Official Closing Date

We have a closing date! It kind of happened all of the sudden, & we're kind of SO EXCITED about it!!

THIS FRIDAY! December 2nd, we'll be homeowners. :)

Oh, what a process! Now that it's finally coming to a close, I'm able to look back with more gratitude than frustration. Y'all, let me tell you - we serve an amazing God. And if we hadn't gotten this loan & this house, we would still serve an amazing God! But I want to take a second to do some serious bragging on Him.

Sebastian & I found a cute little house on "accident" back in July when we were no where close to being ready to buy. We had already decided to stay at our apartment for another year, but we thought, "Man, from the listing, this house is the jackpot! If we can get it, lets do it!" So we called a realtor & then a mortgage company she referred us to to be pre-approved. Before we ever even saw the house, we were denied the loan & we worked really hard to do what we had to do to get approved.  Every time we thought there was an open door, BAM! Another problem that we'd try to finagle ourselves around. My parents kept telling us, "Don't make it happen! Trust the Lord - if it's suppose to be yours, it will be." When we finally went to look at the house, it was a total dump. Not good at all, & a clear sign from God that this wasn't the house for us!

That's when we decided to move into my parents house once our lease was up. We'd do some more saving & start looking for a house in January.

Well, then we found another house. It wasn't uncommon for me to browse through Zillow in my free time, although we weren't in the market to buy quite yet. On a Saturday afternoon in September, I found this cute little house & scheduled with our realtor to go see it the next day. It was adorable & everything we thought we wanted in a house. We brought our families to see it & then put an offer on it two days later. After the seller hadn't accepted/denied our offer after another two days, I decided to hop back on Zillow, just for fun.

I looked in the same neighborhood every time I got on, but the neighborhood in general was at least $20,000 above out budget. Although I've always wanted to live in this neighborhood (my family lived there for a couple of years before we bought our current house), I knew we couldn't afford it.

Well, the Lord answers prayer. When I got on Zillow that day, there was the cutest brick ranch that had just had a massive price reduction just the day before - putting it in our budget!! I called Sebastian (who was on the way to Richmond) & sent him pictures, then called our realtor & went to see it a few hours later with my Grandaddy. We LOVED it!

Sebastian trusts me an insane amount - he took my word for how good this house was & he decided to retract our offer on the first house. So the entire night he was in Richmond with friends, he was dealing with signatures & emails to get that first offer off the table.

The next day, Sebastian & I went back to the house so he could see it & we put an offer on it, which was accepted the next day. AH!

This is when it got crazy frustrating.

We were pre-qualified for a loan before we made the first offer, but once we had a ratified contract & started the approval process, we learned that we truly weren't qualified for a loan. We should have had to wait four more months, but is anything impossible with God?

Our loan officer, who we often couldn't stand, worked really hard to get us approved. The Lord used him to get us a really great loan with no mortgage insurance, & on top of that, a brand new grant that will be SO helpful (which is why we couldn't close tomorrow like originally planned).

When he called us today to tell us that we were officially closing on our house on Friday, I had a hard time holding back the tears. For months, there's been a huge question mark - would we be approved? Will the loan fall through? Will the contract fall through? Will we lose this house in this perfect neighborhood? But time & time again, I had to tell myself, "Simmer down, Hannah. God is in control! If we don't get the house, there is a reason. If we do get the house, there is a reason. Don't worry about it."

Looking back, I can see that the Lord was in every move. We didn't get pre-approved the first time & we ended up with a much better loan going with a different mortgage company. Our offer wasn't excepted the first time, but God was holding this dream house just for us. We didn't get to close on November 30th, but we're closing two days later which comes with a whole new bundle of blessings.

Y'all, God is SO good! He is blessing us with a house that we in no way deserve. I'm a big ball of emotions & filled with so much gratitude.

Thank you, Lord.

For the Duncans

Today is a day to reflect on all of the blessings in our lives. When I try to lasso them in & write them down, I am overwhelmed with gratitude - there are too many blessings to count, but here are a few at the top of my list:

I'm thankful for my Savior. I'm thankful for the HOPE we have in Him. I'm thankful for the freedom to worship the Lord openly. I thankful that Jesus Christ took MY sin to the cross so that I could live forever with Him. We know that every blessing we have comes straight from the Lord, & for that, we are so grateful. In the good times & the bad, God has never left our side - He is constant & true. How blessed I am to have been given the gift of salvation & eternal life - a gift I in no way deserve.

I'm thankful for my husband! He works hard for our family & he loves me so well. He encourages me (unless we're cooking, then I think he just wants me to go away, hahah), he supports me, & he cares for me. This is our sixth Thanksgiving together - I can't wait to spend next Thanksgiving with him in our HOME!

