The Big Move... Drama and Delays

 Ok, so you are probably wondering why on Earth we decided to move during this dumpster fire of a year.... well, it all happened a bit accidentally. 

*Backstory: we liked our house on Smithfield but when we moved in 5 years ago, we knew it wasn't our "forever" home. It was the nicest house we could afford at the time, but it didn't have several things we really wanted in our forever home. We took out a HELOC loan and renovated the kitchen, the floors, added built-ins... all with the thought of "this will either help us sell this house, or this will help us feel like we can stay in this house longer." So long story short, we were not 100% invested in our Smithfield house.*

While working from home this Spring, I got in the habit of going for a walk every afternoon. I was walking through a new housing development near us, where the houses were very squished in, and along a really busy road. There was one house left that was unsold, so I wrote down the address and wanted to look it up when I got home, out of pure curiosity. What were these houses selling for? They sold SO fast and weren't in a good location. 

So Neal and I looked up that one house (wow, it was listed for over $600k!) and on Redfin... he noticed another house that popped up in the sidebar. It was an adorable farmhouse on property, right in Oregon City and at a good price. Interesting.... so that lit a fire under us a bit and we decided to go see it. 

We toured the house, loved it... put in an offer... and didn't get the house. There was a huge bidding war for it (which we figured would happen)... but that really made us want to start looking for a house with some property. We felt very squished in at Smithfield, and our neighbors were so close and so loud all the time. 

I'll make this short... we toured probably 20 houses (at least) from May to July. We put in an offer on one house on 2 acres that seemed like a DREAM and had that crashing down on us when it was time to do the inspections. The septic tank wasn't functioning and had seeped into the ground. The seller was unwilling to work with us, so we had to pull our offer. 

We took a break from looking for a bit in June, but in July started up again and found our house on Brandow. 

Now we REALLY wanted to move, REALLY wanted something different, something in a quieter neighborhood, more outdoor space.. so we were excited when our offer on Brandow was accepted!

Just because it was a bit ridiculous, here is a timeline of how this whole thing went down:

• July 13th- our offer on Brandow was accepted
• July 14th- Smithfield was back on the market
• July 14th through August 11th- nothing. No offers on Smithfield, despite multiple showings and us lowering the asking price TWICE. 
• August 12th- we find out there are three offers on Smithfield that our realtor wants to present to us when we are home from the coast (it was Owen's birthday)
• August 12th- finally accept an offer on Smithfield!
• August 20th- inspections on Smithfield and Brandow... mostly all good, with a few negotiations
• September 8th- wildfires break out all over Oregon, causing the sky to turn black. 
• September 10th- Oregon City is asked to evacuate, as the fires are getting close to the residential areas. We UNPACK several packed boxes in order to grab valuables and items we want to evacuate with. We leave our Smithfield house to stay with friends for a few days.. wondering what the heck will happen if Smithfield and/or Brandow burns down???
• September 11th- our 10th wedding anniversary. We sign papers officially buying Brandow. We can't officially sell Smithfield though, because our buyers are using a VA loan and the VA loan office suddenly wants a SECOND inspection to ensure the house didn't burn down. No one (our realtor, their realtor, or our mortgage office can get in contact with anyone at the VA loan to find out when this inspection will happen).
• September 12th- we get to go back home and try and repack boxes. 
• September 17th- we were supposed to move. Still no word from the VA loan office. 
• September 18th through 23rd- STILL NO WORD from the freaking VA office! We are mad, upset, confused and scared. What if this all falls through? 
• September 24th- FINALLY. Our buyer's realtor talks to the VA office. They want pictures of the outside of Smithfield, with a current newspaper in the shot, to confirm the house is undamaged by the fires. I rush around to get the pictures and email them in.
• September 25th- funding to officially sell Smithfield finally goes through! We are sold and recorded!
• September 26th- we get to move into Brandow. Finally!

The sky turning black as the fires got closer to Oregon City.

The skies in Salem, at Neal's coworkers house. It was so eerie, and like we were living on another planet.

Two cars packed to the brims.... we evacuated. It was scary and stressful, especially being in the middle of buying/selling a house. The boys weren't really aware that anything was stressful, they just thought we were on an adventure. 

Staying a few nights with the Foiles family. They really opened their house to us, and we will be forever thankful. 

Our 10th wedding anniversary. Tired, smelling like smoke, barely able to breathe outside... and singing paperwork for a house that wasn't quite ours yet. And trying to smile and stay positive through it all. 

The sky when we finally got to go back home. Looks like fog... but it wasn't fog. The smoke was seeping into our house and it made my lungs burn. And there wasn't anything you could do about it, which was the most frustrating. We just had to endure it.

Finally some clear air! September 18th, the day after we were "supposed" to move.. having cocktails and trying to no keep stressing out.

Finally! We're moving and the boys got a last bath in our Smithfield house!

