30

That is just about how many days before we have a permanent residence in Raleigh. The first time Hubby and I looked for a house...I didn't step foot in it until we were married and on our honeymoon. I saw pictures and if I remember correctly, I found it online and he went to see it and next thing I knew he was buying us a house. This was all before kids and after living in apartments, living with crazy roommates and in shoeboxes (long story for another post) and so my requirements were minimal. I didn't know enough about Georgia and was ready to get my suburban swerve on and so we did.


This time around I once again found the house online and because of the market here, didn't waste any time doing a neighborhood drive-by. That proved to meet our basic requirements and so I followed up with our agent to see it ASAP. I poured over the pictures, trying to look for things that were missing and really just trying to get a feel for the house before we went to walk inside. A picture is worth a 1000 words but in real estate I find that a picture leaves out 1000 words. We had learned this lesson in several of the previous homes before this one.

When we finally made it inside and I was able to look around...the home struck me. I could suddenly see myself there and that had never happened with any of the other homes we had seen. We had actually fallen in love with another home but for one thing or another it wasn't meant to be. And when it became obvious that it wasn't, I was let down but not as much as I should have been.

But this home? I was very nervous it would be snatched up because walking through it has given me a sense of belonging. For whatever reason, it is where we are meant to be. And we can't wait!

Anyone want to lend me their interior design skills?

Raleigh or Bust

The movers came last week and spent all day trudging from the house to the truck to load all our belongings. Neither my husband or I have ever dealt with movers and so we had no idea how long it would take. We both figured it would take 3 or 4 hours. We were both wrong. But we were happy to not have to be doing all the moving. Trust me, the packing was enough.

My last view of the home we brought both children to was bittersweet. I tried not to think too much about it as Tim circled around for one last look. I did manage to grab my Blackberry and snap a photo:

Last look

The ride to Raleigh actually went pretty smooth. We had one tiny tantrum and that's because baby Girl was tired. We've figured out the key to road trips is stopping about every 2 hours to let the kids stretch their legs and get some energy out. For this trip we were hoping to make as few stops as possible. Tim loaded up the car with treats and gifts for the kids and that was a lifesaver.

Seeing our rental, it was just as cute as we remember the outside to be and of course I had to herd the family together for a photo to commemorate the occassion:

And while this house is a stopping point as we determine whether Raleigh is a good fit for us and look for a home to buy...it is home. Home because as long as I have my kids and my husband, any place is home.

It's Official, Yo!

So we now have a place that we will be calling home come June and for the next year. Who knew that renting would be as stressful as it was? Not that I was really stressed, it just seemed to take longer than it should have. Apparently the rental market in Raleigh is doing quite well!

We went back and forth between renting and possibly just buying a home. Our realtor was adamantly against us buying anything without having lived in the area for a bit. And I get that, a good realtor should steer you that way. But when we bought our current home, I came not knowing what I was in for. I moved from a place we called the shoebox to a 3 bedroom home 25 minutes south of the Atlanta airport. I didn't step foot in our new home until after we were married and spent the night before we took off for Maui. And the only thing I had issue with? The bright green wall that made the living room seem tiny. Oh and the 90's wallpaper. But I knew that first night it was home and I wasn't worried.

But in just a few weeks (1 month and 2 weeks to be exact) we will be calling a new place home. I am most excited about the fact that there will be an actual bonus room...where I can stash all the kids toys and shut the door. No longer will I have to walk into a living room that looks like an aisle at Toys R Us. Seems silly that something as simple as a bonus room has me excited...but there you have it.

And without further ado...this is where we will be calling home for the next 365: