Grenada or Bust!

So this is it. The post you've all been waiting for... it's epic. As in looooooooonnnnnnngggg...

Um, actually, who am I kidding!? No one actually reads this ole' thing anyway. Here's to memories...

After years of research, months of preparation (including this), and weeks of packing...

...Adi and I set off on our Grenadian adventure on September 26th!

That day was a little cray-cray to begin with, but add a looming 4,000-mile trip, and it was insanity.

It started pretty early with my photo shoot at 8am in the morning, but it was soooo worth it when I saw Mar's handiwork. I'm pretty dang pleased with the outcome if I don't say so myself.  #vainmuch?

After photos, we ran some errands and did a little more packing before lunch. We hit up the Creamery on 9th for one last kids' cheeseburger meal with some of my favorite people (#ilovebyu) and I dropped Adi off with Chuy so I could go to the temple with Heidi. 

After getting home from the temple it was "go time." Here we gooooooo!

We had a late start, but after getting our three large Uhaul boxes, one large suitcase, two carry-ons, two backpacks, and the pillow in the car, we were late in the game, so we scurried North and met up with Adam, Erin, Tyler, and the kids in Lehi for a quick goodbye. 

I miss this sister. 

And Adi misses these cousins of hers. 

After our rendezvous at Wal-Greens, we headed up to Brad and Jennifer's for dinner. It was really nice to have our families get together, including grandpa!, and I really love my in-laws cooking, so that was fabulous too.  

Then, it was airport time. 

We all piled in two cars and headed for the big send off. (Let's be honest, it wasn't really for me, but rather, for a small human with long golden hair... 

On the way to the airport, it started raining and I was really worried about the boxes, but with a little prayer everything turned out okay. #stressedmuch 

That's when things became surreal. We were traveling, internationally, first class. 

First class. 

We pulled up to the Delta curb-side pickup and started getting checked in. 

Box #1, 70 lbs exactly. SCORE! 

Box #2, 70 lbs exactly. SCORE!

Box #3 and Bag #4 74 lbs... ouch! 

But with a little maneuvering, we had 4, 70-kb items, plus one car seat. Now that's what I call packing efficiency. 

We got our tickets, sent our bags on their ways, and said goodbye. 

"Caps, caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" (: 

Goodbye was hard for Adi and her grandparents who have become some of her best friends and it was hard for both of us saying goodbye to Grandpa, but in such a digital age, I felt like it was "I'll talk to you tomorrow" in a way. (Although that whole "talk to you tomorrow" thing has been hard with opposite schedules and the like.) 

Adi and I cried up the escalators and then put on our game faces. We made it through security without any snafus and headed to the gate. I was relieved when they said I could plane-side check my carryon which made life a heck of a lot easier. 

When it came time to board, a guy on our flight said, "hey are you McKenzie?", it was Bing, one of the St. George's students, who had been in the states for medical reasons; it was great to have a friend on the flight. 

Adi and I were the first on, and let's just say there's a reason you board first with kids. It was hectic to get everything squared away even without the extra carryon. But, with a little time, we got settled in our amazing first-class seats, had chilled water, blankets, and pillows and were ready for our 11:40pm take off. 

When we got in the air, Adi was. a. dream. She slept almost the entire time, and I got about three hours of continuous sleep before tossing and turning a bit. I did snap this though as we approached JFK. 

Seeing the sun rise from the air was incredible; the earth is really round (insert head slap here)! 

When we landed in JFK, we had about a 1/4 mile walk from our one gate to the other. It was during this walk that I realized that the blazer was missing. I resigned myself to the fact that it was gone forever, and was relieved when Bing was willing to watch Adi while I hightailed it back to the plane. 

The flight from JFK to Grenada was also pretty amazing. 

It started out with freshly squeezed orange juice and...

and a private tour of the cockpit.

#notgonnalie I was pretty dang excited too.

A first-class flight that's a red eye is great and all, but a first-class flight with food, now that was awesome. 

I should have taken more pictures of the food, but as you can see below, it was pretty good. Adi had cereal, yogurt, fruit, a bagel, and juice while I had an omelet, fruit, a bagel, and juice. 

(I'm actually ravenous right now, so that does sound rather divine.)

After eating, Adi slept. At one point (or actually, I'll admit 5 times) I got up to go to the bathroom while she was sleeping. I opened the door to find the flight attendant with my hysterical child. 

Soon enough we started our decent and we started to see azure waters and land ho! 

You know what the best thing about flying first class was? Being first off the plane and thus first to feel the warm, sticky climate and as we stepped into view of "Welcome to Grenada!" 

Then first through customs (five minutes), we headed to the baggage claim, where our friend, Bing was helping get our large-and-in-charge boxes off the conveyor. I had been worried about transporting all. of. our. luggage. from the secured area to where I would meet Ryan (and at this point my phone wasn't working and I didn't even have a number to call because I had Ryan's revived-by-apple phone), but a nice gentleman from the airport helped us get all of our bags and boxes onto two carts. 

Then we hit customs. 

I'd heard horror stories about going through customs and getting racked with charges, so I was skeptical. The man working customs wanted to start with the boxes, so we started the rigorous effort of opening them. 

I say rigorous because my parents had helped us double box, tape, and then re-tape with the special packing tape with extra lines in it we had purchased. It took us ten minutes to actually pop one open! I think the customs agent was disappointed with a pillow and clothes (why yes, of course he chose the box with my underwear on top!) and more clothes and random books and stuff.

