devastated

Well, we thought we’d found THE ONE.

In fact, we’d all but moved in and painted the walls already.

It feels like someone came in and stole it right out from under us.

For those who don’t know, here is the short version:

Just as we were about to throw in the towel last weekend and ‘settle’ for something, Andrew found an amazing house that wasn’t even on the market yet. It was PERFECT: a 1900s farmhouse on 3 acres with a barn and room for a garden, a small front porch and pear trees. A beautiful, spacious, updated kitchen and enough bathrooms and bedrooms. Wide wood plank flooring. Attached two-car garage. A quiet country road just a couple miles outside the village. Seriously, we were dying over this place. We saw it immediately, but there were some questions we had for the seller, so we didn’t put an offer in right away. Our realtor met with the owner and we were planning to see the place tomorrow and put our offer in.

Well…we got a call Saturday evening from our realtor saying that someone else was going to put an offer in THAT NIGHT. So, we gave a verbal offer ABOVE ASKING PRICE over the phone and spent the next 18 hours praying fervently.

We know God heard everyones’ prayers, but he didn’t grant them; the other people got the house. This has happened to us TWICE now! And in this market, too. I think it just means we have excellent taste in houses…

Before I get too far, we know God has a plan and that His best for us may not seem like it at the time. But it doesn’t make this any less disappointing. Even our realtor was pretty upset for us. We got the call after church–I shed a few tears and Andrew spent the afternoon in bed, curled up in the fetal position. (Seriously, he did.) I threw myself into school work, laundry and online retail therapy (I need warmer clothes!!); Andrew watched the Bills defeat the Patriots–at least that gave him a boost.

I don’t know why God didn’t give us the house, but I do know there is a reason. And I’m OK with that. We just need Him to provide a place to live, at least temporarily, AND FAST. That’s the thing folks, we don’t have anywhere to go. In about a month, our time here at the hotel will be up, and while we can extend a bit if we’re under contract to buy a house, that’s looking more and more unlikely to happen. Sooo…we have to figure something out, and apartments that allow giant dogs are slim to none. And we don’t really want a year-long lease if we’re still going to try to find a house…

While I’m still very disappointed, I know in my heart that God has a plan. And that really, this is not that big of a deal. I mean, if Sara can go on praising God after a Stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, and Susy can have hope after her sister’s Stage 4 brain cancer, and Heather can remain joyful while being a single-parent to Maggie while Silas is at pilot training….we can surely get through this. Surely.

We ended our day with a walk to the little ice cream place near the hotel. For the last month or so I’d been telling Andrew that that is where we were going to go to celebrate when we got a house. Well, today was its last day being open for the season, so we went to celebrate the “better” house God has for us instead. Not that we were in a mood to celebrate (I didn’t even want ice cream this afternoon–how crazy is that?!), but it was nice to get out and get some fresh air.

And here’s both of us… Can you tell Andrew was not into documenting for the blog tonight? I really need to figure out how to use the timer function… (I was doing my best to put on a sad face.) Pray for us!

all over the place

It’s that kind of day for me today. Say a prayer for me today!

First off, OIAJ!

Been waiting to make OIAJ in this one for awhile, and then I went and scraped out the bottom for yesterday’s sandwich before I realized I should have kept a little in there! Darn it. It was still yummy anyway. Oats, half a banana, flax, milk, coconut and maple syrup.

Disclaimer: If you are reading this and you are MALE, proceed with caution. MUCH caution.

1. I’m not sure anyone blogs about their periods, or even if it’s kosher, but by gosh I’m going to do it anyway. I have been so stressed out this past month that my cycle started TWO WEEKS late. TWO WEEKS. That has never happened to this “regular-to-the-day-and-almost-hour” girl. That is some kind of stress, not to mention the additional stress brought on by not getting your period when you think you’re supposed to. Two negative pregnancy tests later…

2. It started. FINALLY. Guess that explains my ice cream binge in the kitchenette yesterday, as well as the violent mood swings I’m experiencing. And the “I-can’t-get-off-the-couch” depression this morning. And the 30-minute “I can’t find anything to wear” fit I had before going out to dinner the other night. But these are all (relatively) normal for me… Between the hormonal roller coaster and Midol’s pain- and mood-enhancing chemicals, I can’t tell which way is up.

