We're Moving!!!!

Finally, I feel OK telling everyone about our house!!! It has been a long road and we have been searching for a home for more than a year. We have gone through many ups and downs and even had a close call, but in the end something (floor plan, neighborhood, moldy basements, TERMITES) always seemed to be wrong with every house we looked at. One house had a half bath upstairs near the bedrooms and a full bath on the main floor off the dining room. We had a house that we really liked that was way over priced and they just wouldn't come down to a price that fit the neighborhood.

Then finally, we found a house in a town we loved and we were elated when they accepted our offer. Then came the inspection where we found significant issues with the structure in the area under a kitchen addition. then came structural engineers and contractors and a battle with the sellers about who got to choose the contracting company and how much it would cost. I don't know if I have ever cried so much in my life. On top of the roller coaster of buying your first home, being pregnant has proven to be a crazy emotional firestorm as well. One day we were up and the next we were down in the dumps. One day it looked like the house was fine and the next day it seemed like the house could collapse at any moment.

At the end of the day we found that the house was fine--it is 100 years old, and so there are creaks and bumps and uneven floors but nothing out of the ordinary, and the sellers finally agreed to let our contractors repair the inadequacies under the kitchen-- so we are moving!!!! We are so excited and couldn't be more thrilled that this is almost over. Everything has been a challenge- I have had to point out mistake after mistake to our mortgage broker and our realtor and feel like I basically did both of their jobs for them--with the help of my brilliant mother who is a Mortgage genius. I have learned that not only should you not do business with friends (which I knew) you can't even do business with friends of friends!!!!

Please keep Big Guy, the baby( I am 19 weeks as of tomorrow) in your thoughts and prayers!!!

Also- Please keep my Best Friend K in your thoughts as well- she is getting married on Friday and three days ago the roof of her reception venue collapsed and because of an event in the area, there aren't any alternate venues or tents available for rent. Then the next day there was a windstorm that knocked out the power to the entire area and they are just starting to restore power to the area!!! It looks like things are going to work out--They were able to combine a smaller room with a smaller tent to accommodate the 350+ group.

K is holding up really well and I think she is amazing for keeping it together so well!!!

I can't wait to get more pictures of the house and the whole move-in and decorating process. I am almost certain that Big Guy and I are going to be paupers for some time- but I am sure we will happy in our new home!!!

My Morning! Warning: rant ahead.

AGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

I feel like I want to tear out my hair and then take a nap! Why do government offices have to be to tedious and typical!!!! I need to renew my license plates, but I lost the paper they sent me in the mail to say I should renew them. So, I called the secretary of states office to find out what I needed to do. They were actually very helpful on the phone but the steps I needed to take seemed outrageous! First- I needed to go to a full service facility in the loop (downtown Chicago) and get a 7 day permit so that I don't get a ticket while driving to get my emissions test. Then I need to go get the test, and then I need to go back downtown and show that I passed emissions in order to get my new stickers! How am I supposed to do all this if I work 8-5 and they aren't even open that long!!! I totally admit that it is my fault that I had to get the permit thing--which they charged me $10 for, but really two separate trips every year to get my stickers renewed??? This seems soooooooo stupid. They should just let you get the stickers when you get your emissions checked!!! Also- I have been calling different offices for about 6 to 8 months trying to figure out which of the secretary of states offices databases-- apparently they have many!--has my name spelled wrong and no one seemed able to help me. NOW-- they tell me today when I asked AGAIN that it will cost $68 to fix what is obviously their error (they entered the O as a zero in my name and the u as a V...... I mean come ON!!!!

They just make me so mad!!!! Now I am sweating from walking so fast and my poor husband had to my car to the emissions test for me(what a sweetheart) and I have to go back there again tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!! AGHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!