Then, hoping for more discovery, he wanted to open a second. This time, it was a little easier to hack into a box, but still it took waaaaaayyyyy more effort than a zipper. (Insert: Adi was starting to get a little impatient at this point...) 

In this box there were even more secrets! A box within a box! (Ma'am, we'll need to open that.) 

Cut, cut, rip, pull, cut. 

Hummm... half-used bottles of sunscreen. Liquids. Hum.

At that point he asked if we had any electronics. To which I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket--that had been connected to my large, visible headphones and said, "I have my phone.?"

Closing the box in slight exasperation--there was another box and five more bags to go through, thank you Adi for being a little whiney at this point--he waved us on. 

Waved. Us. On. 

Did he care to ask if I had any other electronics? Or check the carry-on bags? 

Nope!

What a relief! Blessed be traveling with a child! 

The man who helped us collect our luggage helped us return and fifteen steps later we were out of the airport and about five seconds after that I saw Ryan (instant relief) and my physical reaction (no thought, just reflex) was to run and give him a HUGE hug! I couldn't believe it! Eight weeks apart and we were finally together as a little family again!

It was great to see him and finally be 'home'. 

We paid the man who helped us--Bing had told us it was about $2 a bag, and I'm not sure if that was $2 USD or $2 ECD, but either way, I gave him all the ones I had in my wallet--which at that point was $14 USD. He was so incredibly helpful! 

Ryan took me to the car where our new friend, Lori, was waiting--it was so thoughtful and helpful for her to pick us up--it was a tight squeeze, and when putting Adi in I realized I'd forgotten her carseat, so I ran back into the airport--oh wait, something you wouldn't have been able to do in the states--and grabbed it from the conveyor. 

The crazy, Grenadian thing, is that we didn't even use it because there. was. no. room. 

We barely all made it in the car!

Once back settled in the car, we were off! 

The first thing we'd noticed when we stepped off the plane, was the August-in-Washington, hot and sticky air. But the best A/C is 2-40, two windows down, 40 mph, so the breeze was wonderful. 

Ryan had previously mentioned that he had been surprised by how underdeveloped St. George's was, so I had tried to manage my expectations effectively. 

You know that movie you've been waiting go see? The one that looks so. dang. good. (Let's say "Vantage Point" with Dennis Quaid circa 2008. I was soooo excited to see it. It was a bust.) Well, most of the time when your hopes are up, you're let disappointed. However, the opposite is true. If,for example, you don't know much about a movie or have low expectations (Let's say "Edge of Tomorrow" with Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise. It was awesome!) you're bound to be pleasantly surprised. 

I had prepared myself for this...

With a little of this...

and this...

And possibly some of this...

And you know what, I was pleasantly surprised. 

Ryan said the roads were really bad, so I assumed dirt roads with humongous potholes. What I actually got was paved roads with medium potholes. 

I had thought--perhaps it will be like Mexico City or Marrakesh, but really much of the island is more developed than that. Now, don't get me wrong, there are shanties. 

Lots of them. 

High on the cliffs and hills, with no electricity or running water. 

But for many of the people, and all of the expats, there are most of the modern conveniences that Americans are used to having. 

The biggest surprise was the hills.

Lori drove us home, and as we were going up and up and up this driveway that was pretty steep, I wasn't quite sure when we were be there. Come to find out, right as I started to panic a little about possibly rolling, we were there. 

Home! 

We hauled our boxes and bags out of the car and made it into our little apartment. 

Now, you have to know that a few weeks before, someone said, "I hear it's pretty bad." 

Come to find out, no one had even seen it. They were basing it on Ryan's comments of "It's okay." Like a huge game of telephone from "It's okay" out of Ryan's mouth to "I hear it's pretty bad" to me in Utah, I had low expectations. 

But honestly it was the most surprising thing about the whole experience! It's a two-bedroom with a bathroom and a small living area. We have mango, soursop, sugar apples, avocados, passion fruit, and cocoanut here in our yard! We have a cleaning lady and a security guard, and an amazing landlady. 

It's perfect. We settled for about 20 minutes until we found our bathing suits and headed to the beach. 

Awwww. the beach. 

Grand Anse. 

We spent the afternoon there at the opening social for the SO organization.

Afterwards, we made it home--together--which was a great way to end a crazy eight weeks of being apart. 

The Definition of Home

Over the past six and a half years of our marriage, Ryan and I have moved nine times. It's a lot if you think about it, but in that nine moves we have learned an important and life-long lesson: "home" is an ever-changing location because home is where we are together. 

We've shed tears over leaving and reminisced through stories about our various homes; our newlywed home in our charming basement apartment, our almost-to-have-been, not-so-charming basement room at my parents', our elegant studio on Capitol Hill (with bunk beds and all), our tiny Wymount apartment where we brought home our little person, our incredible Park Fairfax colonial, our Country Woods Garden-level condo, and our very first home purchase, the townhouse.

The common factor in all of them was us; we were together. While some families build a "stick" house; the house that sticks, where they spend their entire lives, our story will be different. Full of change, full of adventure. 

The next chapter of that adventure is Grenada; we are looking forward to building our home together in a beautiful paradise with new friends, experiences, and cultures. 

