Good-bye…Hello!

Well, we aren’t moving.  We sat down and ran the numbers and even if we got a full price offer on our house with no concessions, and it was lucky enough to appraise for that amount (which is a big if), we would be in the hole $17,000.  That doesn’t take into account moving expenses and utilities and then deposits for renting a new house, etc. 

We just looked at each other and knew that we were not comfortable with that.  So we took the house off the market and we are going to give it a few years to let the market hopefully stabilize. 

Strangely, I am relieved to make this decision.  I have hated trying to keep the house clean and company-ready all the time.  The bad part is that I have to unpack boxes and put things back away.  I have liked how uncluttered the house feels, even though we are having to go out to the garage several times a week to find things!

So if you know anyone who is moving, I have lots of boxes they can have! 

Stress

This whole moving thing is so stressful.  A few examples:

We haven’t started looking for another house because if I found a house and then this one didn’t sell, it would be such a let down.  I can’t afford 2 house payments.  

I have started boxing things up, but what happens if the house doesn’t sell?  I like how much room we have with a bunch of stuff boxed up in the garage!  But we have had to go out and dig through boxes several times looking for things that we need.

And boxes…trying to collect boxes.  I hate begging at the grocery store, but I have been getting a lot.  But again, what happens if it doesn’t sell?  So I am not boxing up too much stuff, which means I have a bunch of empty boxes in my garage!

It is hard work keeping my house clean enough for random people to come through and see my house.  I still have to live in my house!  I am so stressed trying to keep it picked up and the dishes done and the boys’ bathroom smelling good! 

We have been fixing things up and doing touch up painting that has needed to be done for several years.  Why do we do that…have things on our to do list and put up with it undone, only to finally fix it when we are going to leave?  I would have been so much happier if we had done it years ago!

When I am home alone during the day, I am terrified to go to the bathroom for any extended length of time.  What happens if an agent decides to bring people through without calling first, and because I am “occupied,” I don’t answer the door, so he uses the lockbox and lets himself in?  See where I am going with this?

What stresses you out about moving?

Going, going…

Yes, it’s true.  We have put our house up for sale.  We are moving up north to be closer to The Doctor’s work.  He is commuting an hour each way for work and he is tired of it.  Before he did that, he commuted 45 minutes each way down south.  He is tired of driving so much.  He could be at home more if we lived closer. 

We have been in this house for nearly 7 years and that is the longest that I have ever lived in one house.  I have been itching to move for quite a while.  How else am I going to get the house clean?  I have never had a to a deep cleaning because we just moved and that’s when I deep cleaned!

We did not decide to do this lightly.  He has been commuting for 3 years and it has been the right thing to do.  But we have prayed about it and it’s time now.  The conditions aren’t great for selling right now, but we have had several miracles happen that have shown us the way so we can sell.  I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father who loves me and has helped us find the way.

So if you know anyone looking for a house, we would appreciate it if you would send them our way!

7

This is the number of houses I have lived in since I have been married.  7 houses in 18 years. 

1. When we first got married, we were supposed to move into a brand new apartment building.  But they weren’t finished yet.  So we moved into a temporary apartment.

2. We were concerned about how much the rent was going to be on the new apartment ($400) so we were able to get into a mobile home on campus for much less ($250, including utilities).

3. 4 months later, we changed schools and cities.

4. 3 months later, we were sick of the cigarette smoke smell in our non-smoking apartment, so we moved, losing our security deposit.  We had now been married 6 months. We lived in this apartment for 3 years, almost to the day. 

5. We moved to another apartment…3 blocks away. This duplex had it’s own fenced back yard, which was so nice.  I could send the kids out to play and not have to be there with them.  And it was only 3 houses away from my mom. We lived here for nearly 5 years.

6. Finally, we were able to buy our own house.  I have blogged about what a horrible house that was. We lived there for 3 1/2 years.

7. And now we live here.  We have been here for 6 1/2 years.  That is the longest I have lived anywhere.  Seriously.  I am itching to move so bad!  How else can I get my deep cleaning done?  Because I’ve never had to do it before.  We just moved!

13

This is the number of times I moved before I was married. 

The first question people ask me is if my family was in the military.  Nope.  My dad was an entrepreneur and really wanted to own his own business.  There were many problems, through no fault of his own, and the businesses just didn’t work out.

The hardest move, but the best one for me, was in the middle of my junior year.  I had a boyfriend and did not want to move.  But in hindsight, it was probably a good thing because we were way too close.  Which would have led to not good things.  Heavenly Father knows what He is doing.