By the way...

I forgot to update you guys on the house we were looking to bid on, under the subject "2nd Choice". 24 hours before we had to turn in our bid, we found out the foundation is not considered a "permanent" foundation, under the latest government guidelines. Meaning, no loan.

Some mortgage companies will loan on a trailer not on a foundation, but for several different reasons, that didn't seem the best way to go to me. God is so good, because He knows how indecisive I am, and He confirmed through about 3 different people that we should walk away from that deal. Then, and this really IS a God thing, I just felt so strongly all of a sudden that God REALLY does have something great in store for us!

I sound so shocked, right? But that really has concerned me, that I may not like what He has in store for us.

Remember a while back I wrote that I don't believe just because you don't get a certain thing, that necessarily means God has something bigger and better for you? Well, I still think that is true in some cases. Why? Three words: The Apostle Paul.

Paul was beaten, thrown in prison, shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, and basically persecuted for most, if not all, of his Christian life. But he was right where God wanted Him. He was in the will of God for his life. That was his bigger and better!

God's will for my life may not be a grand house, lots of land, or the nicest car on the market. In fact, His plan for me may not even include my version of bigger and better...a cute little house out in the country. Why? I have no idea. I do not know what His exact plan for me is, or why. I just know He has one and I want it. Because I know, no matter where I am, I will be content as long at it's HIS will and HIS plan for me.

So, that said, last week God gave me great peace that whatever lies ahead for us, it will be GOOD. I've worried that we'd end up somewhere I couldn't let my kids play outside, or would be too ashamed to bring friends and family to. But for some reason, God let me know that I can rest assured in that department. He has GOOD plans for me.

I know we like to quote that Scripture, Jeremiah 29:11: I know the plans I have for you. A plan to prosper you, to bless you. Plans to give you a hope and future (I'm paraphrasing!). But Job was in the plan of God when his life was blown to smitherines, just as much as he was when God multiplied Job's blessings later.

God sees past, present, and future, so I have a feeling His focus is not just on how He can bless and make me feel good TODAY, but how today will affect my future, and eventually, my eternity. He is making ALL things work together for my good. Past, present, future. There's a wonderful peace in knowing just how big and awesome He is, and that He rules my world!

Again, I don't know exactly what that all means for me, but I'm excited to find out. One day. For now, I'm excited to be exactly where I am right now, because this, too, is obviously His will for my life....today.

Yes, Virgina, there is a Santa Claus!

And KMart and WalMart have layaway again, which means there will be Christmas this year, kids!



I'm kidding, really, because I cannot NOT buy Christmas presents. I'd fast two meals a day to afford presents, even if I had to shop at the Dollar Store :) That's the "Smith" in me!



But what's up with Lowes and KMart putting up Christmas trees in September!? Like we need that pressure already! I will admit, though, I was in there Sunday, oohing and ahhing over the bea u ti ful blue and silver Christmas tree. Back off, girls...they made that one for me!

Enjoying the last dog days of summer:

Oh, Autumn!

Is is Autumn already?! Where in the world did Summer go? Fall/Autumn (is there a difference?) is my all time favorite season of the four, but seriously, how can it be here already?! I think I'm in denial because I never got that really great tan I wanted this summer. To me, it's not summer until I have a golden burnt look to me. I didn't get that this year, though not for lack of trying. I think I may be permanently stained "Ghost White"....horrors! "No, this isn't my costume, I'm just that white!"


This is my second Fall season living here with Mom & Dad, for those who aren't keeping track of the seconds (anyone?!) like I am. Talk about a punch to the gut. I mean, love being here as much as the next guy (except Josh - he loves it WAY too much), but I would really, really love to be in my own home during my favorite season and favorite two holidays, Thanksgiving & Christmas. I have such awesome decorations for those two holidays and I miss them. I mean, really MISS them!!!!! (notice the italics, bold, and underline to show emphasis!)

I was sitting on the living room this morning and kept seeing movement from the corner of my eye. It took me a minute to realize it was the leaves falling from the trees. They haven't even turned colors properly yet and they're already falling? That means I better get busy with my camera!


Speaking of pictures, here's one for today:

"I" is for insect!

