We BOUGHT a HOME

Well after deciding in October that this would be our last time renting (because we were looking into staying in the area for 3-5 years); therefore, we signed a 9 month lease ending at the end of July and started getting excited about buying. We started looking in Virginia and were very excited about that option but the longer we looked the more discouraged we got and then with Shea's job location being DC and Baltimore it seemed a bad decision to buy in VA. Finally after making lists and lists of wants and needs and pros and cons and looking at schools and crimes and shopping and the distance for everything we decided eventhough we wanted more than anything for Shea to have a shorter commute, anything closer was out of our budget and our very best option was right where we were at (which honestly took some warming up to). But we were very excited at the prospect of finally jumping in. So after a Maryland Buyer class in March we got set up with a realtor they had there and started the process. Honestly the whole thing was such a nightmare. I hate house buying. We had three different offers fall through and thinking that this was all for nothing and that we would have to rent again and suck it up, a perfect home was found just for us. It had actually been taken off the market so we had to kind of push for it and it wasn't exactly a steal, but it is ours and we are more than proud to call it home.

Settlement Day!!!!!!!
In the midst of cleaning and packing and loading the uhaul
 and unpacking all while I was medicated and had a
horrible sinus infection, it was sure an adventure. 

I won't lie there is a part of me that yearns for that Single Family Home with a real yard and porch and garage but someday, someday. For now we have a gorgeous, big townhome that is all ours. That has a big kitchen for cooking (I better get on that), a nice basement to play in, a master bedroom/office that even has the big soaking tub in the bathroom that Shea has always dreamed of, and two HUGE kid bedrooms that could fit three kids in each easy ;) 

It will take us forever to be settled and all done unpacking and decorating but we have however long we want.