say I understand; He knows better. So I am trying to just see Him as The Healer and me The Patience Patient.

How do you pray in a situation where you want His will to work for you?

How To Sell A House - Lessons Learned

We have had our house on the market since October of 2009. Here are some things that I have learned.

1. 12 years after the initial construction, it is a good idea to spruce up the house and update major features for selling.
2. Carpet, paint and new floor tiling is a wonderful selling point.
3. Before the new carpet, paint and floor tiling has been installed; you average around 5 showings every week.
4. Once the new carpet, paint and floor tiling has been installed, not one person will look at your house for the next 3 months.
5. 2 children and one dog can ruin the whole look of new carpet in about 3 weeks.
6. The new paint will hold up about one week past the carpet.
7. Although you had initially packed up most of your knick-knacks; they will slowly find their way back into the house after it hasn't shown for 3 months.
8. Once the carpet looks worn, there are scuffs on the paint and the house generally looks like it threw up; you will get 5-6 showings a week again.
9. Around this time the season of Spring has shown up.
10. Before you put your house on the market, you could mow the grass every 10 days to keep it looking nice.
11. A Realtor sign contains some kind of fertilizer. Once planted in your yard, the grass needs to be mowed every 2 days to keep it from being as tall as the trees.
12. On the day the laundry is to be finished and there are 6 baskets of dirty clothes sitting around, you will get a call that the house is showing in an hour.
13. You can stuff 3 loads of laundry in the dryer and the other 3 loads will fit in the car.
14. A loaf of fresh bread takes around an hour to cook.
15. While you are kneading the raw dough, you will get a call that the house is showing in an hour.
16. Go ahead and finish your bread, it seems that Realtors and potential home buyers enjoy having fresh bread while touring your house.
17. Have an exit plan similar to that of a fire escape and drill the children every day.
18. You will get a call that the house is showing in one hour, when the kids are muddy, need a nap, have Legos strewn across the floor or are in a uncooperative mood.
19. Those three laundry baskets will come in handy that you put in the car. Throw a child, toys and dog in one and carry it to the car too.

Eye of the Beholder - House Buying Style

The following is a pictorial of how buying a house is truly all in the eye of the beholder. All images used were found through Google images...

You decide to make the huge step of buying a house. You decide on an average house (this is Google's interpretation of what "average" is, so we will just go with that.)

You notice the asking price on this supposed to be average house...

 The house looks somewhat different now

Then the appraiser comes and looks at the house

 Well at least you can afford this

Then you go to the bank to get prequalified, considering the housing market you can afford this

Probably not going to fit a family of 5

You renegotiate with the sellers and finally get the price for the average home, but you send the inspector in, he tells you the house is...

...going to need a lot of work

By the time you get your estimate you will pay enough in repairs to have...

*SIGH*

Until Further Notice

DUDES! I felt so cared for today. Thank you for totally stroking my ego. I saw all the "Missing Wrangler" reports and felt both guilty for not checking in and totally humbled by the amount of concern.

Truth is that The Man took this whole week off and he is Mr. Spontaneous sometimes. Just about every morning before I can get the eye snot pried from my lashes; he is dragging us out the door to do something or the other. Yesterday and today were Land Looky Days for the new homestead. We have learned something...you get about 30 miles east of where we live and (according to my very wisest and bestest pal) you must channel your inner mountain goat to survey it. This is not the best thing to do when you are this close (hold up pointer finger and thumb to a width of .5 inches) to having a child.

Putting a pregnant lady in a 4 wheeler up steep inclines makes as much sense as putting a toddler in front of a chocolate cake and a white couch.

You just don't do it. Not if you have sense.

I have never been accused of having much sense.

ANYWAYS...to my original point...that's what I was doing today. I was only able to check my Twitter through my phone when we stopped at the gas station. Which by the way, I had to beg for 45 minutes before The Man finally took me to one. This station was so country, I had to move over the bucket of minnows (fishing bait) to get into the bathroom.

So, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE...

If I do not blog, twitter, text, facebook, email, send a letter or a messenger pidgeon; this does not mean I am birthing Baby Bigfoot. (I am probably standing on the edge of some ravine scouting the land or 4 wheeling on the side of a mountain)
There have been people put into place that will be posting both on my blog and Twitter, should I go into labor. So no update = no baby.
Besides, we still have a ways to go before 40 weeks. Patience.

Thanks again for the love and whoever sent that St. Bernard with the hot chocolate in his barrel is my new best friend.