Confessions of a Newly Minted SAHM

A friend of mine recently lent me a copy of a book called "Change It Up". It has been incredibly fascinating to me because our little family is in a season of change. New places, new friends, new routines. 

New roles. 

It's enabled me to think openly about the changes that I want to implement in my life, and what better time than the present?

Considering I've been a working mom for the past four and a half years, I've found that there are a few things to which I've become accustomed, for better or worse. So, in this season of change, I wanted to make some goals as a newly minted stay-at-home mom (SAHM). 

1) I want to develop better patience. With myself, with friends around me, and most importantly with my family. Experiences helping take care of Laura's little ones made me realize that life is too short to not treat your family as though they are the VIPs of your life, because guess what... they are, and I want them to know that.

2) I want to be a better listener. As an extrovert, this has not always been the most natural quality for me, but daily I am recognizing the need to simply listen. I want to listen to others and truly help them be heard, especially Ryan and Adi. 

3) I want to cultivate an attitude of gratitude. During the month and a half in which Ryan and I have been away from each other, I have become more and more grateful for a wonderful, loving, patient, and talented husband. I knew he was a keeper to begin with, but being apart offers new perspective. In conversations we've had while we've been apart, Ryan has made observations here and there that remind me of how truly blessed we are as Americans and as members of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). As such we have a great responsibility to the world and I believe it starts with gratitude. 

4) I want to be more optimistic and positive. My best friend, Adriel, and I recently had a conversation in which she corrected me when I compared degrees of child development; to be honest I was a little embarrassed, she was right. She had focused on the positive while I had focused on the negative. She really helped me see that looking at the glass half full changed the attitude and tone. So I want to replace focusing on negatives to a habit of focusing on the positive (for example, when seeing a woman treat another woman rudely on the plane this morning I could say, to myself, "I really love it when people are kind and understanding", instead of saying, "I hate rude people."). Some of the words I would like to use more are words such as love, like, can, will, should, right, good, doable, prefer... I'm sure the list will continue to grow. 

5) I want to institute some kind of routine. I am flexible, spontaneous, and random, and want to continue being so; and I am confident a routine will help balance our med-school life. A routine will also help us see more of each other, build our testimonies, stay healthy, and learn more--I'm actually really looking forward to it.  

6) I want to get up, get ready, get going, and get out every morning. I am a social being and both Adi and I thrive with social interactions. We may have to instigate these interactions, and may have to adapt, but we'll both benefit from jump starting our days with a shower and planned activity. 

7) I want to develop new talents. At any age, learning something new is an adventure, and I'm excited that my new role allows me to do so. I want to learn to swim (better), snorkel, and to surf. I want to get scuba certified. I want to develop my photography abilities and jump start my consulting firm. I want to grow a garden and meal plan. It's never too late for any of these. 

I'm sure these goals will evolve over time and that I will come up with new goals as time moves forward, but I wanted to be ready to embrace change and meet it with a smile. 

So, let's change it up already! 

Barbecue with St. George's Friends

One of the most amazing things about St. George's is the significant other (SO) organization on campus. It really is amazing. They provide a lot of information on housing, schools, travel, and simply what to expect. They even assign you a "Footsteps Buddy" that helps you get things squared away and to make sure you have a friend and ride from the airport. My buddy, Beth, has been so insightful about schools, where to live, Internet and phone information, etc! 

But, the close-knit feeling doesn't end there. In addition to the St. George's SO group, the group of students (and locals) who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints (aka the Mormons), have a small congregation down there that is incredibly tight-knit. So close in fact that we've already become friends with over ten student families who have either been down there previously or who are headed down there for the first time this fall.

Those who have been there on the island for 3rd term this summer have even helped us get our apartment squared away and offered to help with grocery shopping and schools. 

Really, amazing. 

Knowing that, and already being connected to many of them on Facebook, Ryan and I had a great idea... why not host a BBQ for the students who will be there this fall! New students would get to know old students and new students would get to know new students. A really great win-win! (Especially because I'm excited about having a group of friends down there when Adi and I arrive in September.) 

So, last night we hosted a little BBQ with eight different families. It was so much fun. We are already so grateful for these incredible families and their examples and friendships. The next two years will be such a fantastic adventure! 

Grenada or Bust! 

L to R: Anna, Laina, Tim, Me, Ryan, Jason, Lori, Megan, Kylee, Erin, Paul, and Brad

(Plus children... I didn't quite catch all of their names) 

Notre Petite Maison - Finding a House

In late May, Ryan and I decided that St. George's would be where we pursued medical school. And once that decision was made life became a whirlwind.

Whirl. Wind. 

To sell or not to sell? Private school or Public school? Where do we live? When do we fly out? When do we end our jobs? Do we store our stuff? The list went on and on, but we found a way to organize some of our thoughts via a free website called Trello that allows you to keep lists and tag people in comments. It helped us (me?) keep our "To Do" list in order, especially when came time to finding a place to live.

Grenada has various parishes (i.e., provinces) around the island with St. George's being the one in which most students live. After that, each parish is broken into smaller neighborhoods. After hearing about Grenada for over three years, we knew that the most ideal place to live was the Lance Aux Epines (LAE) (French for a solider armed with a lance) neighborhood.

Luckily because of the number of students (6,000+) that come and go from St. George's University (medical program, veterinary program, and MBA program, among others), someone at some point formed Central Lease, a real estate organization and site that focuses specifically on rental properties (from $300 studios to $6,000 six bedrooms). This is great for a variety of reasons, one being a legitimate source for good housing options when you can't afford to spend thousands on a quick trip down to find a place to live.