Micah's class is learning the letter "I" this week, which means insects! Ms. Carissa said Micah (aka Mommy) could bring an insect in to class tomorrow for the Insect Net. As we drove home from school today, this huge, ugly catapillar was crawling across the road. Being the good mommy that I am, I jumped out with a baggie and scooped it up for him. The sound of that experience could be heard miles away: "OMG, OMG, OMG!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!"

Then I threw it to Casey, who was with my in the car, with the threat of me wrecking the car on her side if she dropped it or let it escape while I was in the car with it. The threat worked and we made it home safe & sound. But I am not about to take that plastic off the top. Not even for a picture :)

2nd Choice

Guess which house just came back on the market?!

Remember this one?

It's the one that is only $49,500. Doublewide on permanent foundation, one acre, off a busy highway. Four bedrooms, two baths, including one of my favorite bathrooms of all the houses I've seen so far:

Love that tub! I am picturing lots of candles, a stack of books, and mirror removal!

It was under contract already when we decided to bid on it about 3 weeks ago, but low & behold, the contract fell through and they relisted it 3 days ago. Bidding closes tomorrow (Thursday) at midnight, so we have till then to decide what to bid. Some of my favorite features on this one, besides the awesome master bath:

Already has a nice sized deck in back. Also, you can't see it, but just on the other side of the deck is a concrete slab they brought in, probably to get rid of a constant mud puddle every time it rained. We can add steps to the other side of the deck down to the slab and have a really great set up in the back for grilling & entertaining. Cause I'm ALL about the entertaining ;)

Feature #3: Gas Fireplace!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm already planning my Autumn & Christmas decorations on my very own mantle. Jesus, PLEASE!!!!! Let me have a fireplace & awesome mantle!!!

Sorry so dark, but love the dining room with doors out to the deck. Wouldn't French doors look even better? hmmmmm....

One of the best features is right behind those trees - an amazing view of the mountains in the fall & winter months! Hello, swing on the front porch, here I come!

One of the cons: living room carpet needs replaced, holes in the wall need patched. Just an excuse to shop!

Out of all of the kitchen set ups I've seen lately, this one is probably my least favorite:

Seems too cut off from the living room. I don't like the skinny style. But, Chad says it's just easier to clean :)
So, we will be bidding on it within the next 24 hours. Pray I have ears to hear what God says about this one. Let Him make it plain for me...I'm dense sometimes!

The one that got away...

Sorry this took so long but I've been crazy busy. I'm just going to summarize the story for you. I found this house around the first week I seriously started looking but it was already in contract. It was really cute, 3/1, 1400+ square feet, and a very nice fenced in back yard on a quiet side street. French doors leading to a really cute deck, a remodeled kitchen & floors from what I coul see through the window. Best of all, only $70,400! I've been looking for almost 3 months now and I could tell right off the bat, this was an EXCELLENT deal.

I told Chad, if we had to live in town, this is how I'd want to do it.

I called about every two weeks to see if the contract had closed and the answer was always, "Soon!" So, last Monday morning I logged onto foreclosure.com and it was the newest listed home. I called a new agent immediately, recommended to me by my sister Louise, and we met for the first time at this house.

The first walk through was not disappointing - the entire house had been remodeled about 1.5 years ago, and Louise's agent, Cheree, had been the buyer's agent for it last February. She found out the couple divorced and neither could afford the payment, so it was listed $18,000 below it's appraisal - instant equity!

We already had Josh give us an estimate on enclosing the carpet to add on another bedroom, and we put in a bid. The max amount we can afford for a loan is $63,000, so we bid $70,400 and no closing costs, meaning that we could put our $8,000 down and get a loan for right at $62,000. My bank is the one that owns it and would be loaning us the money as well, so my agent recommended they eat their own paperwork costs ;) I liked her immediately!

On a side note, handing over $1,000 as earnest money on buying a home made me feel like such a Big Girl! You'd think birthing 4 kids would have done that, but, no, I still felt like such an adult when we did that :D

Second note: we ended up with a third agent - my sister's agent had to have surgery and a coworker took our case, but I actually REALLY her. After we lost the bid she told me that God has a house for us, we'll keep looking. She had me at "God" :) Plus, she lowered her commission by $40 or $50 because another agent had just lost a bid for her client because she didn't. Loved her even more!

