HOUSE HUNTING: Rumor Has It.....

that today will be the day we sign our docs for our loan!

SERIOUSLY?!! I am pinching myself right now. We have been in contract with this home since January 27th! And boy has it been a roller coaster. We have gone through the ringer with this home. With in these last 3 months we have went far and beyond to make this happen. Such as: submitting 3 offers to finally get ours accepted. Submitted first with a Homepath Loan, ran out of time, the sellers pulled the plug and re-listed it! UGH, most devastating time in my life! Then we resubmitted our offer, went into a bidding war with 2 other offers. And without raising our offer... we won and were officially back in contract as of March 24th. We decided to go with a FHA 203K Loan which is a rehab program for homes that require a little elbow grease. {{Thank the Lord for this laon! Although the process is more tedious and time consuming than the average laon, the benefits freaking ROCK THE NATION! More deeds to come once we move in}} And a few weeks later, here we are... awaiting the call from the underwriter to schedule an appointment to sign docs. They say we should be funded by FRIDAY! eeeek!

So from this day till Friday, I will be dreaming of this sign!

And once I see that sign come to life, I will finally be able to take a picture that I've been dreaming of since the beginning of our house hunting journey back in November 2010.

Look at the faces on this adorable family. They are bLESsed!

Stay tune and don't skip a beat. As soon as I get these key to our home, I will be BACK IN THE GAME and my DIY wand will be once again in full effect!!

YEEHAW!

HOUSE HUNTING: OFFER ACCEPTED!!

YEEHAW! We are officially in contract with this beaut!

After hearing the grrreat news, first things first! I had to make sure this wasn't a dream! I google searched the address and this is what I found!

I was tickled pink to see the house titled "sale pending". Come to think about it, I think my heart skipped a beat!!

Mr. AWESOME and I got pretty much everything on our must-have list and so much more! We were content with 3 bedrooms. Well, we got four! Technically five, but we'll use that for the kings quarters. A pool was a MUST! We got it {doing the happy dance} plus a spa that spills into the pool! What a dream. The kitchen is perfect in size and the family room is just full of charm! We had to compromise the master suite. In a perfect world, we were hoping for a soaking tub and dual sinks, but we figured everything else we're getting out of this home overcompensates the mini master bath. We're good!

The space that excites me most is the formal dining room. This is one space I did not want to give up while searching. I've always dreamt of hosting dinner parties where family and friends could break bread over good conversations and wine. So what better place to accomplish that setting other than an intimate space such as this!

OH GAWD, it's just beautiful! Notice the pillars and the multi-layered vaulted ceiling. It also has recessed lighting that dims to the perfect settings. I have big plans for this room. You just wait and see!

HOUSE FULL OF CHARM + NEEDS TLC + HANDY HUBBY + CRAFTY WIFE

= A HAPPY LIFE!

Stay tuned for updates and PROJECTS!

Love Letter: Tiana

Tiana my love...

You win my heart every time I come encounter with your gorgeous smile. You light the room with your presence and warm it up with your big hugs and kisses. You're the third one with my nieces and nephews and I am so bLESsed to have you in my life.

Last Friday, I surprised you at your dance class. You've been dancing for the last couple of months and I am just amazed at how much you have grown. You've made so many friends. You mentioned that a little boy named Michael is your best dancing buddy.

When it is your turn on the balance beam you tend to get a little nervous.

But after a few steps with your instructor, you slowly build up courage and you are off all by yourself! Look at you go!

There is never a hesitation on the trampoline. You have the time of your life on that thing! It's so adorable watching your curls bounce up and down.

You've become so flexible. You're instructor says you'll be in the splits in no time! Your mommy was always so good at that. At one time. she was able to do all three slits! And ya wanna know a little secret? I'm sure she can still do it. Ask her next time! ;)

After each of your performances, all your buddies forms a line to take a bow.

You're so proud of yourself after your dances. You have the hugest grin on your face as if you were saying in your mind "I DID IT!"