I first started perusing Central Lease in late May and quickly found a few great places. The only problems were the total signing costs... first, last, deposit... $3,000. Ouch. And a year lease (friends had advised us to avoid this if possible)? No thank you, we'll keep looking. We kept asking questions and kept looking. We knew something would work out.

Fast forward six weeks. After exhausting all  of the 2-bedroom options (through well over 50 emails with a woman named Sonja about seven different units), we started looking at studios and one bedrooms. We figured that because Ryan was flying out a month an a half before Adi and I, that those options would also be good bets.

Finally we found a darling, well-priced ($750) one-bedroom that would work for us! We asked the right questions... only one minor issue... okay, we'll take it!

Wait?

It's gone? How can that be?

Square one.

There was one more 2-bedroom left in LAE, I decided to ask... gone.

But the most amazing thing happened.

Sonja said, that although that one was gone, another one in the building had just opened up, a 2-bedroom. It wasn't on Central Lease yet, but we could send someone to take a look if we were interested.

She named the price: $375.

Did I misread the screen?

$375? 

Too good to be true?

Sure enough, Sonja posted it on Central Lease the next morning. A two-bedroom in LAE for $375. The cheapest 2-bedroom listed. It said "Not Available" so I panicked and called from Google Voice. She was saving it for us if we wanted it. We felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for Sonja's help and to our Heavenly Father for always providing a way.

We don't know for sure if it is too good to be true, but the pictures look decent with a healthy dose of Caribbean flair.

We're very excited and hoping and praying for a good cross breeze because it would be amazing to save $500+ monthly on rent for the entire two years.

We'll make it work. (:

So, without further adieu, here is "Cameron II Economy".

 

Notre petite maison

Dusk.

9:00am church is so nice, but sometimes I feel like I don't leave my house after 12:00pm. That's how I felt today,  and so for some reason tonight I opened the door...

I love spring and summer evenings in Utah, and tonight was the beginning of many wonderful evenings!

Home Ownership Defined

When we got our first power bill after purchasing our town house, I had a bit of sticker shock.

Heck, you would too going from an average of $30 a month to a $139 bill.

I chalked it up to a new house, more square feet, more exposed walls, etc. But, it was unsettling to be sure because we hadn't even run our A/C once during that time.

So, when the next bill came and it totaled $183.26 I about had a heart attack. That was more than double our cumulative utilities for the past two years.

Needless to say, I started to ask questions. A lot of questions.

After hours on the phone with Rocky Mountain trying to convince them that I don't run my A/C at 60 degrees every second of every day (among other ridiculous things--such as potentially having cats living in my ducts like the customer service rep?), Ryan and I performed a breaker test to no avail.

Finally, I asked my dad to come help us figure this thing out.

He went to the breaker and cut the main breaker to our house and our neighbors' A/C stopped short. We looked at each other... and when he flipped it back on, it started whirring.

It turns out the meters were mislabeled five years ago and it's only now that it's being discovered.

I called Rocky Mountain and they said that they would note that it's possible the meters are mislabeled.

Possible? I. don't. think. so. They are. Period.

To top it off they said that I didn't have to be there when they went to check... and then I get a phone call saying that because my doorbell doesn't light up, they need me there. Oh brother.

It turns out that the difference between my current bill and my actual bill is $117.26.

Ladies and gentleman I just saved $1,407.12 a year.

A electricity bill with a high of $66. Yes. Please.

---

Because Ryan and I had to leave work early to take care of that yesterday, we decided to run to Lowe's for a couple quick projects.

Ryan thinks I was a little two excited about the $23 and change that we spent but check these out!

That's right ladies and gentlemen! We have a new, lights-up doorbell and (drum roll please............) a peephole in our front door! I no longer have to be suspicious of when my doorbell rings! 

I may have been a tad too excited for the peephole, but seriously, best $23 ever! 

PS, I love my handy, hot husband with his awesome power tools!

My Girly-girl's Space

Two weekends ago, Ryan and I sent Adi to Seven Peaks with my brother and sister-in-law while we put her room together. We painted and decorated, and were so excited to show her her new surprise... 

When we bought the house... 

After the transformation (including a little reading corner with an Ikea spice rack, hacked, painted and hung as a children's bookshelf (although we will likely take it down and re-hand two instead), thank you to Jillian for the idea! 

We love decorating and are so excited to be able to make our little house a home! 

MIA.

I know. I know. It's almost been three weeks since I last posted. That is honestly unheard of, I blame it partly on my new found obsession with Lie to Me but also on our busy, crazy lives, and well, a funk.

But, I'm back! And updating, so...

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind!

Most important, Ryan and I celebrated four years of marriage! And this year for our try-to-get-a-picture-on-our-anniversary picture we snapped a picture in front of our new home (although you mostly get a lot of us).

(Circling the above picture... ) We also got a few painting projects done including our pistachio-green exercise room and our bright-red kitchen accent wall.

Adi had fun driving her convertible and gave us reason to laugh at her impromptu fountain splashing!

Over memorial day, we visited East Lawn where my mother's parents are buried and the Orem City Cemetery where my cousin Sheri is buried.

