Opening New Doors

We bought a home! We started our search for a home in the spring of 2007 once we were given orders to this area. While in the realtor's office, we got news that N was deploying that summer. This halted our hunt as I wanted to move back in with my parents, keep my dream job, and be surrounded by those that love my while he was away. When we returned back in January 2008, we stayed in a Navy hotel for two months and then moved into our cousin's beautiful condo to learn more about the area and save towards the down payment. In the spring of 2009, we were told that N was stationed here for another two years prompting us to renew our search for a home. In August, we sign a contract on this home; exactly nine months later in May, I armed with my trusty power of attorney signed on the dotted line.

There is so much I love about our place. I am sure I could also come up with an equally long list of all the things I desire to change or tweak eventually, yet I am very thankful to be here and will focus on its more desirable attributes. (You will eventually see plenty of tweaking in our before 1, before 2, before 3, and after pictures.)

I was instantly drawn to the exterior of this two story house as it is white with black shutters, has a red door, and is mostly symmetrical with a hidden garage on the side (I have always loved hidden garages.) It is classic with a touch of glamor. When you see it, I am sure you will think, "yes, that's L." While looking through the home listing handouts, we nicknamed the different homes to be able to quickly recall and compare them. I referred laughingly to this one as 'the most beautiful home in the world' which was in comparison to a close enough contender we called the 'barn' home. Architecture is my favorite form of art (excluding photography of my loved ones). Some get a thrill out of the perfect piece of music, some from a beautiful dress, others from a painting- I get it by seeing beautiful buildings. I cannot tell you how many times I have been thrilled at the idea that our brand new bank has a classic brick exterior with black torch lamps instead of our former bank with its ' O, so 2009' modern styling. Although the look of a home doesn't impact ones quality of daily living, I get the same joy in seeing our home as I would going to the museum and seeing a favorite piece of art.

The home is just a baby at eleven years old. We are nestled in a neatly wooded neighborhood. It was important to us that the homes not be in the middle of a cleared away field but that we have trees around us. The neighborhood is built with many cul-de-sacs and most of the homes are backed up to the woods. Generally, the front yards have a little tree with well taken care of lawns, and the backyards have several tall ones or are completely backed up to the woods. We are on a quarter acre lot. There are times I would love more land and then there are other times that I am sure this is plenty for us to take care of by ourselves or by myself when needed. The outside landscaping needs much work as the lawn is in great disrepair, a few sickly trees need removal, and our overgrown nest of front bushes are being hacked one by one by yours truly.

It has four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a 2 car garage, and a small deck. I really enjoy its nine foot ceilings, its double sinks in the guest and master, second floor laundry room, and its convenience of parking in the garage. Its main selling point for me was that the kitchen and the living room are open to each other. I have noticed so often in daily living and entertaining that the wife is sequestered by herself in the kitchen while her family and guests are in the living room. I specifically LOVE that my sink faces out towards the living room instead of out a window or on the far wall of the kitchen. That may sound funny to you, and I am sure a noncooking man would not understand me~ but really that was the main selling point and part I love the most about my home. As far as I can remember no other homes were built with the same layout. On a ship N has a battle station, and in my life that sink and counter is often my battle station when N comes home or when we are entertaining whether I am peeling potatoes, cutting strawberries, cleaning pots, or loading the dishwasher. While I am on subject, I LOVE my disposal too :) It wasn't working at first, but no fear I can be handy like that.

In my back story, I brushed over why it took just as long to grow a baby as to buy this home. It was a short sale home which means that the buyers are working with both sellers and the bank that really owns the home. Short sale homes usually take a few months because of all the extra paperwork and bank issues. We were ready for four months, and nine months really took our breaths away. We were able to afford this home because it cosmetically was not in selling shape, I believe because it was wasn't updated to be listed under it new and more desirable school district, and because many people don't have the time to wait on a short sale home.

Through the process of buying, moving into, and owning a home, I was prepared to grow in maturity and independence, yet I immediately learned much in the opposite veins. This moving process has taught me more about love, humility, and dependence than I ever thought. We are blessed to be in a place to be able to depend on our families, friends, and church family. Help is the hardest word for me to utter in a request, yet I knew that through this process I needed to and my littlest one really needed me to humble myself and ask for a hand. In asking for a hand, we were given 30 plus pairs that were there by our sides helping us through. Just thinking about the love that was poured out to us is getting me teary. Love... love is a woman pulling out your refrigerator and cleaning what is underneath, love is ripping down wallpaper and acting as if it is fun, love is stuffing a couch into an elevator, love is a man carrying your dryer up your stairs, and love is a child raking your yard as if it is a game. Thank you for all your help, love, and prayers!