So, anyway, we found out the next day around noon that our bid was not accepted. I should explain that this was a foreclosure on a HUD, so no offers, just bids. No negotiating. The winning bid was $72,000, plus payed closing costs.

But, I had peace when she told me. We did our best, we bid our top dollar, and then we prayed. Mom & Dad, my mother in law, all my friends and family, my Grandma, who - hello - the Holy Ghost lives at her house! We all were praying for God's will. It just so happens His answer was, "Not this house."

I was fine with that. I did have a mini meltdown when Demetra, our new agent, sent me all she had in our county for $80,000 and under, including 2 bedrooms, and only two of them were options. Today I saw both of those and now none of them are options. But, God is in control of this situation and He has a plan. I know it includes a house for my family. One day.

But, here are the pictures. It was plain on the outside, but clean & cute on the inside. Definite potential. And now we know what we are willing to make that monthly payment for:

Check out this green kitchen! It's a little different, but we all loved it:

Love the white trim against the green. They had some really nice extra touches, like the fan in every room was brushed silver, and the crown molding (sp).

So there you have it, guys. We saw, we bid, we lost. But I already got back up on that horse and saw two today, with a couple of FSBOs to look at this week. Keep me in your prayers, please! My agent reminded me today that we have a deadline of Nov. 30th to be eligible for that tax incentive. Like I forgot that somehow LOL.

Cute Conversations

Ben's latest little antic is to ask for something and if you tell him no, he will say (to me), "Daddy wets me! That's "lets", of course :) After our trip to Nashville to spend a couple of days with Mammaw Jody, it was, "Mammaw wets me!" Which, of course, was totally true, regardless of what he asked for!

I was reading my Bible this morning when Ben jumped up on the bed and started playing with the pages. I have tried to teach them to respect the Bible more than any other book in the house: I always talk in my most reverant tone when I say "Bible."
So when he started playing with the pages, I stopped him with, "This is my Holy (whisper) Bible."

"Oh, dat's you Bi-Buw?"

"Yes, this is God's (Gawwwd's) book. This is how I learn about Jesus."

"Oh. He dit mad if I huwt His Bi-Buw?"

"He is sad when we hurt His book."

"Oh. I want one! I want a Bi-Buw. I want TWO Bi-Buw's!"

"Why do you want TWO Bibles?"

And I swear, this kid could act in Hollywood already. He dropped his chin, stuck out his lip and made the saddest, sweetest, cutest little puppy dog face EVER and said,

"He wets me! DeDus wets me have two!"

I died laughing. Now Jesus is spoiling my baby rotten! So, I told him ask "Dedus" for his very own Bible LOL! It went something like this:

"Dear Dod, Pwease div me two BiBuws. Amen!" Sometimes he just says, "The end!" which always cracks me up. I am trying to make sure they don't treat God like a Santa Claus, asking for everything their eyes see. But, good Lord! I'm not sure I've got that one conquered just yet, either!

Funny thing is, I wonder what God thought of that whole scene. Did it make Him smile? He loves us so much more than we are capable of loving even our own children, I think. So I have to believe that whole conversation made Him laugh. And, if I were God (don't faint, Beth!), I would want to grant that tiny but sincere request and send my goofy child a Bible of his own. Wouldn't you? So, I'm curious to see what God does with that one. He may do like I do sometimes and just smile and go on, knowing my child won't really die if they don't get something. Or He may just decide to give him something just because. Just because He loves us. Because He likes to make His children happy too. It's the small things.

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day and try to rest in the fact that He loves you with an unfailing love. It's impossible for Him to not have your best interests at heart!

UGH!!!

Check out the email I got from my realtor, post break-up:


I have given some thought to your situation. Timing, as they say, is everything. I hate for you to miss the $8K tax credit, but that alone is not a good reason to buy a house. I, too, have felt that you haven't found "it." I will keep looking out for you.

Would you feel comfortable to sign a buyer's agreement for me? It just says that when you buy, you will use me as your realtor. I can e-mail it to you for you and Chad to sign, if o.k.

My best to you and your family.



Ugh! She also went on to offer to look at rentals for us (um, NO!) and then sent me a listing for a home in our price range...FINALLY! Seriously, that is the 2nd listing she has sent me in the past month or two. After our first email back meeting, she sent me a few to look at. After that, I would have to email her listings and she'd email me back the info. Until this week, she wasn't looking for me a house at all!

