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It's been awhile since I did a rambly personal post...so let's catch up, shall we? How are you guys??? Me, I'm a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, I've been enjoying the beautiful spring weather here. We hung a hammock in my parent's backyard, got photos taken in a blossoming cherry orchard, did a big road race here in Spokane, and have spent lots of time outdoors. On the other hand, it's been hard to relax and enjoy ourselves, because we started house hunting at the beginning of this month. And since then, our thoughts and conversations have been anxiously consumed with HOUSES! It's kind of fun, but also sooo nerve-wracking. The market here is getting hotter, and the good houses are selling quickly (and often for over asking price). Ben and I are both fairly cautious people, and we like to take our time carefully considering and comparing all our options. But it feels like we're gonna have to be ready to pull the trigger quickly when the right house comes along, which is scary.
The farmhouse above is the one we've come the closest to making an offer on. So many things about it were exactly what we want: a charming 4 bedroom house with lots of natural light, some land (2 acres!) and a central location (only 20 minutes to Ben's work). We debated whether we'd regret letting such a dream property go. But in the end, we decided that the house needed too much work for us to take on, especially since the price was already at the very top end of what we could spend. So we're back to looking, and trying to rein in our expectations. What we probably "should" do is just get a cheaper, normal house with a normal yard (no acreage). But both of us keep holding out in the hopes that something special will pop up. I mean, who doesn't want a house that's special and unique??
I'm a little worried that it's not going to work out the way we hope, though. Every time I get online to look at houses, I start out super optimistic that THIS is going to be the day I find "the one", then I end up irritable, disappointed and defeated when everything in our price range is just...not what we want. I know it's only been a couple weeks, but I feel like I'm starting to get deja vu of how we felt in Seattle. Everyone keeps talking about how the market in Spokane is heating up after years of being stagnant, and I'm like, "did we move here too late? did we miss all the good deals yet AGAIN?" Sighhhh.
On a happier note, a few months ago I mentioned that we were trying to figure out a birthday trip for Ben's 30th. Well, we decided! We are taking an Alaska cruise with Princess in less than a month, and I can't wait. We sprang for a balcony room, and I'm hopeful that we'll see whales and other wildlife along the way...plus glaciers and stunning scenery. Anyone done an Alaska cruise before? I'd love to hear your suggestions for excursions that are worth it, as well as general tips, etc. It's the first time either of us has ever done a cruise and I'm curious whether we'll enjoy the experience or miss the freedom of being on our own. We are currently nervously waiting for Ian's passport to arrive. There was a (super annoying) snafu where the passport office misread his name as JAN, so it's taking longer than it should have. Kinda stressful since he needs a passport for the cruise (because of one Canadian port).
Speaking of Ian...he's ten months now and fulllll of energy, curiosity, and determination. He's always on the move, and I can't leave him out of sight for even a minute...which means the only time I have for blogging, reading, watching shows, doing laundry, cooking, and getting anything done is while he's napping. Thank goodness for video baby monitors. Motorola sent us their new MBP 855 Connect, and I've been loving it. It has great range, two way communication, remote pan, tilt, and zoom, night vision, and Wifi capability. In other words, it's the BMW of baby monitors. :)
Ian's newest skills are clapping, shaking his head, high fiving, and pulling up on furniture. He has four teeth now, and is growing slowly but surely (still only in the 5th percentile for weight, but hey--he's on the chart!). I cannot believe how fast this year has gone. He'll be one in less than two months, which is just craaaazy. I know I should start planning a birthday party, but I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that my BABY is nearly ONE. Honestly, I'll probably throw together a small, simple party this time, especially if we are still living with my parents by Ian's birthday. It's not like he'll remember it anyways, so I'll save us the expense (and the stress) of trying to create a Pinterest-perfect party.
And speaking of birthdays...it's my 28th tomorrow! I always feel lucky when my birthday lands on a weekend, so I get to spend the whoooole day with Ben. And it's my first real Mother's Day on Sunday sooo pretty much it's all about me this weekend. :) Haha.
Hope you all have a lovely weekend and a great Mother's Day, as well! xoxo
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Happy Mother's Day and happy birthday!! I hope you have an AMAZING weekend! And girl, I feel you about it being scary having to pull the trigger so quickly on buying a house. I mean, it's only the biggest purchase you'll ever make, yet if you don't decide ASAP, it goes to someone else! My husband and I were in the same boat in the Seattle area last May. We had been house shopping for 2 months. We must have looked at over 50 houses - every weekend was dedicated to open houses and meeting with our agent. I literally comparison shop everything so the thought of having to plunk down so much money on something we saw once (maybe twice if we were lucky) was insane! But in the end it worked out for us and I'm sure it'll work out for you! The right home will come along and once you walk into the front door, you'll feel it and just know :)
Yeah, exactly--it's so nerve-wracking! And you reminded me...that's FOR SURE another thing that is not-so-fun about house hunting: dedicating our evenings and weekends to looking at houses. My preference would have been to make a big list of all the houses we like, then spend ONE weekend looking at them all, then buy our favorite at the end. I think house hunting TV shows made me think that's how it would go. Wrong!!! :) If we waited until the weekend, half of the houses on our list might be gone by then. And the rest, we probably wouldn't like very much after all (pictures can be deceiving). It's getting a bit discouraging, but we haven't looked at anywhere near 50 houses. So I'm hopeful that if it worked out for you guys, it'll work out for us too! I still believe that the right house (at the right price) will come up.
Happy Birthday and Mother's Day!
Thank you Morgan!!!!
Oh my gosh! I found your blog via country living. They featured your tutorial on the splattered popsicle stick runner. I clicked on your website and thought 'at home in love' what a cute name! and then your whole blog is just adorable. So I had to click on your homepage to see more. Then I see 'Spokane' and I'm like wait.. I live here too! How cool. My boyfriend and I bought our first house last fall here in the valley so I know firsthand how crazy the market is right now. Fingers crossed for you guys! I definitely have to read through and stalk your blog a little bit, not in a creepy way. My blog has a long way to go, I'm still learning the hang of things.
Hi Devon! Aww thank you so much. I'm so happy to "meet" another Spokane blogger. :)
P.S. I love the name of your blog too! xoxo
Happy birthday and Mother's Day! I know exactly how you feel house hunting--towards the end I was like--just pick out a house, ANY HOUSE and let's buy it. I agree with Robyn, who said the right home will come along and when you walk in the front door you'll know....that is exactly what happened to us!
JAN is getting so big and his eyes are so beautiful!!
Have fun in Alaska! I can't wait to hear how you enjoyed it...we have been thinking about that type of vacation for a while but have never committed.
Thank you Caslyn! Hope you had a lovely Mother's Day too. :)
Also, I sincerely hope you're right and we'll just know it's "our" house when we meet it. We looked at another house on Friday that checked most of our boxes technically, but I felt no emotional connection to it. Ben is way more practical than me and was ready to go for it, but I wanted to wait for a house we felt EXCITED about. And while I was debating, someone else swooped in and the house is pending now. :/
I'll be sure to report back on Alaska and let you know how it goes! I'm really looking forward to it.