It's amazing how you can watch the show House Hunters and think, "Oh, I would have picked the other house." Well, we have been house hunting for a good solid 5 months and we FINALLY found a place to hang our hats. ;-)
After searching and searching and getting a new realtor we have a place we are going to call home. Actually, we are naming it, The Meadow. Why are we naming it? Because for me, there is something about "naming" your home. Making it your own, if you will.
James and I both love the country as do our kids and we have searched high and low for a mini farm or a large farm but the Lord did not open those doors for us. The kids (as well as us) have been spoiled by living on 2 wonderful properties in Tennessee. One of our favorite houses we dubbed, "The Farm" and the kids still love talking about their wonderful memories of being outside and playing with the Alpacas and taking care of things. We wanted the kids to enjoying taking care of animals and harvesting their own gardens and we got to do those things on "The Farm" in Tennessee.
Many of you know we have a handicap daughter and our house hunt had to focused on her long term needs, as well as making sure the other kids would feel like this was their home also. We fell in love with an old farmhouse not far from here and the kids LOVED it. It actually reminded us a bit of Tennessee, the way the land laid in behind it (anything to remind us of Tennessee is always good). It sat on over 4 acres and had potential to add 5 more including a large barn that James Allen was all to prepared to use for some animals. The house was us. James Allen and I love old homes, we always have. The house couldn't have been more perfect accept for one thing, it wasn't a home for our handicap daughter. Major construction would have had to been done to make it fit her needs long term and not to mention I would be on the second floor and have to come down steep steps to get to her in an emergency. It broke our hearts as well as our kids. They were going to have their woods to play in and plenty of trees to climb but we just couldn't do it. Tears were shed on all our hearts. We told the kids, "Keep praying the Lord has the house He wants us to have, we're just going to have to keep looking."
So, looking became a full time job for me. About this same time the realtor we had been working with just didn't seem to have time to show us houses; around here house were flying off the market within days or sometimes hours of being on the market. We decided to go "outside" our comfort zone and look in surrounding area's. Through my mom and dad the Lord allowed us to find a wonderful realtor to work with, and work she did.
After putting an offer in on a few places and those offers not working out, I finally decided I was done looking. It was to stressful and I was tired of being disappointed. (I was working and not letting the LORD work) I had found another place that I was just sure James Allen would love as well as I did .....BUT, he didn't. UGH!!!! FINE!!! I'm really done this time. ;-) That very same evening after we had a discussion about "what we needed in a home" I went back to the computer one. last. time.
There it was. Just posted. A ranch house with attached garage, detached garage (for James to "play" in), and over 1 acre PLUS a pool!!!! Woohoo!!!!! THIS IS IT!!!!! Only now, how do I bring up the house to James Allen after the "discussion" we had just had. PRAYER!!! Seriously. Price was also a factor and both of us wanted to stay in a certain price point. This house was over it. :-( But it checked all the boxes. I showed it to him and knew he would say no because of the price. He looked at it and said, "Where is it located at?" I showed him the map and he said, "That's great I'd only be 12-15 minutes to work and that would save us $75 month in gas. Plus, that would put us at 30 minutes to Akron Children's for Lydia. Set it up." Happy Dance.........
We got in that week to see it and it was what we needed. Notice, I didn't say what we wanted but what we needed. I would be right across the hall from Lydia; no flying down the steps in an emergency to get to her. The bathroom is on the same floor as her bedroom making bath time much easier. We can wheel her out onto the front porch or back deck so she can be outside with us. It has a pool for her to exercise in. What about the other kids? Well, they loved it as well. We put an offer in and it was accepted.
Now the waiting for everything to finish up so we can close and start a new chapter. Did we get the farm land we dreamed of, no, but that's ok. We are getting the house that we need and that we can make our very own home.
Hopefully you will enjoy reading the blog and watching us transform it to a place we can use for the honor and glory of God.
Stay tuned. Pictures will be coming soon. Welcome to "The Meadows"