I'm thankful for my family. I am 100% convinced that the Lord gave me the best parents on earth, & I know no one on this side of heaven is perfect, but they seem pretty darn perfect to me. My brothers are my favorite, my sisters are my best friends, & my nephews & niece are just the best little humans on the planet.

I'm thankful for my job, but more than that, I am so thankful for the family I work for. Before I was hired by Karin & Brian, I worked for a family who treated me very much like 'the help'. In their eyes, I never did anything right - I drove in the wrong lane, I folded the sheet wrong, I washed the cup wrong, I didn't back into the driveway far enough to the left - literally, my every move was not the right move. When I finally got out of that situation, I was beaten down & never wanted to nanny again. I have some legitimate PTSD from my time with them - it was really that bad!

When I met with Karin & Brian for the first time, they just seemed like really nice people. My first day working for them, I ended up going to a dentist appointment with Karin & Sam because Reagan was three months old & wouldn't take a bottle, & when I left that day, I remember feeling legitimately confused that someone you work for would talk to you like a real human being. Like, what!? For a long time, I was scared I was packing the diaper bad wrong or picking out a shirt for Sam that they wouldn't like. I was afraid my apple juice to water ratio wasn't right in his cup or letting him go outside without a hat was irresponsible. Y'all, I'm telling you - PTSD! Although it didn't change my fear of always doing things wrong, I learned quickly that Karin & Brian were nothing like the last family I worked for. All those things I just listed? They never mentioned any of it.

They don't know it, but God used their family to change my life. That might sound extreme, but it couldn't be more true. God used them to show me that I am enough. What I have to offer is enough. My best is enough.

When they hired me two & a half years ago, I never could have imagined the family that they would become to me. They are kind & SO gracious. They have continued to be a blessing to Sebastian & I through all stages of our life & marriage.

This Thanksgiving, I really have so much to be thankful for. Family, friends, buying a house (!!!), a running car, food at the table, & so much more. But I want to 'dedicate' this one to the Duncans.

So to you, Karin & Brian, Sam & Reagan:

Thanks for being you. Caring & loving people who mean the world to me. Brian, thank you for always lending a helping hand & being the first to give when something goes wrong (or right!). Karin, you're one of the most compassionate people I know. Thank you for our morning coffee talks (which are now morning parking lot talks :p) & your understanding heart. Sam, thanks for being the perfect sunshine & love, & always making a cruddy day good. Reagan, thank you for your ridiculously good hugs & sweet spirit.

I am eternally grateful for you all. And other than my church family, I have never met anyone who feels more like MY family than you all.

Happy Thanksgiving. :)

House Update

Hey, world! I haven't written a blog post since JANUARY! Well, that's not true. I haven't published a blog post since January. Thankfully, I don't actually count on blogging to keep friends & family in the loop of our lives. Although years from now, I would like to have it all documented here! Alas, we'll try again. ;)

Sebastian & I are currently living at my parents' house while we wait to close on our house. It's super convenient for me, since I work here during the day anyway! And there's no hiding that I'm a total daddy's girl & my mom is my best friend, so this whole situation hasn't been horrible in the least. :) However, we're really looking forward to getting into our house! And since I never completely moved out of my parents' after I got married ('stuff' wise), I think my dad may be more excited than us to not have my shoes & clothes & everything else all over the house anymore, haha!

 There are a lot of people who have smooth, fantastic home buying experiences. Lemme tell you - that's not us! This whole thing has been a nightmare. We're a part of a really great first-time home buyers program, & while it's going to save us a ton of money in the long run, it's taken twice as long & still isn't over!

We just got an email yesterday saying they've pushed back our closing date. Ughhh. It's frustrating. They keep asking for more & more info & paperwork. They have asked us for multiple things that we've already provided & I just want to say, "Um, hi. You need our bank statements again? Cool, since we've already given them to you twice, maybe you can just head over to your copy machine & make another copy - just like we'd do. Thanks!" Nope.

This whole process has been a real test of patience, but I know that once it's all over with, it will be so so SO worth it. The house we're buying is adorable & perfect for us. I can't wait for the day we get to move in & start our life in our new HOME!

For now, I'm soaking in the time at my parents', sleepover's with Jesse Ryder, & central heat. ;) We have lots of baking/cooking to do for tomorrow, when we'll gather together with family & say something we're thankful for. But how will I choose? My life is blessed, & even through the rough patches & difficult times - I am eternally grateful.

