A change for the family **LONG**

Some of you know this, but WE SOLD OUR HOUSE last week. We had been dragging our feet to put it on the market, and many of you know that I believe that everything happens for a reason, well, let me tell you our story...

Adam and I bought this house in 2005. It was what we could afford at the time. Adam was a mere Assistant Manager with Enterprise and I was JUST starting the business. We loved our first home, we just outgrew it soooo fast once Baby Jack joined the home front. So, we started looking for a new home basically right after he was born.

Fast forward to last Tuesday. Our neighbor comes over while I'm in the front yard pulling weeds in the cracks of the driveway (Jackson was playing and I was killing time--and they bug me). She says "I hear that Adam got a big promotion and you guys are moving." That was all she said, put her hands on her hips, and stared at me. Just like that. I didn't know if she was mad, or what. I said "Well, Adam got promoted to Hobby, and we've been LOOKING for a new home, but we aren't transferring, if that's what you mean." She replies, "Well, let me know when you want to move b/c my sister wants to look at your house before you put it on the market." Little did she know, that that following Saturday was going to be a work weekend for us and we were going to be getting the house ready for show. On Monday, our realtor was coming out...I told her she would be the first to know when we decided to move. And I left it at that.

On Tuesday, I went out with the realtor and fell in love with a house. It was CLEAN, it was the size I wanted, it was decorated in the colors I wanted, it had a huge kitchen with Corrian countertops...basically, I walked in and really liked it (and the cleaning crew was there so it was immaculate when I walked in!)

Fast forward to Sunday, after our Saturday work/clean out day at the house. I am power-washing the driveway (b/c I want it clean when it goes on the market) and my neighbor walks over again and says "Can my sister come by and see the house? She'll be here in 20 minutes." Yikes! I'm in sweats and a t-shirt, no bra, hat, no makeup, I don't even think I brushed my teeth before I walked outside...."Sure!" (why not, my house was clean, I just wasn't!) She came over, walked around, I didn't think she was interested, we told her our asking price, she cringed, then walked out. I told Adam "We won't see that woman again, keep cleaning!"

Two days later on Tuesday, I had the WORST day ever, anything that could go wrong could, but I get a phone call at 5:00pm from the sister "Would it make your day better if I tell you I want your house and will pay your asking price?" WHAT??!?! SURE!?!?!? (***Note: I acted on impulse and just agreed. No, I didn't call Adam and discuss it with him. I don't know what I was thinking. I have since apologized profusely for it. I am an impulse buyer, and now, I guess I'm an impulse seller.***)

So Wednesday, we go on a house hunt again, this time, to a different house that I said "No!" right away too (***2nd NOTE: People are slobs. They don't clean their homes, they don't update their appliances, they have tons of clutter, they have things that are broken and just don't bother fixing them, yet they put their home on the market and ask a FORTUNE --are you kidding me? Haven't they ever watched HGTV? Get a clue!! It's frustrating!***).

Wednesday night, the buyer comes to our house and we fill out all of the paperwork (a big thanks to my friend Lindsay who walked me through the whole thing--she's a realtor in Austin if you are looking for one!) and she takes it to her lawyer. Mind you, we are paying no closing costs and negotiate nothing--it was too easy. She even signed off on things that WE should have covered at closing, we just didn't say anything (pray that we don't burn in hell for that) She comes back on Thursday, we sign off on everything after her lawyer proofed it, and it was at the title company on Friday morning.

In the meantime, the home that I really liked and was clean and perfect and wonderful has been price reduced by $5,000. I take this as a sign. We go and look at it again, this time with Mom, GG Jane, Adam and the baby, and we REALLY LOOK IT OVER. Everything. There is nothing I will have to do to this home when I move in. Granted, I will need to landscape the backyard someday (it's a blank canvas--nothing back there) and the master bathroom wallpaper is not pretty, but livable for now, and the master closet needs to be re-configured, but my dad and Adam are pros at that now....but I really don't have to do anything. We could be there 5 years before I did anything. Honestly. And, the street dead ends at Hyde Elementary--a great school in this area. Oh, and did I mention it's 2 blocks from my parent's and grandmother? Another plus.

So, right now, after taking the weekend to contemplate, put pencil to paper, and figure up our closing costs and down payment, we are ready to make an offer. We are going in tomorrow to sign the paper work and put in for this house.

I ask that you pray for us. We really will need it today. We are praying that Grandpa Joe and Grand-dad are watching over us and helping us buy this home. I truly believe in fate, so if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. If not, we'll find something else, and we are sooo fortunate to have family that are willing to let us stay with them until we do find the perfect house for us (we love you! Thanks! It won't be forever--2 months tops!!)

So, if I don't blog for a while, it's because we are PACKING!! I have 2 weeks to pack. Adam is leaving on business, so I don't have him for long....I gotta go get packing!!

I'll try and find/take/post a picture of our house now for nostalgia before we move. I'm sure Jackson will want to see where he was conceived/carried for 9 months/brought home from the hospital to/had all of his firsts in(roll over, crawl, walk, solid food)/his first birthday party was...okay, it makes me sad. I have to stop typing now.....