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Originally uploaded by gennabby.

I don't have a picture of it on my computer at the moment, so you'll have to look at the four of us and just imagine us in OUR NEW HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a little excited about this: we have bought a home in Princeton. We close November 18th and move in between then and Nov 22nd...JUST in time for the Maynors to arrive for Thanksgiving! Guys, it may be like camping, but that's nothing new to us, right?

This house story actually HAS a story, and it is a God thing. We never expected to find a home as quickly as we did--I mean one we could afford. There are PLENTY of gorgeous homes in Princeton, but they have way too many zeros attached to their price tags. But we thought it wise to just look and get a sense of the neighborhoods, the town, traffic patterns, and the types of homes available here. We went out one Saturday (my friend, Karen, whom I knew from seminary and who lives here!!) watched the kids while we toured 6 homes with our real estate agent (and Matthew's boss' wife). Lots of the places were disappointing for different reasons, but mostly because I started to realize that we wouldn't be able to buy anything cute. The last place we saw was an add-on to our trip, and was just so that we could see what was available in the 50K ABOVE our max price range. Matthew kept checking the price b/c he thought the place should be even more expensive than it was, but we found out that they had dropped their price by 100K just weeks before. That didn't help our spirits much--that just meant they had gone as low as they could go.

Anyway, we walked up to this monochromatic 3/2 ranch home with a lovely front bay window. The minute we stepped in the front door, Matthew and I were both giddy. It was SO SO lovely! I have not felt that much like a wide-eyed kid in ages. It felt like we couldn't see the home fast enough! The hard wood floors, the light streaming in through big windows all around us. The perfectly cozy layout of 3 bedrooms nestled on one side of the house and away from the main living/dining room/family room. Then the back deck and amazing backyard with trees reaching up to the sky like a cathedral's walls. It was all just wonderful. And I kept thinking, I could see us here. This is US! It feels like home to me. Excitement gave way as we remembered that this house was not in our budget. So we left thinking that it sure would be amazing if there were some way for the sellers to--for some strange reason--really want US to have it.

Next morning at church. After a great service, we are hanging out and the kids are having bagels. I decide to go get a bagel too. When I looked up, I saw this lady who seemed so kind and welcoming, so I said "hello, I'm Genna. We just moved to Princeton," We chatted for about 30 seconds before she asked where we live; I told her; then I did something out of character (b/c I'm kind of introverted and had no reason to do this): I told her about the house we saw. And I said: "It's on ... street, but you probably haven't heard of it." But she had. In fact, one of her best friends lives on that street. But not just ON that street, right across the street from the house we wanted! So she gave me her friend's number and we parted ways.

I called that number, and told "Donna" that we had looked at the house across the street and she was giddy! She has a daughter my age with a grandson Noah's age and thought we'd be the best neighbors, AND the lady selling the house just happens to be a dear friend!! She said: "I've got to call Janet and tell her she must sell to the Pearsons!"

Monday afternoon, we're playing at a sandbox in this park and my cell phone rings. It is the owner of the house! She invites us to have lunch there the following Sunday after church. By this time, we are trying so hard to swallow our excitement, knowing the house is still out of our league, money wise. But this kind of thing doesn't happen very often: the seller calls US and invites us for lunch?? Fast forward to Sunday: we had a great lunch and Abby and Noah were angels. Even giving hugs, unprompted, to the seller (who is 83) and her daughter (in her 50s). We left and prayed.

We decided that we would make the best offer we could. and I mean our best good-faith offer, which we could not top. And this offer was a full 50K less than their current asking price (which was 100K less than their original). We just prayed that if it was meant to be, they would say yes. If not, then no.

Even after turning down another, higher offer, they accepted our offer as is because they thought we were meant to be there. The daughter said "I believe in God and I believe God wants your family to live in this home. Enjoy it. Love those kiddos in this house, and maybe someday you will get to do something generous for someone else."

We are still stunned. We can't believe we will get to own a home. Oh, and then we get an email from our real estate lawyer guy that tells us the seller forgot she had a second lot behind the home (this big forested area). She's including that in the sale price of the home. So not only do we have a great house, but we have a forest too. The kids are going to LOVE IT! Matthew is planning to put up a zip line and they might make a tree house too. It feels too good to be true, but it is happening, and we are so grateful. You have no idea how excited Matthew is and how much time he spends dreaming about the home projects he gets to do. This is seriously his kind of thing!! We couldn't imagine a blessing like this one. Thank you Jesus! (Inside I feel like a big, beautiful african american woman, tears streaming down my face, while I hug Oprah for giving me a house, except it's Jesus I'm hugging, and I'm a small white person, but you get the feeling, right?). :)