Anyway, I did email her back the following, today:


No, a rental is not really an option, but thank you anyway. As for the buyer agreement, no, we aren't comfortable signing that yet. I do appreciate all of your help. I'm still looking a little, but right now I just feel burnt out. Thank you.



If she's smart and can read between the lines just a tad, she'll back off graciously. Regardless of what my mom says (hi, Mom!), I do not love confrontation. But I don't back away when it becomes necessary, either. Just ask those pesky telemarkers from Citi Group :D Threatened to sue the pants off of them just this past weekend!



Anyway, here's some zen for ya:

Regan/Natalie found a butterfly on the porch - I love her little chubby hands!

The Break Up

"...cause breaking up is hard to do-oo!"

I did it. I broke up with my real estate agent. I emailed her today and just said we were thinking about putting the search on hold for now and thanks for all her help. Which is totally true - we are thinking about stopping for a while. We've talked about it and I know we shouldn't give up, but I'm so uninspired to look right now. I've definitely lost some spark since yesterday. We prolly won't give up, but that statement was totally true when I wrote it. Still is.

Does that constitute a lie? I HATE to be lied to. I know I should man up and tell her she stinks at this, but...she could be my grandma, ya'll!

I found the newest home magazine today at a gas station. Low and behold, there are at least FOUR new listings in our price range. Did my agent email those listings for me to check out? NO! Negatron! So, I know I've made the right decision. She is overwhelmed with her personal life (mom died 13 days ago, selling her house, going through her mom's belongings) so she cannot give us the level of dedication we need.

But I still feel like a dog. Like I just told her she'd be living off ramen noodles for the next 5 years. Come to think of it, that's what WE live off of sometimes LOL.

Anyway, yay for me. Maybe tomorrow I'll feel better about breaking up with my real estate agent. Thanks for all the great advice and encouragement, everyone. I thought this would be a lot more fun and a lot less stressful!

So, I'm off to sell what stuff I could get Chad to drag out of our packed storage in a yard sale tomorrow - wish me luck!

Here's my zen for today:
Thanks for going with me that morning, Louise!

New song!

I love the lead singer's voice of NeedtoBreathe. They do two of songs on my playlist at the bottom, "Washed by the Water" and "Signature of the Divine". Awesome lyrics, raspy voice. And now they have "Lay it Down." Talk about timely! Listen to the words and then try to do as they suggest and lay it all down at the feet of the Master. God bless!

House Hunting Part Deux

Today was the big day...the day Chad got to see the top three choices for our potential new house, and a couple of new ones.

First off, he did NOT like our real estate agent. Granted, she is older, and cannot drive worth a flip. She is either extremely fast or extremely slow, with periods of off roading, dodging ditches, and she likes to read her housing info as she drives. Plus, she's over 60 years old and it's just not a great experience. Especially if you are the one riding with her, as I was today.

But mainly because, when we noticed some serious foundation issues with one of the houses, she pointed out the window and said, But remember how much you love the yard and neighborhood? Um, yeah....but I won't be sleeping in the yard or cooking at the neighbor's!

And again, at another house, we noticed what seemed to be some heavy smoke damage to the walls and water damage under almost every window, and she said to me, But you DO love this large kitchen and wonderful back yard. Again, I'd like to be able to taste the food, not smoke, and it's all pointless if you fall through a rotted floor!

So, I think she is more worried about her bottom dollar than us being able to actually afford a house that is going to be worth paying for. After our last tour with her, she only emailed me the requested info on the most expensive house we looked at, and as a result, the 2nd choice one was sold by the time I followed up on it myself.

Now, to be fair, her mom died just a week and a half ago. But, I also lost a house that we were seriously looking to bid on because she didn't do what I asked her to do (find out deadline to bid, see if any other offers in yet, and max bid in).

Everyone keeps telling me to ditch her, but I have a hard time breaking up with someone that reminds me of my Grandma! She's just so sweet and she really seems to like me....:) I know, not good criteria for a real estate agent but I'm a sucker for anyone who genuinely likes me LOL.

