If you read my last blog post, you know that Our Forever Home was in the very first neighborhood my parents drove us through on our son’s birthday trip. What’s funny is that this street had almost no houses on it when I was growing up. The only time I even drove down this street was when I was late for curfew and needed to get home fast. I won’t tell you how fast I would drive on it trying to make it home on time because it would truly horrify you. Thank you Jesus for keeping me safe all those nights!
When my parents drove us down this road in June of 2021 I couldn’t believe my eyes. This little back road I used to take as a shortcut was now a street of the most beautiful homes and brand new neighborhoods surrounded by big gorgeous trees that East Texas is known for. It just looked like the most beautiful country road that felt so familiar and comforting to me. If you read the latest blog you also know how quickly the move back to Texas happened. There was no time to come home to look for a house.
I’m sure you all know how much I love my mama and how much I trust her judgment, so I really relied on her to help us find a home. I only had one requirement. My best friend growing up (Brittany) was now a principal at an elementary school in the Whitehouse ISD. The same school district I went to. So when we were looking for houses, the only criteria I had was that the house we moved into was zoned for her school.
It’s scary moving your kids across the country to a new school but I knew if my kids were with her she would treat them like her own. So that was it. All I cared about was that the house we got was zoned for Brittany’s school. It also meant whatever house we got would be very close to my parent’s house. Their neighborhood is also zoned for Brittany’s school – Win, Win!!!
My best friend and kid’s principal, Brittany with Tate and Baylor on their first day of school.
My parents wasted no time. They would drive around every day looking at houses sending me videos and pictures. There was so much new construction we decided we would try to find a new build but an almost finished one. We knew that no matter what happened with the sale of our house, the kids and I would move before school started in Texas. I wanted them to have a little time to adjust before the first day of school. My husband and I went back and forth between a couple of neighborhoods. We weren’t sure if we should put an offer on a home before our home has sold or do we wait to sell ours.
On the day of our first open house, my very first best mom friend was having a pool party. I had several great groups of friends in California but I called this group my preschool mom friends because all of our kids went to preschool together. Our kids ended up going to different elementary schools but we all remained friends and I loved spending time with these ladies and their families. While we were at the pool party I was a nervous wreck. I was so anxious about the open house and the conversations with my friends were all about our move.
I told them that there was a house my mom had found that I just loved. It was in that very first neighborhood they drove us through in June and was being built but would be finished soon. I told the girls it was for sale now and was nervous it would sell by the time we were ready to make an offer. That’s when these sweet girls gave me the advice I needed to hear. My friends told me not to wait. Every one of them said to make an offer on it now before it’s too late. They were very convincing and when we got home I talked to my husband about it.
My preschool mom friends. Without their advice, we would have never landed Our Forever Home.
I absolutely loved this house from my mom’s pictures and videos. The only thing I didn’t love was that it was the very first house in the neighborhood. You could see it from the main road according to my parents. Remember, we hadn’t seen this house in person. I decided to keep that little detail from my husband because I wanted this house.
When we were discussing it that night he said to me I really like the house I just don’t like that our kids would have to share a bathroom. He grew up with twin sisters close to his age and thinks he still has a little PTSD from sharing a bathroom with them during his teenage years LOL! I reassured him it would be ok and that our kids shared a bathroom in our California house and they were fine. I couldn’t believe it but he agreed. He said we could make an offer before our house had sold. Just like my girlfriends told me we needed to do.
The next morning I called my dad who was also our realtor. I told him we wanted to make an offer on that house. He said he would call and make them an offer. He called me back a few minutes later and said the house is sold. At first, I thought he meant the house has sold to me. It took me a while to realize he meant that the house was sold to someone else. “BUT,” he said, the builder told me he has another house for sale very similar to this one the only difference is that it’s seven houses down and every room has its own bathroom.
My mouth dropped. The only two things my husband and I didn’t like about the house we wanted was that it was the very first house in the neighborhood and our kids had to share a bathroom. So now I’m being told there’s another house down the street and our kids wouldn’t have to share a bathroom?! God is soooooooo good y’all.
This house had been under contract with someone else but things had fallen through. Luckily it was available again. I got off the phone with my dad and called my mom to go look at the house. She left her house in her pajamas to take pictures and videos of this house and she sent them to me immediately. I took one look at these pics and videos and called my dad. “Make an offer on this house dad”. I didn’t even discuss it with my husband I just knew this was our house and I knew we had to act fast. “Are you sure”? “I’m sure”!!!!! The rest is history.
The first photo my mom sent me of our home.
We got the house in the neighborhood I loved. My kids are going to school at my best friend’s school and she has gone above and beyond to make them feel right at home. I’m forever grateful for her. We live 3 minutes and 45 seconds from my parents in the same house I grew up in. Have I mentioned that the plane ride from California to Texas is around 3 hours and 45 minutes? Not to mention all the hours driving to the airport. Now I could get to their house in less than 4 minutes.
God has poured his blessing and favor onto my family and I couldn’t be more grateful. To those sweet preschool mom friends of mine I am so thankful they encouraged me to make an offer on that house now. Their advice is what truly got us into our home. I know if we would have waited our house would have been sold.
What’s funny is when we moved here they were still building that first home we thought we wanted. My mom and I walked through it and I hated it. I was so happy everything worked out as it did. We loved the home seven houses down with a bathroom in every room much more. I feel beyond blessed! God knows exactly what He is doing. I know He placed us exactly where we were meant to be, and I know this is my forever home. Thank you, Jesus!!! Now let’s bring on the decorating!! Scroll down for pictures of the “befores” of Our Forever Home.
Dining Room
Family Room
Kitchen
Guest Room
Baylor’s Room
Tate’s Room
Laundry Room
Primary Bedroom
Primary Bath
Absolutely beautiful!!! Amazing how God works and how He has our plans already made!!! Love y’all
Things always happen how they are suppose to! I got teary eyed reading this!! I love how you just trusted your gut too and said “make an offer” asap! So so happy to have you back!!