Adi had a great cabin weekend and officially wore her pink, power-ranger-esque helmet with Uncle Adam, I got a haircut at the BYU Salon (Gasp! I know, I was a little worried, but she did a great job and get this--one of the barbers has been there since 1965!), Adi had fun in an ottoman at TJ Maxx, we made homemade Buckwheat Blueberry pancakes...

And last, but definitely not least, we visited Grandpa Great one weekend where Adi was spoiled, spoiled, spoiled.

Life is good.

Norte Maison

**From my iPhone on May 23rd. 

Today we celebrate four years of marriage. I really can't believe it.

Ryan has been my rock and my foundation. He is my sweetheart and my best friend. He is an amazing husband and is (even four years later) practically perfect in every way.

In fact, over the past few years I've heard women complain about their husbands falling into some of the negative stereotypes of men and husbands and I feel lucky that never once has Ryan put himself in those categories.

I really don't deserve him.

Ryan is one of the special ones. Smart, funny, good looking, spiritual, liked by almost everyone he meets. Not to mention the fact that over the past two years he has finished almost all his prerequisites, studied for and taken the MCAT, volunteered at the hospital and the Red Cross, planned, started, and managed a new program at the Red Cross, interpreted at the hospital, shadowed doctors, held church callings, started a job... all in addition to being an amazing husband and father.

We have had some incredible anniversaries, but this year, we celebrate another accomplishment and exciting milestone. Our first home.

Notre maison a nous.

As I've thought a lot about the past two weeks in our new home, I have realized some of the reasons we love our home, so in no particular order...

We love our home because it is simply that, ours. For our first Family Home Evening in our new home this week, we talked about how our bodies are temples of the spirit and also that our home should be a temple for the spirit. We also dedicated our home, something I have looked forward to my entire life.

Secondly, we love our backyard, Adi especially. We have BBQ'd a few times already since moving in and even threw a blanket down for an impromptu picnic yesterday! Next idea, borrow a tent to 'camp' for the night.

We also love our kitchen. Despite the fact that we have big renovation plans for it (cabinet color, stainless appliances, granite, travertine...) it is very large and in wonderful condition! And we've even painted an accent wall! (In fact, the seller replaced the microwave before we moved in.) Ryan and I can cook completely different things together in the same kitchen. We have started making gourmet desserts and homemade breads to break it in. Next idea, soufflé!

Oh. My. Goodness. We have a pantry. Not only do we have enough storage for our kitchen things, we actually have enough room for storage!!! We've started increasing the amount in the pantry too and I'm happy to announce that we are on our way to a year's supply of food.

Those may seem silly, but to us they are some of the simple reasons we've come to love our home. (Pictures soon, I promise!)

It's Cold in Hawaii

It's true. We (or I should say I because my colleague had enough insight to bring a jacket) shivered at dinner tonight. 70 degrees at night with the wind is cold. 

On a completely separate and exciting note...

Ryan and I are elated. What a whirlwind of a past four days! Definitely one of those pump-the-air-with-your-fist kind of moments!

One month ago today I started the blog post of all blog posts. 

It was overwhelming and I knew that patience and time would help us know what to do... In fact, I didn't check the real estate website between the 15th and the 22nd. I thought I would take a step back... 

But when I saw the bookmark on my browser and checked on the 22nd, two townhomes in the subdivision we like had come on the market in our price range! (And ironically the other more expensive one had been taken off the market...) 

It definitely took me by surprise, and a quick phone call to Rusty helped us get a better idea. 

Come to find out they had both come on the market that very day! So, Rusty made a few calls and we made it happen at noon on the 24th...

Only problem? We were leaving at 12:05 for Farmington to see the Hunger Games in IMAX. So, we literally flew through the house. Luckily we knew what to expect, so it was pretty easy...

On the drive up to Farmington we talked about whether or not we should make an offer...

And we did! (On Saturday, March 24th.)

Did I mention that I was also leaving for Hawaii on the 25th? 

Well, fast forward through a 7-hour flight and sleepless Hawaii night to Monday morning (Hawaii time) when I learn that there is another offer?! 

You're killing me.

And, to top it off, this is just 15 minutes before I'm presenting at my first academic conference. 

So, we waited to hear back. 

A very loooonnnnnggggg few hours later (and after a successful presentation I might add) they countered $6,000 more! 

So, we discussed (via a 4-hour time zone difference) our options and countered up $2,000...

Please oh please! 

I couldn't concentrate. I checked my e-mail constantly. Minutely. 

And then they countered...

Only $400 less! Ugh. 

So, we thought long and hard--via some technological short comings (dying iPhone batteries, etc.) and countered again coming halfway.

Luckily HGTV had taught us a few things and we hoped desperately that this offer would appease the seller. 

Then we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. 

I waited as I watched my watch (still set at Utah time) tick closer and closer to 'late' hours and then gave up hope of hearing back last night. 

Then woke up at 3:30am--wide awake--and waited and waited. 

Went to the gym at 5:30am and waited some more. 

Helped at my colleague's presentation at 8:30am and waited some more. 

Just as I started giving up hope in the late Hawaiian morning (I texted Rusty mid-morning and asked "Is the fact that we haven't heard back a bad thing?") I got a call from Rusty. 

I rushed out of the very interesting breakout on bipolar disorder (more on that to come) and he said the magic words... "They'll meet you halfway!" 

Cue the pump-the-air-with-a-huge-jump-and-smile-on-your-face-moment! Definitely a moment to remember. And in Hawaii no less. 