Anyway, Josh came along to add his opinion and home construction experience to the mix. In fact, Louise ended up tagging along by the 4th house, so we had a caravan of three cars by the end of the day. For some reason, we "Smiths" don't like to do anything alone LOL. All those years of being stuck together like glue in a van for hours and hours at a time, I guess.

So, the first house is one I found just yesterday, and my favorite from today's bunch. 1999 doublewide, 3 bdrm, 2 bath ,with office off master, 1678 square feet, on .83 of an acre, out in country for $73,900. VERY quiet. So peaceful. And less than a mile from Louise! (Not sure if that is a pro or con ;) (Just kidding, Louise! But seriously, CALL FIRST)

Front view - nice front yard

Little stream - not a big issue

View of back yard from the deck - love it!

Nice, big back deck off of the kitchen; notice huge window over the sink, looking out into the back yard :)

It does need a new stove and carpet cleaned or replaced. Just noticed the black microwave above the stone -Score!
Remember the one I loved with the HUGE, open kitchen, in a cul de sac, and power lines in the back yard? This one is the exact same model doublewide, just 5 years older and $7,000 cheaper! Also, it's on .83 an of acre, which is over 3/4 of an acre. In the country, with a tiny, TINY stream at the property line. Not even big enough for me to freak out about my kids playing in. It looks like it dries up in between rains, in fact. The only negative worth mentioning is that it's not on a permanent foundation.

I'm not sure how big of a deal that is now. Before, when we thought we'd be going through a bank for our loan, it was a major factor. No bank (we've been told) will loan on a manufactured home at all if it is not on a permanent foundation. But, apparently a few months ago, banks quit loaning on manufactured homes period, due to the housing market & loan situation. So, either way, to get a double wide, we're going to have to go through a mortgage company, like Vanderbilt Mortgage, who specialize in manufactured home loans. So, maybe the foundation thing isn't such a big deal right now, though it may be by the time we go to resale and upgrade to a better house. Then, it may bite us on the behind. So...something to think about.

You guys have seen the next three houses already:

The first one is the exact same model as the previous one - only difference I can see is the paneling (this one is prettier), white microwave, newer stove, and stone fireplace instead of wood. Must be a little wider, too, as it has about 70 more square feet. Did I mention that already? Hmmm...

$79,900 doublewide on foundation in the cul de sac of the "trailer park", as Mom referred to it. Upon closer inspection today, and along with Josh's invaluable eye, we discovered smoke discoloration to the walls, water damage under most of the windows, and that I liked the neighborhood thing less this time than last. Oh, and some kind of problem with standing water in the back yard.

Favorite feature - the kitchen

Mom's least favorite part - the close neighbors in a "Manufactured Home Community":

Chad actually wasn't a big fan of the cul de sac/trailer park thing, either. We both prefer a more secluded setting. Like the first one ;)

The most move in ready of them all...2005 double wide, 3/2, $79,000:

Remember the cat bedroom? Yep, Ben was in Kitty Heaven and almost choked them to death with his hugs LOL.

Love this kitchen! Track lighting, corner sink, tile backspash...nice, extra touches.

Chad was pleasantly surprised by this one - the first time we drove by, he said NO WAY. Too many neighbors. But I went without him and fell in love. Great back yard, wonderful inside. But the smallest of them all, only 1200 square feet, which he said was a big minus. Hello...four kids!

Now, the biggest shock of them all. This was Beth's top favorite from the beginning, though I'm not sure why. We were going to knock out that wall, add french doors leading to a nice back deck. Welll...major foundation issues. Apparently the house, another double wide, settled, and now the cabinets are all skewed, the closet doors wouldn't hardly close, the ceiling is cracked & gaping in places...not good. So, officially of the list. Thank You, God!

2003 (I think) doublewide on foundation, 3/2 with office, 1600+ square feet, $69,900:



We looked at one more but I barely got any pictures. Louise walked in and walked back out saying, That's a major negatron!

On paper, it had such great potential! 1985 house, 3/2, 1450 square feet, for $73,500. A short sale (they owe more than the value of the home, or trying to avoid foreclosure), on a cul de sac as well:

We pulled up and are thinking, CUTE! I'm not a fan of yellow, it's actually my least favorite color, but this was doable:

Nice, fenced back yard:

Then, I saw the kichen:

That was the last picture I took. This was par for the course with this house. They had added on a couple of different rooms, and I use the word "room" lightly. They should have completely remodeled the house instead of adding on here & there, and definitely should have paid someone else to do the work!
So, this was a big, fat NEGATRON.

