New Homes All Around

At long last, the chickens have moved into their new home! Jim completed the renovation of half of our shed into a coop last Wednesday, and the next morning we moved the girls out of their cramped box in the porch to a spacious, happy home of their own. They seem to be enjoying it and it's great fun to watch them flapping their wings and running and jumping around. They are now about 6 or 7 weeks old and getting huge. Drew and Garrett insist that they are "still baby chicks grow up to be big mama hens." I don't know about still baby chicks, but they do have a ways to go before they start laying - probably sometime in December. In the meantime, they are eating like champs (sometimes out of my hand) and growing bigger all the time.

In other, unexpected, news, Jim and I have been furiously trying to get our house ready to put on the market. Yes, that's right, we figured our lives weren't hectic enough, why not buy a new house. We weren't looking to move, but sometimes an opportunity arises and you've just got to be willing to trust and roll with it.

Here's how it happened: We were headed out to visit some friends a few weekends back and decided to stop at a new farmers market on the way, which resulted in us driving a different way to our friends' house than we would have otherwise, down a stretch of road we rarely ever drive. Along the way, Jim noticed a wonderful house that had a for sale by owner sign in the yard, so we stopped and picked up a flyer. We looked at it, and both said "This is our house!", then went on our way. We called the owner that night and went to see it the next morning. It was one of those experiences that is quite surreal, in its unexpectedness and total rightness.

The house is an 1830s pioneer-built house sitting on 3 wooded acres with just enough open area for a nice big garden or two, and a long neglected orchard area to restore. It's beautiful. We had an immediate connection with the owners, too, who have lived there since they got married 12 years ago and have restored it with much love. We spent almost two hours walking through the house and woods talking to the husband and trading stories, including how after hearing Jim's message, he told his wife "these are the people that are going to buy our house". It is full of history and we are so excited to step in as the next stewards of it, and make it our own little homestead.

We saw it on July 11, and a lot has happened in the few weeks since then. We are expecting to sign a contract with the owners this weekend or early next week such that we will have exclusivity (they won't entertain other offers) for four months. We have made amazing strides in getting our house from a state of, well... normal life with two year old twins... to being just about ready to list - more than a week earlier than we had expected. So, drive by our house next Tuesday night and you'll see a sign going up in the yard. We are very excited. And also growing very tired. In the midst of all this, work has been pretty rough for Jim and he's had to work the past two weekends straight. Life is a whirlwind sometimes.

So, send us your best wishes for continued energy to keep getting this house in shape, and for a buyer to come along wanting a house just like ours (and if you know of anyone who's looking for a great house in the Strongsville area.....). If you've sold a house recently or have moved with small kids, send your tips this way!