Under Contract!

8 days on the market. 3 showings. 1 offer (from 2nd showing). 1 counteroffer. As of Saturday evening, we are...

UNDER CONTRACT!

What a whirlwind. And much quicker than I anticipated. The initial offer was pretty strong. We countered back to our original asking price (because we are paying closing costs) and they accepted. We also tightened up the time frames so that we can be sure this deal will go through and not lose too much time on the market should it not. If all goes well, the buyer will complete all due diligence by March 4th. This includes inspection, which is a bit of an unknown. Hopefully we will not have to re-negotiate after that, because we are only liable for $500 of repairs. If the inspection shows much more than that, the buyer can either walk away from the deal or we can re-negotiate the contract. If all goes smoothly there, the next big date will be Appraisal and Financing to be complete by March 31st. A hitch there might be appraisal, but we have some pretty good comparables in the area so I think it will appraise...but you never know, appraisers are a funny bunch :) The last big date will be closing, on April 15th. That will give us good peace of mind, knowing that the sale is final. The buyers have agreed to let us rent back until the end of May. So we got it all like we hoped for with a reasonable buyer...our asking price & the moving date.

We are taking it step by step though, and I would say cautiously optimistic. Next step is to wait to see the inspection results. We should know something on that later this week or next, considering they have to meet the deadline of March 4th.

In other news, the bathroom renovation is progressing nicely. I think James sees a light at the end of the tunnel. Plus, now that we have a buyer we do not have to worry about doing anything to the shower (with ugly gold trim). The vanity, mirror and light fixture are all complete. The toilet area is done. It's nice to have our bathroom functional again. The tub is in the garage ready to be installed and then the surround and tub deck need to be tiled. Most of the money has been spent, and the work left is minimal compared to what has already been accomplished. I say this as the observer, not the contractor. James is tired of it, but he is trying to get done by March 1st. We realized we don't have any 'before' pictures (oops!) but we'll most definitely take some 'after' pictures. Trust me, it's a major improvement. I love the way it's turning out, and it's a shame we will only get to enjoy it for 3 months.

Another One Bites the Dust...

And then there were 4...teeth lost, that is! We had yet another tooth fairy visit last week, after the other top tooth was pulled out. It was seriously on its last thread, literally so crooked in her mouth that I had to take a picture. And then when James got home, he pulled it out with such little effort and pretty much no bleeding so it was definitely ready to make its exit. As I suspected, the gap is huge. She received another $2 from the Tooth Fairy (for symmetry with the first top tooth, of course). She has no more loose teeth so I am sure it will be a little bit before we're pulling out another one.In other news, she went to the dentist to get her cavity filled yesterday afternoon. She chose to do it with no anesthetic. It was only one small cavity, and she hates the way her mouth and tongue feel from the shot of numbing agent. So she muscled through and was such a trooper. I am glad we asked them not to use it, because they are so quick to medicate. Most parents would just accept it, but you don't have to. I'm glad our dentist gives us this option. She's up and running right afterwards, and has none of that annoying numbness to deal with. Such a brave girl!

Just Call Me Madame President

I believe I have mentioned my position as Vice President of the kids' school Home & School Association (our equivalent of the PTA). Last week I received a promotion of sorts - although I hesitate to call it that. The President resigned due to some unfortunate events (it would really be nice if everyone could just get along but I guess that's too much to ask). And as VP, I was asked to step into the role of President for the remainder of the year. Yeah, as if I didn't have enough going on in my life what with selling a home and preparing for a cross country move. Nice. But I have an inability to say no...and after some thinking and talking with James, I said yes. I don't want to make more of this than it really is, because honestly most of the year is over and there are only a couple of big events left. But being President means that everyone calls you to complain...and you're the go-to person...it's not like I haven't been President of something before so I know how it goes. Again, I am very thankful and fortunate for working from home and the flexibility that goes with it. It's just not what I signed up for, and I hope the stress doesn't get to me. I am trying to make the rest of this year what it has not been so far - stress free and drama free.

So that's the news...yeah, it's just one more thing on my plate so forgive me if I am a bit more absent than usual.

On The Market

Well, it's official. Or more official than it seemed a few days ago. Our house is now for sale. The sign is up in the front yard, making it feel even more real. It is bittersweet. It is also a bit of a hassle, keeping it clean and "show-ready" all the time. We already had one showing on Saturday. No offer though, so on we go. I'm sure it will take a lot of showings to get an offer and I hope I have the patience :)

It's been a lot of work to get it ready. It's pretty tiring. Not to mention that the master bathroom renovation is in full swing. I'm not sure how that plays when people come to look at the house, but hopefully we'll get that done in the next 2-3 weeks. I say we, but I really mean James. He's doing the brunt of the work, and it has been hard work. Around each corner, or I should say area of the bathroom is a new adventure. It's all demolished...tub, vanity, toilet. New hardwood floor has been laid. It was frustrating but it looks really good. The new vanity and counter top/sink is in the garage ready to be installed. First the tile has to be installed along the side of the tub though. We also had another setback yesterday afternoon as I was returning from my 5th trip to Home Depot this weekend (yes, I do believe that is a record for me). The sub floor under the toilet has been damaged from water and needs to be ripped up and rebuilt. It's like the bathroom is a present that keeps on giving, one nightmare at a time! I know this is what typically happens in an older home, and I really think James would have more patience for it if we were actually going to get to enjoy this new bathroom ourselves for more than a few months. Onward and upward though. It will be laughable as we look back on it...or so I hope!

