We Finally Got Off the Closing Roller Coaster

Here is the latest news about us getting our dream home and land.

Last Friday, Rhyetta and I, went to close on the house. When we got to the title office, we were told that we weren't going to be able to close due to Fannie Mae not getting all of the required paperwork to the title company. We basically said that there was no way we can delay this any longer, because we were being kicked out of our current apartment and had no where to go. A phone call was made and we eventually signed all of the paperwork to close and got the go ahead to move in, eventhough the title company still was waiting for one last document.

We moved out of our apartment Saturday morning. Blessings from the Elders Quorum in helping us load up the truck. It would have taken a tremendous amount of time if we had done it ourselves. Once the truck was loaded, we drove the hour from Platte City to our house in Weatherby, MO. Blessings again from the Elders Quorum in our new ward in helping us unload the truck, that took 2 hours to pack, in aproximately 30-45 mins. WOW.

We love our new home. It is much bigger than any place we have lived in. There's room enough to stick all the kiddos in one room, if needed. There's room enough for dancing in the living room. We are able to actually use our dining table again, not a card table. The garage is big enough for all of our storage, two cars, and then some. Needless to say, we are thrilled to be in a home big enough for our family.

However, homeownership is not all roses. Before we closed on the house we had to get repairs done on broken pipes because the house was not winterized properly. We continue to have a broken pipe here and there which will leave a 4x6 hole in our kitchen ceiling until fixed. For the first two nights, we had no hot water because one of the heating elements in our water heater burned out (and I am glad to be able to take a hot shower now!).

Aside from this, Rhyetta and the kiddos explored portions of our 10 acres yesterday, and they loved it. There are some advantages living in the "boonies", as there are disadvantages. The main disadvantage we are facing is internet access. We have no DSL or Cable access. We may have to resort to dial-up. We may have to not have internet at home. Satellite internet is too expensive. So, for now we only have internet, email access from my work. Please be patient with us while we figure things out. We are going to be getting a land line, so when that happens we'll let you know.

Also, pictures and video will follow soon. As for now, we are glad to off the home buying roller coaster and settling in our new home.

The New News

Well, here's the new news.

We were hoping-hoping-hoping to close on the house today (Friday) and move tomorrow. The bad news is that didn't happen. We've got to cancel the moving truck and pay for another week in the apartment. The GOOD news is that I heard these words out of the loan officer's mouth, "Let's plan on closing next Thursday."

I've been waiting for those words, those magic words. It's really going to happen! We are buying our dream property! It will be ours!

One more week!

Reassurance

The anxiety of planning for a move in 6 days and yet not really knowing for certain if the move is going to take place or not finally got to me. Our closing on the house should be Friday. We've got the moving van rented for Saturday and people lined up to help. We've got the utilities turned on in our name, we've paid for repairs to the house, we even have the keys. But we don't really know for sure that it's ours. We're still waiting for some very important approvals. We should know soon...but a girl's got to make plans for moving earlier than six days, people!! I've been practical (trying not to get my hopes up). I've been excited (this is our dream property!). I've been organized (pack a few boxes a day and do a big cleaning job each day before we move should keep us on track). I've been prayerful (please, God, be in charge here! Bless us with what is best, really!) But this morning when I realized that we are supposed to move this week and still don't know if it will really happen, I felt stressed. How did you all deal with this when you ever bought a house?! It's tricky business!

This morning as Matt and I drove the kids to Cameron to visit what we hope will be our new ward, I told him, "This not knowing is getting to me. I feel really anxious." He reassured me that we'll know very soon. I thought to myself, just keep on waiting for a little bit longer. This is the hard part before the great blessing springs forth. Just keep on waiting. Just keep on waiting.

Well, we got to the church and let me tell you, this ward is FRIENDLY! Someone in the parking lot noticed us and waved! During our first meeting, I noticed how many children there were. Lots of families and lots of kids. It will be easy to make friends. Hooray! As soon as the meeting was over, a member of the bishopric was shaking hands and getting all the details out of us. He was a big friendly old man with 11 kids, homeschooled. A couple sitting behind us also spoke with us and visited. She asked us if we had a 4-year-old (which of course, we do). She was the Primary teacher for the 4-year-olds and was soon hand-in-hand with Ella walking to their primary class together. Every Primary leader we spoke to was extra-happy and friendly. By the time I sat down in Gospel Doctrine I felt like I was a part of the ward! I was touched to the point of tears because I felt like I already belonged in this ward. Isn't that amazing? I continued to meet ward members and happily shared our hopes regarding the property we want to buy. "Ten acres? Oh, that's perfect!" "With trees? Oh, the kids will love it!" "Where is it located? Oh, that's near me!" It was all so fun. As I looked around the room in Relief Society, I thought to myself, I could be best friends with all of these ladies. When the teacher got up to give the lesson she talked about doing her chores before getting showered and ready for church. I thought, how cool that these are people who do real chores like tending farm animals and such. Two of the mothers (and there were lots of pregnant bellies and babies in arms) nursed during class. I just realized how we are so totally going to fit in and how I have so much to learn from these people and how much I want to be a part of this ward.

I felt like Heavenly Father was telling me to relax. This is where you will be. This is your ward family now. Everything will work out. What a blessing.

Spiritual guidance and real estate news

So much of what I have read today in my personal study has reminded me that we are literally sons and daughters of God. Because we are His spirit children, we have the potential to become like Him. We can become more like Him now, while we're living life on earth. You already knew that, didn't you? But if you believe it and if you think about it, it might change your attitude about life.

I recently read in the scriptures about coming to Heavenly Father as a little child. When I keep that perspective as I pray, it changes the way I pray. I feel so much more trusting and submissive and thankful. I know Heavenly Father will answer my prayers by blessing me with the guidance I'm asking for. I know that by letting Him be in charge (and giving up a little of what I want) He'll give me what I need and what will make me happy. And it seems like Heavenly Father doesn't so much care about blessing us with a comfortable life. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that if you are persecuted and reviled you'll feel joy and be happy! And Elder Uchtdorf's message in this month's Ensign taught us that ease and luxury are not what the Lord has in mind when he offers us blessings.

Mary Ellen Edmunds in a BYU Conference talk quoted an Ensign article by Stephen Robinson who wrote that one of the great and abominable church's characteristics is that it seeks wealth and luxury. I guess I'm thinking about this a lot as Matt and I and the kids anxiously await moving into a new home. God will bless us with what we need. I know that.

Enough contemplation. On to the update on the house...

Matt and I visited the house on a trip to Cameron to sign some homeowner insurance paperwork. We wondered what it was like with snow (we got a lot of it in the last storm!) The drive was so full of snow we didn't feel safe traveling it in our car so we parked on the road and walked up to the house. It is so pretty in the snow! It is just beautiful! Later, we heard that the appraiser had been there and needed some repairs made before she could finish her appraisal. So Matt drove up there again last week and met with our real estate agent and replaced smoke detectors and installed switch plates and GFI switches and concrete steps, etc. A bunch of little things that needed to be done. He installed a new doorknob and lock to the front door and now has the keys to the house! We also turned on the utilities to the house, the water and electricity. Isn't that strange? Matt commented that it really feels like our house with the keys in his pocket and the utilities in our name! We hope, hope, hope everything works out in the next 12 days so that we can officially call it ours!

We plan on visiting the Cameron ward next Sunday so today was probably our last day in the Platte City ward. We said our goodbyes at church today. The kids got sung to in Primary. I returned my nursery manual and keys. We also have reserved the moving truck. It's so strange and exciting!