Cleaning out every nook and cranny in preparation.

September 25th- our last night in Smithfield. A family movie, and trying to get rested for the big move.

Bye Smithfield! Thanks for the memories!

Moving day! The boys did a great job helping, and/or staying out of the way.

It was so fun having stuff EVERYWHERE. They think it's a playground, Mom and Dad thinks it's an anxiety-nightmare.

The new big backyard!

The woods we live right next to. All the wait and stress was worth having the peace and quiet of the woods right next door. 

Hello Brandow! I hope you are our forever home!

We have a lot of little updates to do on this house, and several tweaks we want to do over the years... but we feel like this could really be our forever home! Hopefully, because I never want to go through that stress again. 

K + K.... The Wedding

 I wanted to dedicate a whole post to the wedding of Poppa and Karen (otherwise known collectively as K + K, or K-squared). 

Kyle met Karen in March 2018... they were an instant match, and fell in love really quickly. Karen is outgoing, vivacious, energetic and curious about the world. She loves adventures, and that brought out a side of Kyle he had to tuck away for the last several years while nursing Gramma Pete through her cancer. She really brought him back to life, in a sense. 

The original plan was for them to get married at a cute resort on the coast, but when Covid hit, they weren't sure what that would mean for their wedding. As the date drew nearer, they checked in with the resort and found out a month before the wedding date that the resort would not let them hold their wedding there because of Covid restrictions. 

A quick change of plans, and they decided to keep their wedding date and get married at a friend's house in Salem. It turned out perfectly for them... the house was AMAZING, the views made you feel like you were in Tuscany, and K + K got to have their small (about 30 people) wedding just like they planned. 

Lori and her boyfriend Ash came down from Seattle and we all rented a cute house together in Salem. We helped set up, we helped clean up, and the day turned out just perfectly! 

The Happy Helpers getting everything set up!!! Neal discovered he is a master at draping tulle! Who'd-a-thunk??? The boys stayed busy with some crafts... and they were assigned a very special job of drawing chalkboard pictures on the long winding driveway that led up to the reception area. 

It was hot, thirsty work being artists!!!

The boys drew the cutest pictures.. and Owen drew a picture of Karen's dog Mocha.. because he wanted to make sure Mocha was part of the big day!!!

We did a few rehearsals to get the timing down, and the boys did great! Austin was nervous so I had to reassure him that people will be looking at him, but it's because he's so cute and handsome. He claims he has stage fright.. which is odd for a kid who is very extroverted. 

Look at that view!!! The house was on the top of hill and it looked down on some of Oregon wine country and it was very easy to pretend we were at a exotic location. 

I mean... .look at the house. Seriously. Whatever they do for a living, I want to do. 

The driveway leading up the ceremony and reception space. The boys had it looking so beautiful!

I love this picture of Austin... we stayed up a BIT too late the night before the wedding playing Uno. Austin got the hang of it really quickly and turned into a card shark! This is him going "Moooooooom" when I said I wanted to take a picture. 

The big day arrived!!! The boys looked SO FREAKING CUTE in their wedding outfits I could barely stand it. Look at those little creatures Neal and I created!!!! 

Places everyone!!!! I didn't get any pics of the actual ceremony because I stood up pretty far away. I had to be up at the top of the patio to help get the boys lined up and ready, so I wasn't in a good spot to get any ceremony pics. It was short and sweet, and full of sentiments from the bride and groom. They are just so happy to have found each other!

There's the happy couple!!!!! Cheers!!!

We were able to get some great family pictures after the ceremony. The property was so beautiful it was the perfect backdrop. 

The boys and their Aunti Lori!!!! They had fun spending the whole weekend with her.

Food!!! This little ring bearer was HUNGRY. He scarfed down several plates of food!

In true Covid-fashion.. we were armed with masks!!! There was only about 30 people at the wedding, and obviously we were outside, and could spread out easily. The only time we really had to wear masks was while in the food line.

 

Why do bathrooms always have such good light??? Austin looks so much like a little Neal in this picture!!

The boys and Poppa. Owen wanted to change after the ceremony but Austin loved his suspenders and bow tie and wanted to keep rocking them... 

Signing the guest book!

We were blessed with an awesome sunset that night... my phone camera didn't even begin to do it justice. 

Have toys, will travel... we brought several things along with us to help keep the boys busy during the reception. There was a huge paved area that got a lot of scooter action!

First dance as Mr. and Mrs!! Karen brings out such a playful side to Kyle, that I haven't seen in the 13 years I've known him. They love to dance and choregraphed a real dance to share with everyone. 

I wish my phone took better pics at night.. this would have been so cute if it were a bit clearer. Stupid phone. 

Again with this one... but you can get the idea. The boys' scooters have light up wheels and they were just scooting around the reception area at mad speed! The music was pumping, boys were scooting around, it was so much fun. Of course they got to stay up way too late, again. Party time!