Book Reviews: 100 Years of Solitude and Where Men Win Glory

I have already read two books in the first month of 2011. So far, so good. I still seem to have a list a mile long, and growing each day but at least I am making progress. And progress with excellent reads at that!

The first book I read was the January Book Club selection, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This was the choice of my good friend Liliana. I have to say I would never have picked up this book on my own. That's the true beauty of book club. Reading this book was a bit of a struggle for me. The characters are all named similarly and it's hard to keep track of who is who. The family tree in the beginning of the book is invaluable as you read it, but it became a bit tedious to flip back and forth between that and reading. I also felt like I got the basic story but there was so much deeper underlying plot lines and implications that I should have gotten. Now that I know the story, I actually think I could read it again and get a lot more out of it. I never read books more than once though so that's probably not going to happen. I also really liked this book more once I got to discuss it at Book Club with my friends. And now James is reading it so we can discuss it too. He reads books of this sort all the time though so he's understanding it all and not having as much trouble with the names. He does agree that it is a slow read though. To describe the basic story, the book is about one family throughout 100 years and 5 generations living in a little town in Colombia called Macondo. There's not much more I can say without spoiling it or going on forever...but there is a little bit of everything in the book. I do recommend it, and stick with it because it's worth it to get to the end.

The second book I read is one I did pick, and James got it for me for Christmas. While I was reading 100 Years of Solitude, he read it first so I guess it was a gift for both of us. :) The book is Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer. I love all of his books, and this one did not disappoint. It is the story of Pat Tillman who voluntarily left a successful NFL career to join the Army Special Rangers and serve in Afghanistan. He was then killed in action, the true reason covered up and this book details his life, death and the aftermath. It also details the history of Osama bin Laden as well as Afghanistan going back to the Cold War times when the Soviets were at war with the Afghans and the events leading up to 9-11. As usual, he is objective with his writing and does not take sides, merely presenting facts. I was especially shocked by some of the details of how our government works and what is hidden from the American people. Friendly fire and fratricide are scary aspects of war, and Tillman was the victim of this horrible fate. I also recommend this book, and frankly all of Krakauer's books. He is an excellent writer, he has a way of captivating his audience and presenting a well balanced story.

Toothless

After what seemed like a few months being loose and a lot of work, Keely has lost her 3rd tooth. For her efforts she received a very generous $2 from the Tooth Fairy. Truth be told, I am way late with this update. She lost this tooth almost two weeks ago. But with me traveling for almost all of last week, I finally remembered to take a picture of her last night. Notice Quinn's two fingers behind her head. Brothers :) The hole seems huge to me. She can stick a straw through it! The other top front tooth is also loose, though I think it will be a while before it falls out. I think she's satisfied with her accomplishment of loosing this tooth and now she will wait a while before working on the other one. I'm sure that hole will be huge when that one falls out!

In other news, the kids went for their 6 month dentist checkup. Quinn had no cavities and Keely has one. She will have it filled in a couple of weeks. No cavities at all would have been better, but just one between the both of them is not bad at all.

Ch-Ch-Changes

We have lived in Utah for 5 1/2 years. That's half of our married life, most of the kids' lives, more than we have ever lived any place for one time in our adult lives. For the last year or so though, we have been feeling a bit restless, feeling like it's time for a change. It has gotten progressively harder to live so far from our families. Sometimes it feels like we are on an island 2000 miles away. We were initially hopeful that someone would move closer to us, but that never happened. We are alone out here and that would likely never change. The visits from family are fewer and farther between.

So we decided to do something about it. We are going to move back. Well, not necessarily all the way back to where we grew up but significantly closer. A few hours drive instead of a few hours flight. An opportunity for a transfer with my job is going to make this happen. For the first time, we will move somewhere for my job not James'. He has tendered his resignation to the U and what will be next for him is unknown. We will leave in May after the kids finish the school year. We will be moving to Virginia, right outside of D.C. This will not be the first time we have lived in Virginia and it's a bit like going back home. We know the area, I went to college in DC and James visited me often. We grew up there in a certain sense.

The kids are mixed about leaving Utah. We all are. We have everything here...great friends, a great school, a great house. It will be sad to leave. Keely is most excited. She has only known Utah as home (since we left AZ when she was less than 2, she doesn't remember it). She is excited for a change, ready for a new adventure. That's my girl. I would expect no less. Quinn on the other hand has been slow to come around. He does remember living other places, but truly he only knows Utah as home. He has his friends, loves his school and classmates, and plays on a great soccer team with all of his friends. He is a little more reserved than Keely, and tends to get a little more nervous about change. He's gone from not wanting to leave, to resigning himself to leaving, to moments of excitement about the move. I think we are getting there with him. He just needs time to process and the fact that we have given him several months notice is helping.

I am excited, and nervous too. A lot of things still have to be done and while May seems far away I know it will be here before we know it. We have a house to sell. We have a family to pack and move. We have to find a place to live. Sometimes I am wistful for 2003, when we moved to Tucson with one week notice and two weeks later were living in our new home. There was no time to think, no time to plan. Perfect for an over-thinker and over-planner like me!

The start of 2011 marks the beginning of the end for our time in Utah. We are excited about the possibilities and the changes on the horizon.