A New Degree of Nesting

I must be losing my mind.

Shawn and I have been looking at both land and old homes on land and are considering moving. I'm beside myself with excitement and fear. Fear that I'll fall in LOVE with one of the homes and its potential, fear that it will fall through into someone else's hands.

This morning I'm going to look at a potential property about 10 minutes south of us. It's a gorgeous flat 8 acres with a 70-yr-old farmhouse on it. The best part of this house is the fact that it has a 2-bedroom apartment above the garage where we can stay while the reno happens. The other awesome thing is that the land is all flat, allowing ample space for a pool. However, a 70-yr-old house comes with a few issues: no AC, lead-based paint, an underground storage tank...etc. I've already determined what all the reno changes will involve and they aren't that extensive. The massive one is a total kitchen tear-down. Nothing will stay. Add a great room to that and a master suite above it and we're done. Now...is there enough in the budget for those issues? We'll see.

This house/land obviously has the most potential of what we've looked at, including a "rugged" 10 acres in W'ton and another 8+ with a 200-yr-old house on it. I just wonder if this is the right time to pursue our dream?

In any case, if nothing works out, we are perfectly comfortable where we are. It's not like we're in over our head and have to get out. If I die in this house, that's fine too. :) But, it would be nice to take advantage of those folks who have to short sell cause they got blinded by a pretty house and forgot to consult their budgets!

Before the move-crazies set in, we enjoyed an AWESOME week in St. Augustine. Oh my...I can't even describe how wonderful our schedule of beach, lunch, nap, beach pool was. Totally needed and greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, only one day after Shawn returned to work our poor little DJ suffered a series of strokes. After taking him to the vet, we learned he was a total mess with potential liver failure, cancer and muscle wasting. We had little choice but to say goodbye, which we did last Thursday. Even with 4 other pets, the hole he left is overwhelming. We are both exceptionally mopey grieving for our loss. He was such a sweet, loving, snugly dog. He is missed so much, it just hurts.

Part of me wonders if the house is just a distraction. It might be.

To end on a lighter note, we will have our 20-week ultrasound on Thurs. It will be so nice to see Peanut and learn if everything is moving along as it should be. What we will not learn is Peanut's gender. :) We are annoying like that and can't deprive ourselves of the unequivocal joy of learning that you have a son/daughter the day of their birth.

RIP DJ

1999-2011