Padd Solutions

A major event in my life has now been taken care of: a wedding shower for my little sister and her fiancee, Matt. I have this problem of making everything into a production. I do not know how to do anything low-key although I think that I like laid back gatherings and just plain old hanging out. Well, I guess I do, but if I'm in charge of it, I have this habit of blowing the thing out of proportion. Probably why this shower has felt a little heavier than necessary. A shower: it's fun! It's an eat-fest. It's present-time! What can be so stressy about that?

Well, it came off well. Our friends Sara + Gladson Thomas graciously opened their newly renovated home for us to host the party at. We fit over 50 people there comfortably. Many people brought great food, which is important 'cause food is kinda important to Matt and Margaret. :-)

Everyone was in such great spirits and participated in a photo keepsake guest book where everyone filled out these sheets of paper with words of wisdom for the couple and topped it off with a polaroid of themselves. I wasn't sure what the response was going to be like, but I guess it doesn't hurt to bribe them with a draw for gift cards. And now, Matt and Margaret have a memory book of that evening.

Matt and Margaret have an awesome wedding party to plan stuff with. Dave and Matt (Chapman) are ridiculously creative and make us (the girls) not make stuff too serious with these traditional type events.

Okay, back to house closing preparations. Got my home insurance quotation today, have to get in touch with the lawyer my agent hooked us up with, organize the money and get our key! All in 16 days!!

On Tuesday, June 30, we went shopping for houses for the first time. That night we saw four houses, the last one we fell in love with. On Wednesday we made up our offer. On Monday, July 6 we presented our offer in a multiple offer situation. After improving the offer once, ours was accepted. On Monday, July 13 (two days from now) we finalize the offer on our first home. We get the keys on July 31. Talk about fast moving. So much has happened since Tuesday, June 30 I am far too tired to write it all down completely (I definitely started to write this blog far too late).

For one thing...I never want to see a fax machine again.

I have never juggled more major things in my life, all at one time. Professionally AND personally. The good thing is that I am not stressed. The bad thing is that I kinda don’t feel on top of all of them. I tend to be a one-project-at-a-time kind of girl. Especially if one of those projects happens to be house-hunting.

Yes, I am looking to buy my first home.

I did not realize how stinkin’ expensive my desired location is. All around where I have lived MY ENTIRE LIFE sit $700,000 to $1.2 million dollar homes. I still hope that there is one house that is within reach. It’s also crazy how many details go into purchasing a home - all the applications, the paperwork, the questions, the research, the traveling, the snooping in people’s homes... It’s fun, but I think a big part of that is having a great agent. If I have any advice to give based on my very EXTENSIVE experience (i.e., less than a week), get an agent that you feel that you will want to hang out with because you will be on the phone with them every day, you will spend entire afternoons with them, and you’re going to have to feel that you can be very honest with this person, also. I have a great agent - he makes this ridiculously fun.

Okay, I am going to sleep now - ‘cause Gonz and I realized that was do not go to bed early very well. He wakes at 6 am every day - 12:30 am is not a good time to start going to bed. I have the day off tomorrow - which actually just means it’s a day to get everything outside of my day job done, so I should turn in too.

Nice to check in. I hope to be back soon.