It's official!

Adam refused to let me post anything on Facebook or the blog until was official (since we thought we had sold and bought several other times before this)...but it's definitely official as I am typing this in the office of our new home! 

Many of you know that we got an offer (our 4th!) on our old home while we were on vacation at the end of summer, so we had 6 weeks to find a new one! As the weeks kept going by, we were slowing accepting the fact that we would not find (and move into) that "perfect" home. We planned on renting storage space and staying with Adam's family for however long it took.  

Meanwhile, we kept looking at houses and started to like one enough that we wanted to see it again before we made an offer. To us, it was a "good enough" house that we would learn to love.  For some reason, the owners of that house denied our showing request for a Friday night and said we couldn't see it until Sunday afternoon.  

It was DIVINE INTERVENTION!!!  Saturday morning, Adam sat down with his coffee and iPad to check his email. In it was an alert from Zillow that a house was just listed for sale in our top choice neighborhood AND in our price range.  We called our awesome realtor (Therese Kelley from Croslis Realty) right away and she got us in to see it a few hours later.  She came with the paper work and we literally had our offer in less than 2 hours later!  

That was only 4 weeks ago. Our mortgage consultant and his team were absolutely AMAZING!!! He made it possible for us to close on our new house the same day we closed on our old house with a total turnaround time of less than 3 weeks....a record for him! 

(I highly recommend Luke Pickel from Gateway Funding for your mortgage needs!)

It's been whirlwind the past few weeks....but here are some pics of what we've been doing!

Packing up our old home...

(the kids were a real big help with that!)

Leaving our mark there...

(we let the kids sign their names on the inside of an attic door).

 saying good bye to a very special place...

and saying good bye to the crib for Grayson!

Mommy was a mess that last night thinking about all of the wonderful memories we shared in that  home....we brought two little six pound babies home to this nursery, celebrated six holidays there, and threw six kids birthday parties there (4 for Avery, 2 for Gray). It was and always will be a very special home to us! I hope I took enough pictures for the kids to remember it! 

I get a little teary-eyed thinking about it, but then I look around me here and I get teary-eyed about how much I LOVE this house and all the wonderful memories we will create here too.  

The kids have been adjusting very well.  The first night was Gray's first night in his big boy bed that Avery handed down to him.  Adam and I were busy getting Avery ready and we thought he was playing in his room, only to find that he already tucked himself in...

and then slept 11 hours straight!  We were in shock!

Avery loves going up to her own room to play by herself when we get home...

Sometimes, she even lets Gray in her room.

Coloring at the kitchen table is a must!

Even an empty basement is tons of fun for all!

Guster is doing well too...here he is scoping out his new lookout! 

(We have since gotten blinds on the windows thankfully).

 We are still unpacking, but getting more done each day. The kids, again, are of no help. But they sure enjoy playing with the boxes and air bubbles.

But we take breaks to go out side often....it's so awesome to have a sidewalk!!!

 (our front porch will look much better after it's power washed...)

 But here it is, our forever home!!!

After a year of highs and lows, we never thought this day would come.  God has put us through a real test of patience, but with the help and support of our family and friends, we were able to keep faith till the end.  And it is oh, so worth it...Life is complete!

Top things we love about our new house:

1. We can walk up the steps at night or during nap time and NOT wake the kids like our old creaky steps did. Carpet is amazing! 

2. We have doors on our closet instead of just a curtain. 

3. Our house doesn't shake when a big truck or car with loud music drives by the front our house (our street now ends in a cul-de-sac).

4. We don't have to go downstairs to shower.

5. Avery and Grayson get to be neighbors with their cousin Madi!