So we applied for a home loan online - much easier than I thought it would be - either that night or the next, I don't remember. We were pre-qualified in 2 days, and we had set up with a realtor to look at homes that weekend. Our realtor, Connie, had done a voice over testimonial for a commercial Levi made the month before, so that's how we found her :) And we absolutely loved her! She took us on Valentine's day to see 5 houses and then 5 more the next day. We had been looking at one online that we liked and she showed it to us on the first day. We still liked it - I didn't like it quite as much after seeing it in person ;) The others were okay, but I couldn't see myself living in any of them until the 9th house on day 2. We really liked that one! Which then made it difficult because we had two contenders. Gah! However, after looking at the 9th house while driving to the very last one Levi said, "Look, this last one will just blow all the others out of the water ha!" And it totally did!! As soon as we saw it we knew we wanted it! We made an offer right then, and the sellers accepted the next day!
The next part was the super stressful and make-you-wanna-pull-your-hair-out part. Getting paperwork together, reading and signing things, homeowners online class, more paperwork, disclosures and escrow and truth in lending and appraisal and inspection and more paperwork.... We finally - but now looking back, rather quickly - owned our first house! It took just over a month from seeing it for the first time to getting the keys :) Of course, that Monday we got new keys from changing the locks ;)
The Friday after we bought the house - the day before we moved everything in - Levi, his mom and stepdad and I painted part of the house. We actually got everything done in one night that I had hoped to get done - the paint I didn't think I could live happily with for too long. It's just so much easier to paint with nothing in the way, so we painted the family room upstairs, the hallway, the entry way, the master bedroom, and the fireplace downstairs for a pop of color :)
I had taken three days off work the following week and put the upstairs of the house together. The downstairs is a different story and will be for a while. In the meantime, here are the happy parts of the house:
The entry way that was only half-painted before
The yellow really is more muted than it looks in the pictures.
The master bedroom that was tan before. I'm just not a fan and have always wanted a bold bedroom. There is enough natural light in the room that this navy blue really works, I think. And Via ready for bed watching Heffalump in our room. And you don't get to see the rest of the room because it truly is a disaster right now!
The family room that was also tan before. I'm really, really loving the grey on the walls now!
The dirty fireplace :) It's wasn't spectaularly clean when we moved in, and we've used it quite a bit ourselves already. Love me some marshmallows!
Notice the sink is empty because I'm loving my dishwasher!!
I did this the Monday after we moved in... because I can!
Tea station
And I grow things now! My seedlings getting ready to transplant to the raised bed in the backyard (we put that together last weekend :)
Cute kitchen features
Laundry room with lots of potential ;)
3rd bathroom - downstairs - with at least the same amount of potential as the laundry room
Downstairs fireplace, which we oddly haven't used yet
Story behind this baby: The Friday that we were painting I started getting all cute and asthmatic. It got better after we went home to Pocatello, but then started up again as we were moving in; the wonderful cat dander that came with the house and the exercise from moving put me into full on asthma attack by Sunday, and my inhaler was definitely not cuttin' it. We're talking urgent care clinic, albuterol treatment and a shot of prednisone Sunday night. We bought this HEPA filter in hopes of cleaning up the air from the allergens, and it has definitely been worth it! I think I've only had to use my inhaler twice since then - sexy, right? Really, though, I think most of the change came with the blessing on the house that Levi performed. I don't think it hurt that we were trying everything we could, though: cleaning air vents, covering them with cheesecloth, dusting and wiping everything... I'm just glad I can breathe. I like breathing.
And my craft room with boxes yet to be unpacked and gone through
Other changes/updates in the last month: I still have no idea what my future in nursing education holds... I'm just keepin' on at BYUI until I officially don't have a reason to, but I've also applied to EITC and ISU, so we'll see. I did officially decide what to do with my current career... thanks to my wonderful job that allowed me to stick around, I have cut back to 3 days a week working in Pocatello - because I really do love my job that much. I'm excited to keep working for the midwives and to be home with my littles more as well. It's perfect! Levi, on the other hand, loves being home so soon after work and even coming home for lunch often :)
Our 5 year anniversary is this Thursday, and what a great 5 years it has been! Lots of changes, lots of moves, two degrees, two kids, and one house to call our own <3