Snow Days

Snow days are my faaaavorite! Even little baby ones that shouldn't even be considered a snow day, since everything is melted & it's almost 40 degrees outside. :)

I was so hoping we'd get slammed with a few feet of white, fluffy goodness, but unfortunately, we got mostly rain with just enough snow to play in this morning.

On Friday, I worked half a day until the blizzard (I use that term VERY lightly, haha) started, then I came to my parents house to hang out with Kaitlyn, Andrew, & Carrah. Their dad was having surgery, so they spent the day here.

We got out in the snow for a little while & took some pictures before coming back inside & going to Huddle House for dinner. I'll take any excuse to go see my handsome husband at work!

Yesterday, Sebastian & I had off together, which NEVER happens! Since we've been married, our work schedules completely overlap so that I leave the house at 8 every morning & work until 5 & he works from 2 until 12ish. My days off are Saturday & Sunday while his days off are Monday & Tuesday. So on these super rare occasions when we get to sleep in together (then have all day together, too!), it just makes for an excellent day.

We went out to lunch, ran some errands, & ended up at my parents house right as the snow was starting. I love snow, I love pictures, & I LOVE Sebastian Michael Brown. Although he was warm, comfortable, & taking a nap, he got up & went outside for a mini-photo shoot. He loves me! ;)

Last year, during a real snow storm, we took my favorite picture eeever. It's hanging in our living room & I don't think we'll ever be able to take one better - everything about it is just perfect! This year, when it started snowing at last night, I wanted to do another picture like it. It wasn't snowing as hard & the flakes weren't as big, but it was still just as magical to me! Maybe if we're lucky enough to get snow every year, we'll make this a tradition. ;)

Oh my goodness, I just noticed that I didn't even have an engagement ring on my finger last year! Just a purity right. I could have never imagined on our last snowy night, that our next one, we'd be MARRIED! So much has changed. What an incredible thing to look back on.

When we went to leave last night, the lock to Sebastian's truck was frozen & we couldn't get the door open, so we spent the night with my parents, Lydia, & the kids. Since we've gotten married, I've missed my sleepovers with Jesse Ryder! :) I'm working on getting Uncle Bash to let us have a sleepover soon. ;) Last night was filled with games & movies & lots of smiles, & today was filled with snow & snacks & lots of laughs. So thankful for this family the Lord has let me be a part of. I'm not sure where I'd be or what I'd do without them!

iPhone Pictures:

The start of this snowy weekend with two of my favorite kiddos! 

In the snow, camera in my hand. My happy place, if you will. ;) 

The essentials. Thank goodness for that umbrella!

We huddled up, as they say. 

Our front yard, while the rest of the north east was a few feet deep in snow.

Last night, we looked over to see Rosalie sitting at the table with a full bag of chips. I called this Hungry Hungry Hippo: Rosie Edition.

He's always jumping in my lap & asking to to take a funny picture on my computer. :)

He's been the best uncle for the past three & half years, when he didn't have to be one at all. 

Uncle Bash & Jesse Ryder in an intense battle.

Beach House

A few weeks ago, Sebastian & I went to the Outer Banks with my best friend & her family (my best family?). We just went for the night, but it was a good little getaway on a weekend that I would really need to have my mind occupied.

Our friends were spending Christmas at the beach house with their whole family, which sounds like a fun thing to do. I tried to talk my family into doing an out-of-town Christmas this year, which everyone agreed to but my oldest brother. Something about 'traditions' & 'needing to be home'. :)

We got to Corolla pretty late on Friday night, so we pretty much unloaded the car & went to bed. We woke up to find that my mom's best friend had passed away unexpectedly, which made the rest of the day filled with lots of tears & sadness.

We ate breakfast, they put their Christmas tree up & decorated it, then we were off to walk on the beach. It was freeeeezing, of course, but it was nice to get all of the fresh, salty air. I needed that.

When we got back to the house, we jumped into the hot tub for awhile, ate dinner, & talked about playing Phase 10. By that time, their brother & sister-in-law had gotten there with baby Charlotte Pear, so we ended up crashing in the living room & watching all of the best parodies of Adel's 'Hello'.

Around 10, when we finally decided Sebastian should atleast get a liiittle sleep before work at 6:30, so we packed the car up again & headed back home. It's nice that it was just a two hour drive.

I'm thankful to have been away on December 19th - a day that will forever be etched in my mind as the time we lost such a wonderful woman. I was surrounded by people who loved Mrs. Tammy & grieved her loss as well, which made things seem somewhat easier.

Of course we'll never stop missing such a beautiful soul, but the beach house was filled with comfort that day, knowing she's pain-free, worshiping at the feet of our Savior.

What a wonderful place to spend Christmas. What a wonderful place to spend eternity.