Monday, March 11, 2013

The Story of How We Moved

So last September a neighbor and friend we'd met only 10 months before came to me and asked if we wanted to buy the house they live in. They'd barely moved in 10 months before. When they moved in Kinlee and I took a treat over to them to welcome them in to the neighborhood and town. They came from up north, non-LDS in a predominantly LDS community, a very friendly family of 3. The man was the only person home the evening we stopped by so we left a treat and went home, across the road and west a couple doors. The next morning a knock on my door sent me 1/2 ready for the day to answer it. Her name was Dawn and we set up a time later that day to get together for hot chocolate in her lovely new place across the road, well the invite was for Coffee but I opted quickly for the hot chocolate as my religious beliefs are that I abstain from coffee and tea which I later explained over our glasses of differing drinks. We had a friendly visit & became friends from there on out. I invited Dawn out to Church meetings for RS and their family to ward activities. They accepted each offer and it was a mutual friendship. We invited them over to our home for wings and a few other get togethers and double dates were had.
Mont put a For Sale sign on our boulevard in May last year. We/he felt we needed to find a new home. Not sure exactly why but he did. We had our eye on a house across town actually right across from Mike and Amy (Monts twin bro & his new wife) and built by his Uncle Murray. I thought it could work out but wasn't too eager for it to...when that house sold and nothing else on the market appealed to us, the For Sale by Owner sign came down. No big deal, we had a small mortgage utility bills as well were inexpensive and things were good as they were in that home we loved. It was a great little place, inexpensive in all ways and cozy for our little family. We decided we could stick around for another few years no prob. So when September rolled around and these new neighbors and friends extended the offer to me I said no we're content where we are at, we are good. Mont took Kinlee and I to Great Falls for my Birthday that weekend and I said nothing to Mont, not purposely just out I sight out of mind more than anything. Mont had expressed often to Dawn and Russ how much he loves this house, he even made an offer to the previous owners when they staked the ground with a for sale sign in 2011, that offer was declined and gladly so it was steep! Mont has reason to be passionately after this house, he grew up in this house from age 12-19 he lived here, his parents built it in 1993 and since his dad is a Mason it's an all entirely covered brick solidly built home. 20 years old with only minor cosmetic upgrades needed. Anyway, so we had a fantastic weekend away for my birthday virtually stress free. It wasn't until we were about 30 minutes away from getting back home that I remembered Dawn's offer for us to have first dibs on the house as they were looking to move in to the city. It was then 3 days after her offer to me that I even mentioned it to Monty. He was driving so he immediately had me dialing their number to set up an appt to make an offer ASAP. That was set up for the following night. We had Mike and Amy sit at our house as Kinlee was in bed and it was the start of her first days of Grade one and her school night routine and bedtime is rigid and early. I was a basket case this particular week...I did NOT need more added to my plate of stress and sadness. I turned another year older, got another huge evidence of a fail on growing our family (again!) and I was sending my baby off to full day school!! It was already pushing me to the brink of an emotional level I couldn't bottle up. Sooo we met with Dawn and Russ. Sat down feeling much too formal, and Mont made his offer. We headed back home 30 minutes later and over the next few days Mont was on the edge of his seat waiting for a response to find out if they had they accepted our offer, or not. I on the other hand was barely treading water and on the brink of emotionally drowning. Well, finally the call came and Mont was grinning from ear to ear for days! Then came the approval process on another mortgage, a meeting with a Realtor, paper work like you wouldn't believe, numbers were crunched and Monts excitement only escalated especially when everything was approved and things fell in to place. Rather quickly. I wasn't ready for such things and I was in no place in my life at the time to jump up or joy on anything. I was really just so sad! I missed being a mom to a child (children) at home all day, I was busy with business stuff a few subbing jobs here and there but over all my heart was just broken and I was anything but happy with the house details and process. Still didn't want it. I feel it was the right thing as Mont did but it frightened me a little. I was scared we wouldn't really have enough money each month as we would still own the other house and bills in every way would be larger and what of thy were hard to meet. I was afraid of losing the close knit bond we had gained over years and years in a tiny house as a young couple and then a baby too. I didn't want to lose that over a house purchase. A 1600 sq foot home with way more space and room. And I was just a downer Debbie the whole month of September. Less than 6 weeks later we were completely moved in to this house and our address went from 115 to 150, the only change we made in our big move across the street. And now that that whirlwind is over and I've kind of made some progress on making the house of brick an home we can call ours...I guess I'll post some pics and finally share this lovely story of our sudden move....and my attitude change...I have grown to LOVE this house...like I said the changes to the house are all cosmetic...and there's still one living room that needs a couch set (1st pic below) but otherwise we were able to furnish this house just fine. It's an amazing home with everything and more ... Things I love or will love ...
Storage/cold room with shelving galore
Office space
5-6 bedrooms
Craft/Sewing room
A/C in the summer
central vac,
3 bathrooms, 1 in the master bed
Garage AND Car port
Side deck AND front porch
Hot Tub
Huge Kitchen
Gorgeous Bay Window Dining area
Hallways!
Yellow walls, already painted fresh when we moved in!
We received our bedroom set, a huge solid rectangle shaped therapy trampoline, a double bed and a dresser WITH the house purchase which we got for over 50 grand less than it appraises at
Large back yard WITH a fire put
Gorgeous treed lot mostly fenced in for privacy
Oh man I could go on but I just have to say how thankful I am for how fortunate we were to make friends with these neighbors to get the chance to buy this house for cheap and for a husband who always just seems to know the right things to say and the right thing to do. We love our new place and we have been super blessed p get great renters in our other house too. I love how the Lord looks out for his people and directs us in to the right places and situations at the exact right times. We feel so blessed and we than the Lord every day for his hand directing our every step. We love Him, we love our new home, we love our life, blessings, little family and so much more! Here's a virtual tour of our new to us home (if you want clearer pictures click on the pic...I blog from my phone for convenance and time factors...sooo for some reason blogpress can't get the pix clear, grr)!
We are so happy here!!