After class, you get to go crazy for a bit. And crazy is exactly what you do! WITH HULA HOOPS! You see the other kids twirling their hoops around their hips and the competitive spirit comes out. You attempt to follow their lead.

But after a few attempts, you come to realize that that thing just aint spinnin'.

So when in doubt... throw that thing around! You're awesome at that! You know how to make it roll as if it were a wheel.

And at times, you can even pop-a-wheelie! YEEHAW!

In the car, you love to sing the coolest songs out. Your current listening tune is the Itsy Bitsy Spider. And you hit every note there is to hit! You're my little ROCK STAR!! YEA baaaby!

You love Auntie Toni's puppy, Baby Gurl. You always cuddle her. When Uncle Lovely holds her, you're always starring to make sure he is treating her with the same love and care as you do!

You have a personality that is bigger than this world!! You're hilarious!! When I ask you to strike a pose for auntie... this is what you do! haha! Had to capture this! Because this is who you are!

Your fascination for water is growing.

You love to be outside with your new favorite outdoor toys.... sticks!

Tiana my love... you are the only 3 year old that I can talk to on the phone with for a whole entire hour. You're so smart and the darnedest things come out of that little mouth of yours! So funny! Sometimes, we can talk all the way up to your bedtime. And I'm afraid that's when mommy starts to get a wee bit frustrated. She can not get us off the phone. I do have to admit that I don't help the situation since I tell you to tell mommy "NO! I want to talk to Auntie Jaryce." lol. I don't think she is buying it any more. So we may have to change our phone times a little earlier in the day =)

You were one of the 3 little angels {flower girls} that showered us with flowers on my wedding day. They all fell in love with you when you were walking down the aisle. Why? Because you were shushing everyone when they were saying "awww, how cute!" Why? Because mommy and daddy told you that you have to be verrrry quiet and be well behaved when you walk down the aisle. But in your mind, that meant, if you had to behave, EVERYONE had to behave. lol. We have it all on video. Too cute!

Mommy and daddy love you more than life itself. I don't think your daddy would know what to do with himself with out you in his life. Mommy says you are her best friend. She takes the best care of you. And makes sure she is right by you when you wake up to tell you how beautiful you are.

Although you're mommy's best friend... I know who your best friend is... ME!!! You tell me all the time. "Auntie Jaryce, you mah bess fren!"

Tiana, thank you for bringing so much fun, laughter and tons of smiles in my life. You are the coolest 3 year old around! Keep smiling baby doll.

Auntie loves you more than life itself!

{{Check out your moves here!}}

We Have Our Very Own Angel...

Looking down on us...

I've been having a few complications with this month’s cycle where I've been experiencing unusual and excessive bleeding. My cramps were a little more painful but I thought it was just a normal reaction due to "getting older"? I asked a couple of friends and co-workers and was told not to worry. Some women can have their menstrual cycle for months on end. So, I decided to opt out of seeking medical advice. Until, my abdominal pains were unbearable.

Last week Thursday, I called the advice nurse. We scheduled an appointment for Monday and we were set to go.

The day before yesterday was the big day. I arrived at the OBYN clinic expecting the usual check up. But this time, it inquired a urine sample. I thought it was a little odd, but better to be sure, right? Moments later, the nurse came back with news of a positive pregnancy. Mr. Everything and I quickly grasped each other’s hands and smiled. We were shocked but pleasantly shocked.

The nurse then rolls in the ultra sound equipment and it was time to check for a heartbeat or any signs of the itty-bitty sack. Our doctor searched and searched and searched until she couldn't search any more. She was unable to locate a heartbeat or the sack but didn't want to assume with out a second opinion.

She called in another doctor and which sadly had the same answer. They told us that we were experiencing a miscarriage. We were instructed to take it easy and to get plenty of rest. But first, we must head over to the laboratory and get blood work to determine where exactly my hormones stand and how far along I am in my miscarriage.