So, without further adieu ladies and gentleman... 

Ryan and I are buying a house.

We are so excited, thrilled, ecstatic, and grateful. 

It's a beautiful townhome in a quaint little subdivision and we couldn't be happier. We also can't believe that we've gone from not having thought about it at all to being pre-approved and under contract in exactly one month. Somebody's watching out for us. (:

So, here's to the future, and a May 1st closing. (We won't mention the packing, moving, selling contract, etc. part.) Right now we are perfectly happy and excited that we don't have to worry about being glutton for punishment as we peruse pinterest for decorating ideas. Bring on the paint!

Happy early anniversary to us! Here's to four years, forty more years, and then some. (:

I love you Ryan!

Fabulous News, Frustration, and Prayer

*Warning - extremely long, roller coaster, rant-filled post ahead. 

Remember this? Well, here's the rest of the story... 

---

February 28th 

What a whirlwind of a week! For the past few months Ryan and I have seriously considered moving. We've thought about renting elsewhere, and Ryan's even brought up buying a few times before, but in the end we've always stayed.

Until now!
It's amazing how facebook has changed my life. (And the fact that I live in ward boundaries that are very small.)

A few weeks ago I learned that my friend is moving. I was sad, but they're buying their first home and I am absolutely thrilled for them. Fast forward to last Wednesday when we learned that another couple in our ward is moving our of their 2 bed/1 bath condo and they're looking for renters. Well, it turns out they own their condo...

And snap, something happened! My risk-averse self thought... could we buy?!? Maybe?

I talked to Ryan about it quickly and he agreed. So, that night I chatted with Bailee about the ins and outs of buying... who knew if it was even a possibility. We felt confident, so we talked to my dad who referred us to one of his business partners. We had an idea of where we wanted to buy, so we asked to pull some comparables and sure enough, definitely worth looking into. So then it was time to talk to another one of my dad's "Peeps" about lending. Friday night we filled out the application... 

And yesterday we found out we're pre-approved to buy a house! 

In less than week we went from just renting to seriously thinking about where/which house we want to buy. 

Ryan was in the room and listening to the conversation happening with the lender on speaker phone yesterday, and when we heard the words we couldn't help but have huge grins on our faces, throw our hands up in the air, and high five. (And there may have been a smooch or two...) And I will say that we've only had moments like these a few times in our lives (getting engaged, getting married, internship offers, graduate school acceptances, and job offers to name a few). They're such neat memories! 

Needless to say, we are so excited.  

---

February 29th 

I had another one of those pump-the-air-with-a-huge-smile-on-your-face-experiences today! Not only are we approved, we found out today that we're approved for even more than we had expected--not that we are looking to spend that much, but it makes me so grateful for our decision to go to graduate school and for me to have such a wonderful job at this point in our lives. 

Pre-approval letter in hand, check! 

Soooo excited. 

---

March 3rd

Today our realtor, Rusty, took us house hunting. We looked at 11 homes, and really learned a lot about the process. It's actually quite complex how price per square foot, location, age, etc of the property all factor in. We saw a few homes that we really like. It is such a surreal feeling because... we're making an offer!! I'll get the official documentation tonight and as of Monday, we'll have submitted it. Oh my goodness... 

The downside? Ladies and gentlemen, we officially have our hopes up. My dad kept encouraging us to remember that you make money when you buy, not when you sell and to not get emotionally invested, but it. is. beautiful. We know that you don't usually get the first house you make an offer on... but, it's a first... And we can dream, right? 

---

March 4th

Real life is complex and we love it and hate it simultaneously.

I couldn't sleep last night, I really really want this house. In fact, after talking about it together last night, we called my dad and asked him for advice. He was reluctant--imagine that! A parent, reluctant to give advice when his child was asking! (: In the end he told us not to loose it for a thousand bucks, so we increased our offer.

Man oh man do we love this house. Tons of space, 9-ft ceilings, and a lot of potential... The tricky thing is it's a short sale, that's only been on the market for two months, in a buyer's market, that has 3 previous offers. I wish I were telepathic--it would really help right now. The bank now has four choices--choose us, choose us! We have NO idea if our offer was low or high, but we're hopeful and prayerful because we know that whatever happens, Heavenly Father is interested in our futures.

But, the game of it all is so tricky. I remember a friend in our first married ward who was purchasing a short sale in the ward boundaries--it took months and months. And a lot of headache.

The good thing here is that we at least  know the bank wants to move quickly on it. The bad thing? We know that the bank is owed over 150% of the asking price. Ouch. 

Patience. We're working on our patience.

But we sooo love this house.

Signing our first home offer tomorrow. Wish us luck.

---

March 5th


Signed, Sealed, and Delivered. Now comes the waiting. 

I am officially a nervous wreck. This is what it must feel like to have high anxiety al the time. How awful. I'm pretty sure my pulse and blood pressure (which are fairly normal most of the time) are about ready to burst. 

Less than two weeks in, I have officially identified one of my weaknesses: patience. Must. learn. patience.