Okay, I can't say enough about how much I love lucking out on the buy&sell's around here off of Facebook...I needed, desperately needed, filing cabinets and with tax season hitting paper work is at an all time high...I've never had a good system for filing and organizing papers...I've tried but in our tiny home across the road there wasn't a lot of options. Well, last week, annnoyed with our lack of office space and order I lucked out when I happened on the Magrath Buy&Sell to see that there were two wooden file cabinets on there and no one had commented yet. I was the first. The next day I made the trek out in to the boondocks and finally arrived after getting lost once to the house of the lady who was selling these two. I bought them and was super excited to get them home. The sweet lady mentioned she had a desk that matches and was i sure I didn't want it too. I was sure. I didn't want to spend more money and I claimed I didn't have room. HA! As if I dont' have room. Excuses I suppose. Well, something told me to stop while I was pulling out of the driveway. So I did and it occured to me that I should in fact check out the desk. Well, for $60 bucks I drove away with two solid wooden Filing Cabinets and 1 even more solid Desk. And with a little arranging it fit perfectly in the spare room upstairs and I didn't have to get rid of that spare single bed either. Now its my favorite place to read or rest during the day if I'm unwell (like I was yesterday) and I'll soon be doing the corp book balancing, invoicing and filing from there...I'm just now on the look out for a couple chairs...one for this office space and one for my sewing/craft room downstairs. Anyway, long story short and you can't really even tell how great this room is...and the steal of deal I got on the desk and cabinets (which i know are quality by how they feel, how heavy they were and the fact that they are from a doctors office somewhere around here). So happy with this little area and these great purchases!! Love!
Kinlee's room is spacious and she loves it. It needs decor and that's one of my next steps in making this amazing house a home.



I love our bed. It may not be the style I'd pick if I went out shopping for a five piece bedroom set but a girl can't complain when it's handed to her from the previous owners and friends who downsized to move in to the city. Seriously, we are indebted to Dawn and Russ for the great home we got to buy for sooo cheap and the fabulous bedroom set and other wonderful things gifted to us with the purchase of the home. I can't say how very thankful I am for these things.

And downstairs....

There has been a lot of hottubbing going on around here...we love having this hot tub, so good for Mont stretching his tight muscles after a long and stressful week or day at work, great for his back pain and strain, too. We are so blessed! We also love a good Ping-Pong match before bed now and then...thanks to my parents for that! The kids will play fooseball now and again too and a little air hockey is even more fun than that, at least for the girls.



Downstairs is a work in progress...guest rooms I need to fix up...I just had my sister here and haven't taken the time to remake that bed, below...don't judge...haha.
A tiny room that severely needs cleaning...toy room, not sure how it's played in, but somehow it is.
This room has a psychodelic feel with the striped walls...that paper needs to come down...like I said the downstairs is so nice to have but it needs some work. It's more than livable and guest approved but definitely can't wait to do some painting and remodelling on the rooms down there. And actually decorate and make the beds. Ha!
This will be my sewing/crafting room...also another work in progress.
And this bathroom is a major winner...also kinda crazy, but it's a bathroom. It's also medium wood over-kill!
So there you have the overall tour of the new place. Like I said, we love it a lot!!! We will probably be here for many years to come.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

5 comments:

Lynn said...

Oh my! Your house is SOooo beautiful! I am drooling over the space. ; ) What an amazing blessing for sure! P.S. I LOVE your four poster bed. Gorgeous!

Christal said...

Still so so happy for you guys blessings for sure!! It was awesome to have the space at Christmas and well all the time! Great buy and sell purchases too! Hope your feeling better we've had the crappy colds over here! love ya!

. said...

What a great house and an awesome basement. I am sure your house will be the one all the kids want to hang out at! Also- LOVE the storage room. Our first house had one just like that and I wish our new house had one too.

Heidi said...

Love the house but more especially the history of the house. I too live in the house I grew up in and love raising my family here. It was the best move we ever made. Congratulations and maybe someday I can come for a visit as you now have room to put me up.

Unknown said...

Thanks guys :)
Heidi, Come!! We do have the room and you would love it up here! It's 24 hours from your house to drive it if you didn't opt for flying and from Erin's in Rexburg its 8 hours...we are waiting and ready to put you up in our home for sure! I would absolutely love for you guys to come and I would love to take you to all the beautiful places that there is to see around here!