3. Not to mention the fact that Andrew and I are both stressed beyond belief about our housing situation. Yet another thing I can’t even think straight about anymore. Yes, we’ve probably been too picky. But what else are we supposed to do? It’s a HOUSE.

4. Didn’t someone say you should never make big financial decisions during times of grief (usually in the case of a death in the family/inheritance, etc…)? It should probably include women’s menstrual cycles, too.

5. I’ve failed miserably at making good eating decisions. Basically, for the month since meeting my weight-loss goal, I’ve been hovering a good 3-5 pounds above it… Most of that, I think, is because my body has been trying to have a cycle for that long, too, so I’ve been experiencing all the period side-effects with no period. However, I’m not happy with my lack of self-control. I mean, why in the world would anyone keep eating after they are full? Like UNCOMFORTABLY full…? I blame the period.

6. I have my first two tests in school Monday. One in Biology and one in Anatomy and Physiology. I’m not stressed by them at all, really. Maybe I just have so much else going on that they seem like small potatoes. Or maybe it’s because it’s only Thursday.

7. I had intended to go to the gym today to lift and swim. I couldn’t drag myself there if I tried. Again, the period. I did, however, take Hadrian on an hour-long walk. It was nice, except for him wanting to chase squirrels. It’s also freezing here, by the way. Well, not freezing, but cold for September. Made for a nice walk. But I’m started to stress (great, more stress!) about us not getting any of our winter stuff from storage for at least another two months…

8. Speaking of Hadrian. We need a house, with a fence, and FAST. My grades in school depend on in. My sanity depends on it. The sanity of those in the rooms around us depend on it. Seriously, he’s either sleeping (which is a lot, I’ll admit) or pacing at the door. Or shoving his face in my face. Or barking whenever he hears people outside the door. And don’t even get me started on housekeeping. Every afternoon is a bark-fest when he can hear “housekeeping!” from down the hall…

9. We’re seeing a house Saturday. It’s new to the market and in the village and has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. I’m trying desperately not to get my hopes up, but it’s hard.

10. All these things, and more, have been swirling around in my head ALL MORNING. I HAD to get them out before I could focus on anything else…like chemistry.

I’m back!

I spent the weekend in East Aurora, NY, visiting Andrew and doing A LOT of house-hunting. I rode up with Andrew’s mom and sister, Abigail, who were returning from a visit to Carmel, IN, and then flew home today. Who knew a one-way plane ticket would be cheaper than renting a car?!

Here’s a recap:

Hi Abigail!

Andrew’s mom drove most of the way. I got to sit and read and talk.

That was a good thing, since I was SO TIRED. Can’t you tell? I had stayed up until 1 a.m. the night before to listen to one of our Bible study sessions. I almost fell asleep multiple times in the car.

As usual, we had Pasquale’s pizza and wings for dinner the first night there. YUM! I was never into Buffalo wings (I’m a mild kind of girl) until I met Andrew and was introduced to these wings. They are the perfect blend of buffalo flavor, hot sauce and a crispy crust. None of that gooey, slimy, overly spicy stuff here.

This is Andrew’s FAVORITE pepperoni pizza. He loves how the little pepperoni slices curl up and form “boats” to catch the grease. Yes, you heard that right. I have to admit, I usually have at least half a slice with my wings.

Here is the view from the Layer’s kitchen:

I love it. So scenic and quiet. They’ve lived on the same street for 20-something years. The deck is off their kitchen and this is the backyard and creek. Deer are regular visitors. Our cats have taken to hanging out here as well…

We went for a run Saturday morning. It poured Friday evening and the forecast called for rain every day, so I didn’t have high hopes for good running weather. Boy, was I wrong! We were blessed with a mild and dry morning to start the run, and then got drizzled-on about halfway through.