---

March 6th - Morning

I could sleep last night, but just barley because my dad made me even more excited about the house. This may be nuts, but I have this uncanny ability to walk into a space and see its potential. So... living in rentals has always been hard because I want so badly to change things for the better. Hence painting walls. :)

I know this is glutton for punishment... but things that we've talked about doing are... new paint, tile, granite counter tops, can and pendant lights in the kitchen, cabinets in the laundry room, a chandelier in the master bedroom, plantation shutters, garden boxes and more landscaping. Did I mention that it's close to UVU, BYU, I-15, and between two new FrontRunner stations... Oh how I wish were a good artist so that I could produce a good rendering of my thoughts--it's the only area my entire life where I've ever had the ability use my imagination--it just comes... and I long for the opportunity to make those dreams into a reality. 

On a won-der-ful note, we told Ryan's parents today and they're very excited for us too! And, we found out that our brother- and sister-in-law are townhome-looking too and they've made a couple offers on darling places in Farmington! 

On a I'm-trying-to-make-myself-feel-better note, I read yesterday that on shorts sales with multiple offers, the first is usually under price because they weren't aware there was any interest, the second is usually at the price because there is a previous offer, the third is usually above the price because they want it and the fourth know they're a long-shot, so they offer anywhere in between. I guess that's good and bad. Bad thing, we're #4. Good thing, we offered 103% of the asking price. (Darn I wish I'd thrown in another thousand.)


March 6th - Evening


Remember how I warned that this was a long, rant-filled post. Well, it's only 12 hours after I wrote the above comments... After looking through a lot of MLS listings today I realized that although we offered more than the list price, we should have offered more. I didn't know what to do--so when I got to my parents' house, I talked to my dad about it. I didn't want to overwhelm Rusty. Ryan put it best when he said this is the worst possible situation for me. I am a go-getter. If I want something... I usually get it. Not because it's given to me, or because I play dirty, but because I'm assertive, persistant, and work smartly. In other words, "I order the pizza."


Well, I couldn't order the pizza because well, it's the bank.


So, on the encouragement of my dad, I called Rusty. I'd read a few new things about short sales today and came to an understanding that although I've grown up in a house that has been for sale for at least half of my life, I still had a lot to learn. In fact, the learning curve is steep. 


But, after a little intuitive research today and a quick chat with Rusty, I feel good. If the bank doesn't accept offer #1... please, oh please, oh please, oh please... then we have an opportunity to give our best offer. And believe me, we'll definitely pull out all the stops. I'm hopeful, but know that I should expect the worst. So, we'll keep looking. There will be more short sales here in the next few months I'm sure... we'll just have to wait and see. (:

---

March 7th

My sister-in-law's facebook status said it all this morning, "Is it bad I am planning renovations on a house I don't even have yet??" Like I said, glutton for punishment. Oh well. 

I've felt a lot less anxious today because I realize it was always out of my control. 

So, I'm thinking because I'm glutton for punishment and all, I might as well mention (because who knows when this post will actually be published) what our (my) la la land would be like in the next few months... 

First, it would be fabulous if Ryan got the job he's applying for. He really wants it, would be good at it, and it would be extra income. 

Secondly, with that job, we would be able to save more money and offer a 5% down payment instead of a 3.5% down payment and go with a conventional loan instead of an FHA. Reasoning? I want to pay off that 20% ASAP to get rid of the PMI, and with an FHA you pay for at least five years regardless. (or at least that is my understanding two weeks into this process). 

Thirdly, we get this house and put a little time and money into it's already fabulous-ness. 

Fourthly (is that even a word), we start paying off my graduate debt a-ggress-ive-ly. (It would be fabulous to go med school without me having any graduate debt and being able to avoid the PMI in the mortgage.)

Fifthly, we move forward with other education and family goals... 

Wow. I'll let you know how all that goes. Hey, who knows I did accidentally overpay on my fast offerings this past week... maybe I'm supposed to be seeking additional blessings?

---

March 8th

As I fret about this b-e-a-utiful house (which by the way, we're going to see again on Saturday with Ryan's mom--pictures to come), I have spent far too much time on pinterest looking at decorating ideas. Let's just say painting the kitchen cabinets and re-doing the powder room would be two of my first priorities (it's amazing what a little paint, moulding, and fresh light fixtures will do). This makes me so dang excited yet terrified at the same time. Our budget isn't big, so finding the perfect house right off the bat, in our price range was too good to be true... but we are hopeful that we have a glimmer of hope. 

But... I'm pretty sure God has a sense of humor because as I opened my "LDS.org - Inspiration Messages" this morning, there were two scripture references: 2 Nephi 4:35 "I know that god will give liberally to him that asketh." (Believe me, we're askin'.) and then the caveat, a quote, "Answers will come in the Lord's own way and in His time." I know. I really do know, but dreaming, planning, controlling... It's what I do.

---

March 9th

Today I left work about 30 minutes after I got there--ew, sick day. I felt on and off all day, but we did manage to grab a couple birthday gifts and take Adi to feed the ducks. 

I didn't really think about the house all that much really, but naturally during some down time I checked the MLS listings and our second choice home's remarks have changed! It had said "Four offers, no more showings at this time." Those words are gone! It's still a short sale, but I figure it's worth a shot. We haven't been through it, but it's in the same neighborhood as our dream home and it's an end unit so it would have addition light. I'm hoping we can swing by tomorrow and see both of them--pictures to come. 

Also, I saw this today...

Add a little prayer and let's make this happen. (:

ferings this past week... maybe I'm supposed to be seeking additional blessings?

---

March 15th... Part 1 (March 10th) 

Here's the funny thing about prayer and Heavenly Father... sometimes it just doesn't turn out how you imagine. 