What did we learn today? Always inspect the inside more than once. I have seen the outsides of each of these at least 2-3 times by now, but this was my 2nd time seeing the insides, and I was underwhelmed almost every time. Except the cat house. Still love it.

Second, take an expert. Josh knew his stuff today and on two houses at least, he helped find major issues. They may or may not be deal breakers, but they will definitely affect what we are willing to pay.

Third, it's time to break up with Carolyn :( I feel like I'm about to kick my own Grandma in the stomach and run...not cool!

So, the house hunt continues. God will slam shut the wrong doors, and continue pointing me toward the right one. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Right?

Wednesday

Today is Micah & Ben's first dentist appointment - yay! Seriousy, I cancelled once because, really, do 3 and 4 year olds NEED a dental cleaning yet? But they insisted YES, they do (of course), so we are going.

I heart this dentist office mucho gusto for several reasons:

One, they have an awesome waiting room. The walls are painted with an intricate African safari mural, with a couple of large tvs with movies always playing, even in back. Meaning, while the dentist is drilling a hole through your jaw, you get to watch Madagascar 2 :) (Did I mention I actually hate going to the dentist?!?) Plus, four gaming consoles set up in the waiting room for the video game addicted, such as Ethan.

Second, they have really cool magazines for parents in the waiting room. Unlike the pediatric doctor's waiting room. Ugh. Insurance magazines, health magazines...I want to escape reality while I am waiting to pay you $500 to see if my son has a huge ball of wax in his ear, not get slapped in the face with the reality of my moneyless, unhealthy lifestyle. So, thanks a lot, dentist office, for providing me with mindless crap to read! It's almost enough to make me forget the $300 I'm paying you to brush my 3 year old's teeth :)

On a sadder note (does it get worse than $300 on teeth that will fall out in the next 5 years???), my real estate agent's mom died Sunday, so we had to cancel our visits to the 3 houses we like the most. Also, on an even sadder note...my dream home has been sold and is currently being inhabited as I type.

Chad warned me this weekend that he saw someone mowing the grass. I insisted they were just getting it cleaned up & ready for us. He reminded me that there was also one of those storage pods in the front yard. It was a little much to think maybe they had moved all of our furniture from storage to a pod and then moved it to our house before we had actually bid on it, so I caved to reality and accepted it was probably over.

However, my little mini me, Katie, was not buying it. Honestly, I didn't have the heart to tell her it was sold, so I did the next best thing and drove her by it yesterday after chorus. I have to give her credit...she catches on quick. The car in the driveway, pod next to it, and already a new shed in the back yard gave it all away and she realized immediately that "those mean people that stole our house" were there to stay.

She turned her face to the window and silently bawled her eyes out. So did I. We held hands as I drove away and cried together over the loss of the house that was just so perfect for us. A few minutes later, after we were cried out, Katie croaked, "Well, I hope those people at least needed it more than we did, cause I have to say, this is HEARTBREAKING!" Then, she added vehemently, "And they better have a dog, too!"

I have a feeling that, just as I had already mentally decorated the inside of the house I'd never even toured yet, hosted my first birthday party/BBQ, and played football with Chad in the front yard, Katie had been planning her upcoming adventures with Bandit. Probably dreaming of the roaming they would do on our 2.4 acres, chasing cows, howling at the moon, and doing God knows what else together.

So yesterday we both heard the sound of pipe dreams bursting. I said I'd accept whatever God's answer was, even if it was a big, fat NO, and I do. Katie asked me last night, does this mean that wasn't our house? And I had to say, even though I don't like it or understand why, that's exactly what that means. God has something else for us. I won't even lie and say I think the something else is better. It's just something else. Hopefully better. But when you pray for God's will, you better be ready to accept it.

Anyway, I'm off to the dentist, thanking God it's not my appointment. My kids have no idea how much I hate going to the dentist. I just act like they are SO lucky to be going, while inside I am ecstatic it's not me :)

Happy Middle of the Week Day!