Thankful Thursday & Friday

Originally I wasn't going to do a "Thankful Thursday" post yesterday. I wasn't feeling all that great and had a sore throat and upset stomach, and when I finally sat down to write, I really needed to get into bed and get some sleep. However, after we received some exciting news last night, I became extremely thankful and had to share the news with you today! (and no, I'm not pregnant!)

Shortly after Abby was born, Jim and I began to talk about buying a new home. We weren't sure when the right time would be, but kept it in the back of our minds. Our current home has made us very happy over the past five (almost six) years and we have a lot of memories within the walls of this house. In February we decided it was "time" to begin the house hunt, since we were needing more space and the neighborhood was changing.

It's been a long and emotional journey to find the right house. Jim and I thought we had found "the one" right away. It was a beautiful, colonial style home with tons of acreage, that we fell in love with from the beginning. Being a short sale and a sticky divorce situation, we knew it could take a while before we heard any news. Thinking positively, we put an offer on the house back in March. Well... just weeks ago, the owner decided (along with his attorney) to take the house off the market. Nice to know he'll be living there for about a year until the house goes into foreclosure... and probably for FREE! BLAH! So the search continued. We found houses that were great, but the yards were way too small or the houses were way too close together. Houses that had great lots but needed so much work. Then Jim and I found another house, the price was right but needed work, and it was in a great neighborhood, so we decided to make an offer. More time. Waiting. No news. Then just last weekend our realtor (& friend!) sent an e-mail with a house that she knew we would love. It was new on the market, priced aggressively, and from the pictures, we loved it. The next day we walked through it and put an offer in that night. It had the space, upgrades, a somewhat larger yard than most homes in the neighborhood, and it's nestled in safe neighborhood with a lot of families.

Last night we got the great news that our prayers had been answered. The bank accepted our offer!!! I still cannot believe it. I am so thankful (yesterday, today, and the many days to come) that this will be the house where our family can grow and create many happy memories together. Yay!!!! Pictures to come later ....