When Kenny and I began the process of looking for our new home, we had lots of discussions and prayers as we tried to focus in on a good place to land. We decided the most important things were some kind of Great Room (my husband's top want) and a ranch style for the main level (after all, we will most likely be growing *ahem* older in this home and really don't want to keep doing the stairs thing for 20 more years). We also knew we wanted more outside room for the little ones to run around.
Even after our home was under contract, our realtor cautioned us against looking for homes too soon. It's a seller's market, and he was concerned we would get our hopes up but not have a good enough offer to get a home we wanted. So we waited. And all the while there was this house on Tarryall Way, not being sold. We had it bookmarked on my laptop for quite a while, and as all the other homes came and went, there it stayed.
What was wrong with Tarryall, so that it wasn't selling? Well, what we didn't know was that it went under contract 3 times while we were waiting to be able to make an offer. Three different times the contract fell through. One over animal restrictions (and not being able to have goats isn't exactly going to keep my hubby from buying a home, right?) and another over a dishonest buyer.
When we did end up coming to look at 'Tarryall', as we affectionately called it, we had some thinking to do. The home was much better looking than the photos on the listing. It is quite outdated in parts (think 'orange linoleum in the bathroom, mauve curtains in the family room, and bedroom lights that make you feel like you have on rose-colored glasses'). But the kitchen (which is simply wonderful!) has been updated. In person, the rooms seemed roomier and the prairie seemed a little more tree-ish. We didn't fall in love at first, but as the days went by, we kept thinking of the things we really liked about Tarryall. The utility/laundry room is big (heavenly sigh). There are five whole bedrooms (almost too many, if you ask me, but it is working out nicely). Two real fireplaces. A beautiful view. And 7.77 acres of quiet. It's a ranch-style with a walkout basement. But it didn't have a Great Room. And so, my increasingly-visionary husband started to think. And pray. And when he thinks and prays, you had better get out of the way. Not that he would notice you anyhow!
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| View from the front patio |
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| Side yard out to blacktop |
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| Part of the front |
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| Front door and living room window |
Kenny called our realtor, who is also an appraiser and a renovator. They talked about turning the garage into that Great Room, and the outbuilding into a garage. There was electricity in the air as the ideas went flying. For days Kenny was in planning mode. And one morning he woke up and told me that we are buying this house and remodeling it. We offered $28,000 lower than the asking price and got it!
As we planned and dreamed, we hung our hats in the basement of a family we met years ago. We all had plenty of space and were just so well-cared for. We got closer to this family than I thought we would. And although it was a restless time, there was just so much good.
And so, on August 2nd, we bought our next home. And we moved the mattresses in right away so we could stay the night. On the way to the house, we saw this rainbow. It looked like it was ending right at Tarryall!
