Room to Run

We're an adventurous family down here in Texas. We love to move, see things and experience new stuff. But as most parents finally realize, it's time to put down roots for our girls. Now we have three sweet daughters, and our oldest is at a point where she knows where she is and what we're doing.

We spent most of the Spring looking for a house. This being Texas, homes are mostly big, brick/rock and uniform. They all look alike outside, and mostly inside, too. The developments just roll across the hills, and it's been hard to imagine living in an HOA-run, cookie-cutter neighborhood. We're an eclectic couple and we enjoy making our home fun and unique. The house hunt has been frustrating and tiring, trying to find something that's really "us."

In addition to wanting a house that is unique and different, we also want a house that has plenty of room to run, that's near the water and in a neighborhood without an HOA. We want to be close to shopping, the gym, the city and several Catholic churches. This leaves a pretty tall order. I would also like mature trees surrounding the house, because shaded areas are a hot (giggle) commodity in Texas. Our home needs to feel idyllic and magical with lots of natural light and windows. If I can't imagine throwing parties and picnics in the summer, kids sledding in the winter and wide open doors in the spring, it's the wrong house. We have such a big vision of what childhood should be, and a large part of that is the home we're raising our kids in.

We thought we found that home in April, and it felt so right. A house near the water, 4 bedrooms, room to expand later, almost an acre to run and play, trees surrounding the house with lots of shade, enough natural light to never use the switches. There was a tree in the backyard with a big u-shaped branch, and I couldn't imagine how badly that tree would like a child swinging from it, just like The Giving Tree...the thought of leaving it someday was difficult, and we hadn't even bought it yet.

We put in an offer immediately and spent two weeks trying to negotiate with a very difficult seller. By the time we decided on a best and final, we were shocked when HIS best and final was actually over asking price. We were pretty bummed out to lose "our house." It was so hard walking away from the house we knew was just meant for us. We decided to call off the house hunt until the winter, so we could have a little time to welcome our new baby and get things under control again. After getting used to the idea of renting for almost another year and letting go of our little real estate dream, we got into the swing of regular life again.

We've been slowly getting small lists together of houses we'd like to see and neighborhoods we could "live with." It's hard to look for something you can live with when you've just lost the place you want to thrive in.

So imagine our surprise when the owner of our dream home returned to us last week, asking us to reconsider and resubmit our offer. As of this morning, it looks like we might actually become the owners of the house we fell in love with months ago. We're now two months out from ending our lease and the timing feels perfect. We have exactly enough in the bank to close the deal and a couple of weeks ago, Andrew was promoted to a more senior position within his company. Just as we started shopping around for a Father's Day canoe for Daddy, we were given a lake for him to use it on and a lake house in which to store it. God is so good, isn't He? Ask for a tiny canoe and He'll give you a great, big lake. Pretty peachy.

We will have lots and lots of cosmetic updates. The house was built in the 70's and it does show. But it's a sturdy, older house with lots of potential for a growing family. We can't wait to get our hands dirty again and start working on our forever home. I don't know what I'd really do in a brand-new home - I'm such a tinkerer and dreamer that I really can't keep myself from changing and improving things. We need a house that can take the wear and tear of my imagination, so we're very happy with what we've found. It's going to be a great pallette for our ideas and vision, and eventually it'll reflect the way we live - with passion, laughter and peace. This house is truly a retreat in the middle of the state we love, and we can't wait to sign those papers!

Please pray for us as we work on closing on our house; there are so many i's to dot and t 's to cross, and there are still many hurdles in the process, obviously. Nailing down the contract was crucial, but now we have many checks to put on our list before we have those keys in hand. We appreciate every good wish and prayer you send our way as we work toward home ownership in the Lone Star State!