panic attack

Which is exactly what I give myself when I see my blog so overdated, my laundry piled up high, my house in shambles, and my to do list getting accepted into the Museum of Useless Objects.  I'm still bitter about Mr. Daylight Savings stealing an hour from my weekend, and I'm trying to figure out when I can rebel and add it back into one of my Saturdays!

We're expecting #5 in August, a boy (yay!), and as my last post states, we are still in Middle Ground.  The tension is mounting as our realtor is showing us house after house after house... I think pretty soon here she's going to be willing to pony up our down payment just to get rid of us.

There's a transformation that we've gone through as we've searched for homes.  First, you compile the Dream List.  You've been pre-approved for a certain price and you go crazy.  You look at houses at the limit, and maybe just a few thousand dollars more, or maybe $25,000 more, because come on.  The economy's in the crapper, right?

Then you start crunching numbers.  Or your husband does.  Then he says, "Honey, do you realize the mortgage payment on this is $XXXX and if we actually paid that every month we would have no food or electricity?  So I adjust the list.  Down a few thousand dollars.  Or more.

Meanwhile, our realtor is taking us out house hunting, and she's very fun, pleasant, and easy going.  She's going to make bank off of us, why shouldn't she?

Awhile later, and for some people it's longer than others (for me, reality took longer to soak in), you realize that your Dream List is evolving into Houses We Like That Are Almost in Our Price Range. (Dream House List is put aside for later)  I drop the prices down a few more thousand.  Or more.

Realtor is showing us homes, pleasant, maybe she seems a little tired?  Or is that frustration? After about two dozen houses, Josh and I realize, we have differing opinions.  Wha?!?  He DOESN'T appreciate the 70's style homes?  When did this happen?  And seriously, he's considering a house that I can't distinguish if the carpet smell truly is from the chemical carpet cleaner or from the past owner's philandering cat?

We are at the point now where we are looking at homes WELL within our price range, and instead of looking at the crown moulding, granite countertops, tray ceilings, and "bonus" rooms, I'm making sure there is more than one bathroom, that there is no odor, and maybe a fenced backyard? 

Now the realtor is emailing us when we ask to see a house, probably wondering, really?  You guys are still here?  A few more houses and I'm sure we'll have her so worn down she will cough up that earnest money for us.

Lastly, we are VERY blessed to be able to be in the position to buy a home at this point in the economy, and we can really afford some nice places in my opinion, so I don't want to sound ungrateful.  This whole process has really been a journey for me, more than I thought it would.  And I think not having a deadline has been tough too, I hate to say it, but I'm one of THOSE. 

Thanks to Baby Luke Skywalker J. (the kids have named the new baby), we now have a deadline.  August 12th or bust.  Until then, I'll try to keep everyone updated, so keep me on your Christmas Card list!

Gypsies

We've moved a couple times over the past year, and as of now we are still in "temporary housing", looking for that ever elusive Dream House.  You know... Several acres of farmland surrounded by woods, a large two story farm house with the wrap around porch and out of this world outdoor kitchen, raised garden beds, and of course the Hilton of chicken coops.  Many bedrooms for our plethora of children and anticipated guests, a huge kitchen with a walk in pantry I can do cartwheels in.... Rooms with wood stoves and

SO after a few months of looking, and living in a house (I am extremely grateful for) that I feel is lacking a few key items, I'm taking another look at my list of dreams and rethinking things.  Here is my NEW list of must haves for my Dream House:

1.  More than one bathroom.  Right now we have one toilet and six bums.  This isn't working well.  Especially since a couple of us use the lavatory as a place of refuge.  Privacy would be nice too.

2.  A washer and dryer INSIDE.  In our old house we had our washer and dryer in the garage.  Brrr... We moved somewhere this past spring where it was indoors, and I felt like a pioneer who just got electricity.  Not bundling up in parkas and boots to change the laundry?  Inspired.  That lasted a few months, and now I'm back to the garage for washing clothes.  I AM grateful I'm not dipping and whipping my clothes against rocks in a frozen river, but if I ever had to do that, I think I'd be aight.

3.  A pro-heat husband.  Granted this isn't something I can find in my Dream House, but I can always dream that one day Josh will crank up the heat and it'll be a balmy 72 degrees, day or night.  Until then I'll keep heating bricks in the fire and putting them at the foot of my bed. (He DID give me a heating pad for Christmas, so he's thoughful.  I'll keep him.)

4.  Windows.  Yes, I guess if you go by the literal definition of windows, this house DOES have them.  But, when the wind blows outside, are my blinds supposed to sway?  Did you know that Josh and I can carry on a normal conversation with each other, with our voices at a normal volume....when I'm sitting on the couch in the house and he's in the front yard?!?  True. Story.  Come over, you can try it for yourself.  The kids and I joke our windows are from Little House on the Prairie era.  The funny thing is, it's probably no joke at all.

So there's my list.  Short.  Sweet.  I don't think it's too extravagant.  So as we continue to house hunt, these are the all important things I'm keeping in mind.  And you know, the chicken coop, too.