As I stare at the blinking cursor on my computer screen, my mind is filled with a million thoughts, most of which center around the pile of boxes across the room that still need unpacked and the stack of dishes sitting in the sink. I feel torn between writing about all the new changes taking place in my life and getting a handle on my never-ending to-do list.
After typing, deleting, and retyping the opening paragraph about 30 times, I almost give up. Maybe I just can’t write anymore. The thought is frustrating. There is so much I want to tell you, but I don’t even know where to start.
The sound of Almost-Husband playing with our new dog on the living room floor is distracting. I think about heading up to my new office, then remember that there’s no air conditioning up there and it feels like a sauna. Still, the thought makes me smile.
My own office. In our own house. Our own house!
After nearly 10 years of rentals, living with friends, living with parents, and more rentals…we finally have our own space. A place to call home.
I’m not sure I can put into words how much a relief it is, especially after all the hoops we had to jump through to get here. A year of fixing our credit. Another year of looking for houses. And then weeks and weeks of sending paperwork, followed by a period of time where we were told the bank was backing out due to a bad landlord reference, which was eventually determined to be unfounded (as we knew it would be).
With closing pushed back on us three times, when the actual day came we were more than a little nervous when they told us they needed even more paperwork and verification. We got that squared away quickly and we were told to meet them at 3 o’clock.
Once we got there, we were told there was another issue and we had to run to our bank to get copies of a check and race back to the bank handling our loan, where we were told that it might have to be put off another day. At 4:55 PM, with five minutes to spare before the banks closed for the day, they called us back. They were willing to stay late to get us in.
In the end, we wound up with no closing costs, no down payment, and actually walked away with a check. After all the craziness that it took to get us done, the outcome could not have been better!
It’s been 13 days now since we’ve moved into our home, but it feels like it was yesterday. I don’t think my mind has fully processed that it’s really ours. To have an entire house to ourselves is surreal. It’s so much nicer than anything I thought we would ever be able to afford, and there are a few times that I’ve found myself feeling as if we’ve stepped into someone else’s life. It’s a crazy feeling to go from a beat-up apartment with sewage in the basement, bats in the walls, and any number of other issues to a clean, safe, beautiful home in the blink of an eye.
The Princess has transitioned wonderfully, although we do need to get back to some sort of routine. She’s suddenly decided that it’s time to use the potty and to sleep in her own room, which is fantastic! She’s also started to play more independently, which is a godsend with all the work it’s taken to get the house in order.
Saturday, we added a new member to our family, a one year old Akita/ German Shepard mix named Kuma.
I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried at first about bringing such a big boy home, but he just fit right in. It’s like he’s always been here! He’s already protective of The Princess and has been great playing with her. He’s already housebroken and knows a few commands, which eliminates most of the work I thought was ahead of us. And most importantly, he seems so happy here! I’m so glad we found this guy!
After all the ups and downs that life has thrown at us over the past few years, things finally seem to be evening out. I know the road ahead will still have a few bumps and unexpected curves, but it is also bound to be a beautiful path. Once we get our bearings, I have no doubt that this is the road that will take us to our dreams.