Our Fixer-Upper: How We Got Here

My family has been out to visit our fixer-upper a few times recently and we are so excited to get to move there in the spring! You can read a little about how much we’ve dreamed about this home here, or go here to see the property (27 acres!).

I absolutely loved taking you on a virtual home tour a few weeks ago! Today I want to tell you a little bit about our journey searching for this home, while it’s still fresh in my mind.

Our Fixer Upper: How We Got Here

My husband & I spent over three years looking for the perfect place. This past summer, there was a rabbit trail of houses and properties that we considered. We came SO close to buying three in a row, thinking we were just being too picky about what we wanted. We were ready to settle.

However, we prayed about each of those three properties, had long discussions, and ultimately decided that since we didn’t have peace about any of them, we would keep waiting.

Less than 2 weeks after we made the incredibly difficult decision not to settle on that third tempting property, my realtor sent me a text:

“You need to check this out. The house needs work but the price is amazing.”

We went the next day. It felt like everything that could have happened before we got there, happened. Something unavoidable came up right before we left for our showing and we had to deal with it immediately. We finally left, 30 minutes behind schedule, and our vehicle overheated three times on the way there.

We kept in contact with our realtor throughout this, and she encouraged us to come anyways, as long as our vehicle was safe to drive. So we persevered. She did have another appointment that evening, so we rushed through the house as quickly as possible before exploring just a small section of the property.

We walked, we talked, we prayed. And we put in our offer the next day.

After our offer was accepted(!!!), we worked towards lining everything up for closing, but in the end, much of it was a waiting game that was completely out of our hands.

Finally, we were given the closing date and time. When I saw the day that had been selected for us, my heart started pounding and my fingers trembled.

We were meeting at 11:00AM, the second Friday in October.

My husband and I went on our first date in 2002. And, because I needed to be home to help my parents chop wood that weekend, we went on that date after our morning college classes. At 11:00AM. The second Friday in October.

We never would have guessed that my then-boyfriend, who didn’t think he liked the country, would eventually start longing for his own little piece of dirt and trees to retreat to.

We never would have guessed that I, who lived in the country for 4 years as a teenager, would eventually feel my heart calling me back to the woods. Because once you know what it’s like to have space to wander, black skies with brilliant stars at night, and the sounds of nature all around, it’s hard to be completely satisfied with anything else.

And when I was crying out to God, begging Him to remember my little girl who desperately wants a puppy, we never would have guessed that exactly 14 years, to the minute, after our first date, we’d be signing papers to seal the deal on our dream property.

Friend, even when it feels like God isn’t listening, He is. He cares. He loves us so much, and He’s taking care of every single detail.

I’d love to hear: What’s one way God has worked things out for good in your own life?

P.S. I’ll be sharing photos & updates as we work on our new home. Let me know if you have any questions or if there’s a particular topic you’d like for me to cover!

Related Posts:

• Dreaming about the country
• Photos of our new property (27 acres!)
• Our fixer-upper: the “before” photos

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