Searching for our first home

Maybe it's just us. But, buying a house isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm really just referring to the process of finding "the one."

When we decided we were moving back to Florida it was pretty much known we were going to buy our first house. We were excited. I mean, I watch even House Hunters and Property Virgins that I thought this would be a piece of cake. 

Must haves:
- 3 bedrooms
- 2 bathrooms
- Pool with lanai
- Big Kitchen (preferably upgraded)
- Open Floor Plan
- Entertainment space outside
- 2 car garage
- Indoor laundry room

Seems simple enough, right? 

Wrong. 

A couple of weeks into house hunting we realized this process wasn't going to be fun. It's a seller's market and the options in our budget are slim, which means homes go fast. 

We put an offer on a house and then a bidding war happened. We lost the house. In the end, it really wasn't the location we wanted so it was a blessing in disguise. 

Hundreds more pages on Zillow (and Realtor and Trulia), dozens of Open Houses, dozens more showings with our Realtor.. (and on, and on, and on) we found a house we LOVED. Prime location, great outdoor space, no rear neighbors.. There wasn't much to complain about. We were confident we were going to get this house and bid aggressively. A few hours later.. another buyer went over list price and got the house. I could've cried. I always told myself I wasn't going to get attached to a house but I did. It was a let down. I couldn't look at another house the same. 

There's so many things I wish people would've told us about buying a house. What to look for, what you can easily change, yada, yada, yada. 

So, I decided to blog a little about our journey. It hasn't been easy. We've argued, we've been frustrated, depressed, happy, excited. But, in the end, I hope our advice can help someone else!

Stay tuned!

A year of changes.. A year full of things to be thankful for

Wow.. How things have changed. 

Thinking back to Thanksgiving 2014: We were newlyweds, celebrating another holiday without our families, perfecting that turkey on my own, enjoying our jobs.. the list goes on. 

Fast forward to this year. We've been married a year, we're attending 3 separate Thanksgiving dinners, buying a house, job hunting.. this list, too, goes on. 

It may not sound like much of a difference to some, but it is to us. 

I'm usually one to embrace change and welcome new adventures. The past year has been full of adventures. I've been excited, challenged, nervous. I quit my job for many wonderful reasons. But, as Thanksgiving approaches, I find it so odd that I'm actually going to be able to enjoy these holiday dinners. (YUMM) 

I'm a workaholic and I love news. I'm supposed to work on holidays, right?? (Still, the weirdest feeling to have a holiday off). However, I'm learning to embrace these new changes, challenges. 

Last year's list of things I'm thankful for would've been much different. Not a bad different though. Just a different life. 

This year, I'm thankful for so many wonderful things. A loving husband and a supportive family should probably top the list. We've welcomed 2 new babies into our family this year. (Who doesn't love babies?) I'm thankful for nieces and nephews to spoil and love. A year ago, I was just the aunt who got to Skype with them whenever I could. This year, I'm the aunt who comes over just because I want to play dress up. (Princess for a day? Sign me up!) I get to watch hockey with my dad pretty much whenever I want. I get to shop and get mani pedis with my mom. (Who picks out the best clothes ever. ) I get to attend weddings!! I get to do so many things with my family that I've waited 5 years to do. 

I'm thankful for all of our past adventures that got us here today. I often wonder if we would be together if we never would've left. Who would we be? Where would we be? Traveling taught us how to love, care for, and live on our own. It was a struggle. It was scary. But, it made us better people. It was also more fun then I think we realize. Thanks Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama for all you did for us. We can't wait to take our future kids to all the places we've lived.

I'm thankful for my dog, Basil. Every year I count my blessings she's alive. She always listens when I need someone to vent to, she cuddles when I'm feeling down, and she never talks back. Best. Kid. Ever. 

I'm thankful for some pretty great friends. People I can tell anything to and not be judged. Each one of them has taught me something new about myself. 

Lastly, (I could go on but I won't) I'm thankful to have accomplished my dream before turning 30. It was a tough one. To be a full time news anchor. Wow. I really didn't think it would ever happen. But, I have so many people to thank for making that come true. It was one hell of a rollercoaster ride but I did it. I wanted to give up, I wanted to scream, cry, you name it. Most of all,  I wanted to succeed. Now that I know I can do that, I know I can do anything. 

I'm ready for a new adventure and a new year of things to be thankful for. I'm ready for that new door to open with a brand new challenge.. Here's to another year of thanks! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!