On Easter we started seriously considering attempting to move. It suddenly clicked. We wanted to be back in the town we loved. Immediately we broke out the Pros/Con list. Please click the link below to really get yourself in the mood for this list.
Pros for moving to Golden:
- It's where Aaron and I first met.
- It's where we lived for almost 10 years--feels like home.
- It would be closer to family.
- We'd be intentionally downsizing.
- It's where our church is (that we don't go to enough).
- More biking/walking opportunities.
- It's got that happy, "outdoorsy" feel we all LOVE.
- Prospect of making new friends and meeting new people.
- And lastly, (this is just a guess), more coffee shops per capita than any other city in Colorado.
Cons for moving to Golden:
- Showing your house is a detestable experience.
- Moving is a gruesome, apoplectic experience.
- We would be moving from a ginormous dream house to what will most likely be a shanty.
- That shanty will probably more expensive.
- The girls will have to change schools.
- Loads of uncertainty.
- Leaving good friends and good neighbors.
- Sore backs.
- Not even a full summer to enjoy last summer's landscaping oasis.
- The possibility of not finding a new house therefore having to live in my in-laws' RV for the next 3-5 years.
You may be asking yourself, "Why the nonsensical twist of a good phrase? Zaxxon?".
a. We DID have that Atari game.
b. I was awesome at it, JUST like I'm awesome at staging a house.
c. I find it just completely hilarious that "The object of the game is to hit as many targets as possible without
being shot down or running out of fuel—which can be replenished,
paradoxically, by blowing up fuel drums". -Wikipedia
d. It was also one of the first video games to display shadows, to indicate the ship's altitude above the surface. Take that you stupid Gorilla.
e. I also simply hate when people say "It's on. Like Donkey Kong."
So like many things in our lives, we decided to choose the path with the MOST resistance and rally the
family to move. And just like Zaxxon, I feel like the object is to hit as many people as possible with house fever without being shot down ourselves or running out of fuel. Although stressful, this has seemed much easier this time around in that we didn't have to
tile anything, our girls can make their own beds and this house is
fantastic. None of which was the case the last time we moved.
We shined, mulched, touch-upped, lost our tempers with each other and our kids, and planted pretty purple flowers. I even resorted to baking cookies right before the showings. Because that's just S-M-A-R-T. I used my mom's recipe from my home-town church cookbook (which is a future blog in and of itself).
And I only burned them once. Which to be fair, we found out as we were packing for a weekend of camping and mtn. biking that we had a showing in less than 45 minutes.
Just like Zaxxon, many times I needed to refuel. This meant maybe one or two (or...more) of the famous Rose Dobler chocolate chip cookies and/or iced coffee. Because yesterday was the hottest June 4th on record and we had two showings.
Notice in the background the artful, yet whimsical display of lemons and limes, the fresh cut irises and how SHINY everything is??!?!!? SOOOOOOO SHINY!
Yes. Two showings and hopefully our last. 13 days on the market, 17 showings, 5 mowings, 7 batches of cookies, 6 iced coffee's later and we were under contract as of 5:30 a.m. today. That was right about the time when I was shining my bike headlight into my sister's house Morse-code-like. Lynette and her girls just arrived from Kazakhstan (I KNOW. It sounds like ZAXXON) for the summer. Giggling maniacally. Coincidence? I think not.
The girls and I later went into Golden to see them for lunch. Not sure how everything will trickle down, but I definitely felt like we were refueled for at least the day. No showings, no stress, just coffee, giggles and summer.