We did so, and a few hours later, we received a call which informed is that my hormone level was at a 460, meaning the baby is slowly making its way out. She made an appointment for next week to take another blood test. She wants to oversee the progress of the miscarriage to ensure the pregnancy isn't anywhere else other than the uterus.

Yesterday was a long day. Mr. Lovely and I found out we were pregnant and miscarrying all in one day. Although we were not preparing for parenthood, we would have been more than ready to become a mommy and daddy at that very moment.

We know our God has a plan for us and it just so happens a baby isn't apart of that plan... at least for now. All in God's time, right? Right! For now, we are comforted to know that we have our very own angel shining down on us and most of all, we know our baby is in good hands.

We almost bought a NIGHTMARE on Elm Street home!

WARNING: This is not your usual post filled with sunshine rays and twinkling stars... It is a tragedy that I just so happened to stumble across while searching for our new home. If you're not so keen with death, I'd suggest to stop by tomorrow for my next post. For the rest of y'all, please read along...

A few months back in December, Ramon and I viewed 8 homes in one day and fell in love with two. House#1: A huge home sitting on a huge lot and in need of upgrades. House #2: Smaller home with all upgrades.

We decided to put in offer an on house #1. Later that night, all we could think about was house #2. So the next morning, we called our realtor and asked her to pull our offer. We drove to house #2 just to make sure we were making the right decision. We were excited. We were thrilled! We knew this was the one!

As we were walking towards the house, I noticed a lady down the street starring at us. I thought to myself, YES! This is perfect time to ask her what she thinks of the neighborhood. So I did just that. I walked up to her, introduced myself and shook her hand. She told me how quiet and peaceful the area was. I of course grinned ear to ear. That was a great sign since Mr. Lovely and I want to start a family of our own soon. She asked me which home I was interested in. I pointed down the street and my first glance back at her I noticed her whole demeanor changed. It was written all over her face that she had some concerns. She told me that that home is probably the best on the block and then she proceeded to ask if I was okay with everything that went on. I crossed my arms, shrugged my shoulders and shook my head side to side. I replied with "um, I know that someone had passed away... naturally? Possible in an elderly home?" She then got very upset and tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. I asked her what happened and she responded very stern "Ya know! They're suppose to tell you these kinds of things. These things MUST BE DISCLOSED!" I asked her again, what had happened?

and then she responded...

The family that lived in this home were her good friends. She and they were the first owners on the block so naturally they had a great bond.

A few months back, June to be exact, the husband found out the wife was having an affair on him. Later that night, he sent their 14yr daughter and 9yr son off to their friends house for a sleep over. He drove back home, walked into the bedroom and shot his wife in the head. He then himself shortly after. This home now became a murder-suicide scene.

When we first viewed the property, we thought it was kind of cool that they staged the place. But sweetie. That was no staging... that was their furniture! Their dishes.

Their office and paper work. We thought it was a little odd that a HUGE chunk of carpet was ripped out of the masters floor and the mattress was missing from the bedroom set.

The spookiest part about this is in the "her" closet... her clothes were still hanging up

and his truck was still parked in the driveway... in the same position... after he dropped off his kids to proceed in this frightful event.

The saddest part is that you could tell which kid slept in which room. You could see how they set their rooms up by looking at the dresser/bed/desk/shelves indents in the carpets. The boys room was painted blue and still had a few posters/pics of himself and friends hanging on the wall and a few toys still left in the closet. The girls room was painted purple, hangers still in the closet and a few school supplies left.

Their food was still in the darn pantry. It would be one thing to walk in there bare of nothing and try to paint a picture but in this home, you didn't even have to try. It speaks for itself.

The weirdest thing about it is this tragic incident happened on my bach night. Two weeks before our wedding. It was the time in our lives where we started our marriage and it was the time where theirs literally ended. So sad.

So to say the least... the hunt continues....