Look mom! I’m skinny now! Thanks to Abigail for letting me borrow her clothes since what I brought would have been too warm.

Aww! He loves me 🙂 Andrew was in a very good mood despite me kicking his butt the whole way. That, and we went AFTER he got to sleep in a little.

Andrew and Odie in their natural states:

Andrew and I scheduled a same-day showing of, apparently, our dream house (LONG story, but it was as if God himself wanted us to see it and designed it just for us). I’ll disclose more later if it looks like we have a chance to own it ourselves!

We went to Taste for dinner. It’s a relatively new (five years or less?) cafe with wireless internet on Main Street. It’s close to the open-air ice skating rink (also relatively new) and draws a crowd whether the weather is warm or cold. Don’t you love the steam coming up out of the mug??

Here’s the inside. Very cozy and comfy.

Here’s the breakfast menu–does it not look amazing?! Oh, and they have s’mores on their menu! You can get an order for two or four people, and it comes with grahams, marshmallows, chocolate pieces and a little burner to toast your own! This is, obviously, a hit in the winter.

I splurged and treated myself to a coconut cream pie latte. YUM! Since I’ve been watching what I’ve been eating, I’ve really cut back on the “froufy” coffee drinks. One benefit is that I’ve really lost my taste for the sickly-sweet beverages, and prefer them just slightly sweet. Sweet enough that they aren’t just plain coffee, but not overloaded with sauce and whip and flavor. Anyway, this drink was WONDERFUL. Worth every calorie!

To balance out my calorie-laden beverage, I ordered the “Nutty Albacore Salad.” Nothing to write home about, but I felt good eating light and getting protein with a hint of sweetness from the raisins. (Not sure why the picture is so blurry…)

Andrew got a roast beef sandwich on a bagel, no cheese, mayo or horseradish. That, in my opinion, is sacrilegious.

After dinner and our visit to our dream house, we joined the family for an evening showing of ‘Thor’ at the local theater on Main Street.

Check out the trash cans! Aside from being full of, well, trash, aren’t they just darling? I love this place.

Andrew and I went to breakfast Sunday morning. We’ve been to Charlie’s before and really like sitting on the porch, but the weather wasn’t cooperating, so we settled for a table inside. It was the worst table ever. Just not a good location. Good thing the blueberry pancakes I ordered MORE than made up for it! Seriously… BEST. BLUEBERRY. PANCAKES. EVER. Again, because I’ve been watching what I’ve been eating, I haven’t exactly been ordering pancakes or french toast or anything super “carb-y” at restaurants lately. However, I was having a craving and after staring at the menu for 15 minutes (yes, it’s true–I am the most indecisive person on the face of the Earth), I finally gave in. Blew Andrew’s french toast out of the water.

Andrew’s family had tickets to see “Wicked,” which was playing downtown, so they did that while we hit up a bunch of open houses. We didn’t come away loving anything, which was a good thing. And it wasn’t because we were comparing anything to our dream house, because I honestly wasn’t. Nothing felt like “us.” Thankfully, we have plenty of time.

We heard from our realtor last night and our open house here went incredibly well. To quote her, “it was grand central station,” so that’s a good thing. She said everyone loved the place and there were lots of babies. Let’s hope that means some second showings this week!

I flew home Monday morning after seeing Andrew off to work and going on a quick run. Two one-hour flights later, I was in the car with Heather and on our way to pick Hadrian up from puppy camp.

What a weekend! Even though Andrew is already in New York, this is still my home until we sell our house. East Aurora is starting to feel like home, especially when I go on my runs around his parents’ house. There just something about the back roads, the cute homes, the trees and the fresh air. And I’ve been going on runs there for the last nine years or so.

I’m looking forward to another jam-packed week of errands, odds-and-ends, working at the library and prepping with Heather for our Saturday yard sale!