It's been a few days. My anxiety is gone. I am oh so grateful. I was about to BURST! 

So, as of the 9th... a lot has changed. Our realtor inquired about the other property and though the remarks had changed, they still weren't showing it, it was still a short sale, and we were still at square one. 

So, we had my mother-in-law come with us on Saturday to take a look. Again. We love it. I even snapped some pictures... 

The exterior. Love at first sight.

The great room that you walk into and the kitchen at the back of the house with a separate pantry!

The small backyard off the kitchen... 

The master bedroom... 

Master bathroom and walk-in closet... 

Second bedroom, bath, and third bedroom...  

I know you can't envision what it's like, but it is beautiful and there is so. much . potential

March 15th... Part 2 (March 11th) 

So, after seeing the house again on Saturday night, Ryan and I decided that we would attend the ward where the house is located. We left our Sunday school a little early to head to their Sacrament Meeting... I guess when you've experienced one thing for so long, you become accustomed. I'm pretty sure I'd forgotten the normal demographics of wards... old people, middle-aged people, youth, elementary-aged children. 

I will admit it was a little bit of a shock, although I can. not. place. my finger as to why. The ward was nice. It was neat to have Priests bless the Sacrament and Deacons bless the Sacrament, and we stayed just long enough to get a feel for it then ran back for Priesthood/Relief Society. 

It was an interesting experience however because although we want our first house primarily as our first home, we recognize that we would likely have to rent it out for Medical School--the difference between our young, transient ward and this old-er, established ward made us realize that although we were emotionally invested we needed to think clearly as we made this important and very expensive life/business decision. 

So... although we love the house, we aren't as in love with it as we were. Taking emotion out of it... check. 

March 15th... Part 3 (March 12th)

Remember the reason that sparked this whole idea? Our friends were moving... we could buy a house, and likely rent it. Well, after realizing that the ward might not be as renter-friendly, we decided to take another look at our neighborhood. 

Monday I inquired about three properties... all beautiful, great, and perfect for our needs. However, one by one, and very quickly (within 24 hours) I found out that one had sold and the other two had been taken off the "market". 

It was soooooooooooo frustrating. In fact, after falling in love with the previous house that was unattainable, I feel even harder for the idea of something in our neighborhood. I'm sure I'm giving Rusty whiplash. And I feel bad about it. He said not to worry because many people are upside down on their properties, and things will all workout. 

Then Ryan didn't get an interview for a job he was bound to get, because of his limited 18-month timeframe before medical school. At that point we started to question should we even buy a house? What are our motives? Is this right? Where does the Lord want us in the next year and a half? Should we have baby? Should we just rent? Should we try to get into medical school for this fall? January? Next Fall? The list could go on and on and my frustration and disappointment began to rise... truth be told, Ryan and I have never had to seek and ask for direction because we've always just known. The spirit has always confirmed or warned (even when we were engaged) about possible choices, decisions, paths, etc. 

However, we didn't really feel anything. Hope, desperation, frustration, nothing that would give us that confirmation or warning. So... we figured that houses come and go, but at least we were able to go through the learning curve of getting emotionally invested, being disappointed, and then being able to learn to take the emotion out of it.  

March 15th... Part 4 (March 13th-14th) 

That doesn't mean however that I didn't stop looking... In fact, I was likely as obsessed as ever. Rusty helped me get a login and password to a local real estate site and I started looking into various properties. There aren't very many in our tiny price range, but I figure things come and go. 

So, I kept looking. Out of the blue on Tuesday afternoon another house in the neighborhood of the first came on the real market. Not a short sale. I could. not. believe. my. eyes. It was attainable. It could be ours! Only problem... too expensive, but this is the market! You can negotiate. 

I tried getting ahold of Rusty, but he was skiing for the day! I texted Ryan a picture of the website with "!!!!" and he texted back "!!!!!!!!!!" It was meant to be. We sent information to Rusty to set it up, and being my impatient self couldn't wait until we saw it the next day!

I had a presentation to give that night, so I went and definitely had a hop in my step. It could be ours! It would be ours! 

Then it happened. The warning. Out of nowhere. I didn't want to feel it. I wanted to ignore it. But there it was loud and very clear. Uncertainty, doubt, a sure stupor of thought. On Sunday someone in Relief Society mentioned that when their daughter was placing her baby with LDS Family Services she didn't feel like a family was right, but didn't know why. The agency said it doesn't matter if you know why, you just know. Those words came distinctly to mind. But, I still wanted to see it. That wouldn't hurt, right? 

So, last night, although Ryan couldn't come, my dad, brother, and Adi and I went to see the house. It was on the market. People lived there. It was absolutely spotless. And I loved it. 

 

See... same place with upgrades...

And granite... 

And a dog? 

But, the warning was still the underlying feeling.

And, when Ryan and I talked about it later, we want something that's in good condition but that we can improve. The second place has granite and tile... we would want to choose those kinds of things and make it better. (:

Although I want to live the dream of owning that home, it was nice that the learning process taught me that you shouldn't get emotionally invested. I mentioned it to Rusty, he laughed with a "yep, it sucks when you're parents are right" laugh and he agreed. 

So we'll see what happens. We'll watch the market, we'll apply to med school, we'll continue on the path, but who knows where we'll be in a few months. I think we'll know better in the next six weeks, but we know that buying a house is a huge decision and one that we should definitely consider heavily. With prayer.