Austin in this picture is EVERYTHING. Gosh, I love that silly dude so much! 

Congrats K + K!!! 

Owen (aka: BoBo, BooBoo, DooDoo, and OK) Turns SIX!!!!!

So, all the nicknames... 

I think I've explained before, but when Owen was born, we called him Baby Owen. That somehow turned into BoBo (B for Baby, O for Owen)... DooDoo came around the time he was two because he was so excited to turn two, he kept saying "Doo!!!" over and over (that's how he pronounced "two")... BooBoo was a natural progression from DooDoo and ended up fitting perfectly because he is always getting hurt. 

OK are his initials, and he likes to go by that sometimes. So he's our boy of many names. :-)

This picture sums up Owen perfectly. He's just a little bundle of beauty and happiness and joy. He really is. I know they say the baby of the family is special, and that is so true for our family because Owen is definitely special. 

This photo cracks me up. Our pool is on it's last leg and is totally leaning to one side from a summer of being splashed in, and from our patio being slightly sloped. I can hear Owen in this moment, popping up from the water going "naaaahhhhhhh!!" in his silly nasally voice he does a lot. I think this will always be one of my favorite pics of him because I can remember the moment so well. 

He is our comedian. He LIVES to make people laugh and to pay attention to him. He's going to be a hoot in his 20's, I can already tell. If he does something funny and thinks you didn't notice, he'll do it again and again just to make sure you saw him. He decided this was the best way to wear a mask into my work one time. I mean... gotta make sure you are totally covered, right??

Owen is our little cuddle-bug. Don't get me wrong, Austin is sweet and affectionate too... but he's a bit more independent. He usually has to initiate the affection, on his terms (he's like a cat) while Owen is like a dog... always willing to cuddle, always wanting to be near someone or something (he won't leave the dogs alone and constantly wants to cuddle them). Since the pandemic and having lazier mornings, he would climb into bed with us every morning and cuddle. 

He is also very naturally thoughtful, which is a quality I don't think you can teach someone. He just always thinks of ways to help, or compliment you to make you feel better. He is a giver and I love that about him SO much. One morning he decided to make Austin breakfast and made him toast. They both claimed the toast was burned (I disagree) and so he switched to pouring Austin a bowl of cereal. I love how he lives to make other happy. 

August 12th 2020 arrived... and DooDoo was officially SIX YEARS old!!! He got a sweet big brother hug when he first woke up... discovered presents when he went downstairs, and had a birthday breakfast of cinnamon rolls and bacon. 

I took the day off from work, and since we couldn't have a big party (#COVID) we went to the beach for the day!!! It was warm and sunny, there was no crazy breeze and we had lots of fun. Other than we went to Seaside and there were a ton of people on the beach. They were all spaced out, so that was fine.. but it takes away from the beauty of the environment to see just tons of people and trash in the sand. 

We didn't get home until rather late... so Owen got his requested birthday brownies at almost 9pm. Oh well...party like it's your birthday!!! 

We did celebrate with just our small family the next weekend. I'm glad that Owen got a pretty normal birthday! 

The following are his answers to the yearly birthday questions that I ask the boys every year. Some of the answers are so random. So without further ado.... Owen's 6th Birthday Interview (these are all answers straight from his mouth)

Nickname: OK, BooBoo (Austin pipes up "Mr. Crazy!")

How Old Are You: 6!!!

Favorite Color: the rainbow (he does love coloring rainbows, so this is very true)

Favorite Animal: penguin! or giraffe!

Favorite Book: Berenstain Bears (true... he's obsessed with all of these books)

Favorite TV Show: Spy Kids (????)

Favorite Movie: Scooby Do! My favorite is the Pirate Scooby Do movie (Again...????)

Favorite Song: Ready Aim Fire 

Favorite Food: strawberries

Favorite Drink: mmmmm lemonade!

Favorite Breakfast Food: waffles!

Favorite Snack: Z Bar Iced Oatmeal Cookie

Favorite Outfit: my wedding outfit!! (the one he wore in Poppa & Karen's wedding)

Favorite Game: Mario Brothers

Favorite Toy: my space shuttle. Legos

Best Friend: Austin!!!

Favorite Thing to Do: build puzzles

Favorite Thing to Do Outside: swim in the pool!

Favorite Holiday: Christmas!

Favorite Thing to Take to Bed: Fluffly Head! (the little stuffed eagle)

Favorite Place: Gramma and Grampa's house

Favorite Restaurant: McMenamin's

Where Do You Want to Go on Vacation: Salem!! (Austin pipes up... "ummm ok")

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up: a police officer. No... I want to be a doctor!

These answers are so perfectly Owen.. he knows himself well! Some of them are answers that Austin would give, because he wants nothing more than to be exactly like his big brother, and the some answers are truly him and show his sweet little personality. 

Happy big SIX baby Owen!!