"Pending"

Folks... it happened. An offer we made on a house ACTUALLY got accepted! Oh but it's not just any house in any neighborhood here in Folsom. It's THE house in THE neighborhood of our dreeeamssss.

When we had sent in our offer, I was really excited and putting a lot of hope in to us banking this one. I mean... I even prayed for it (which I tried not ever to do because it just seems like a silly thing to ask for... a BIG silly thing to ask for... but, I really really really wanted this to be the one).

Before touring the inside, I had been outside on the curb waiting for our awesome realtor to arrive. I loved the curb appeal on this house. Adorable and very us. It has an enormous pretty tree in the front yard, which I know will eventually have a swing on it (haha... I know, I know...).

Our realtor arrived and the second I walked into the house, I immediately loved it. It felt so good. I called Max and talked to him about it and we put in an offer. Yes... Max hadn't seen it at this point but I know what we both like and he has seen this floor plan before... and we're talking the neighborhood of our dreeeamssss. Remember?

I have this handy little realty app on my phone that I constantly check to see new houses that come on the market, and also to check the status of homes we put offers on. So, as you can imagine, I was checking that app every day, multiple times a day just to see if this house went Pending. And usually... if our realtor hasn't called us before it goes Pending, it's usually a sign we didn't get it. Believe me. Time and time again it happened to us.

So I'm checking the app and it says PENDING! I had received an email from our realtor earlier that day saying she spoke with the agent and had no news and that she would call again the next day. Man... my heart sunk. If she didn't know by then, then we for sure didn't get it. I sent her a quick email saying it went Pending and basically... I said, "Bummer." I've got excellent vocabulary.

Literally, 1.5 minutes later (after I send the email), she's calling. Did she really see my email that fast? This time... her news was good news. Very good news. The I-couldn't-believe-it type of good news. It was just a verbal acceptance at this point but man, it felt like a symphony of voices were singing praises in my bedroom! Ok, not really. But you get the point. I called Max to let him know and he was just as excited. And we both were thinking..."we better start saving even more money now that we will become homeowners!" Haha.

We finally got the signed contract last night and now are officially on the move to get this going! It's a short sale so it will take some time before we can get the keys. Max did get to walk through it and he loved it just like I knew he would.



You know what's crazy? Another house, in this neighborhood, we put an offer on was barely over 1,100 sq ft (so that's kind of small for wanting to grow into it with up to 4 kids... if you can imagine the size). We offered $20,000 OVER asking price and were only 3rd back-up buyers!!! 3rd! This house is over 1,500 sq ft and we nailed a contract! And this house is in a lot, a lot better condition than that 1,100 sq ft home ever was! Crazy huh? Folsom is a hot spot for home buyers and investors right now and the homes in this neighborhood go quickly with all the cash buyers that have been beating us out of at least 2 other homes. We are feeling pretty lucky.

Ok... off to Max's baseball game!

Wanna know what's amazing?

Taking something so beautiful and majestic in real life and translating that into your photography.

I love making photographs into art pieces... there's so much more beyond clicking the camera button!

And I'm kind of cheap so you bet your bum on it that I used a free editing program to do this :)

Lovely

Decided to take some pictures and hang out at the Temple Friday night while my husband was working late. It's so calm walking around the grounds. All the cares of the world are left behind and I love that. I'm posting more photos on my picture blog: getzphotography.wordpress.com

Just because

Major catching up...

Life is good to us! Currently, I am a nanny to my sweet niece and nephew 3 days a week and it's a pretty sweet set-up! I could not have asked for more perfect kids. They truly are wonderful and are showing me how to be a good mom for my own children. I love taking their pictures every now and then (who doesn't love to play dress up with kids?! especially with little baby girls?) Here are my more recent photos of the babes:

About a month ago, we went to Oakland to celebrate the marriage of my brother-in-law Jordan to Abigail. (Everyone mistakes Max and Jordan for each other at first glance. Funny!) It was a pretty little setting hidden in ghetto Oakland haha. Seriously though. Pretty Italian music, colorful flowers, the smell of delicious, fancy schmancy food cooking in the kitchen, and not to mention, great company! They are a great looking couple and suit each other well I think :)

  

One weekend, my sister, Alexis and her hubby, came into town. She just got a new camera so we got together and did mini photoshoots of each other (mostly to help her figure out her new gadget). We were snorting and laughing too much! Which typically happens when we get together. Fun times!

Isn't she gorgeous!? I love coming home after taking photos and discovering what I was able to capture :)

There was a karate demonstration at Town Center in El Dorado Hills. Had a couple shots taken during it. Everyone loves when the girls kick a little ass ;) And I'm not saying that in a big head kind of way... It really is true. The most reactions from the crowd came from when the women were kicking butt.

AND THEN... BLACK BELT EXAMS. All I can say is it was literally the hardest thing I have ever done physically. It was so hard physically, that my mental faculties fell apart for about 2 days following. 

I cannot divulge any information regarding the exam itself other than it pushed me to my limits and then pushed me further. I cried in my car the entire way home, not of sadness mind you, but of complete joy for finishing, in addition to the great exhaustion I felt. We are talking 10 hours and 45 minutes, people.

I was able to compose myself by the time I pulled up to my parents house (Max was waiting there for me). I walked in, everyone was looking at me and smiling and telling me congratulations and then it happens... I make the ugly cry face and start balling AGAIN. There was some concern, but I made it clear that I was just completely tired and happy it was over. There was a lot of laughing as my overwhelming amount of crying happened on and off the rest of the evening. The ugly cry face made it all the more comical mind you.

And then, Max and I went home. I cried in my car AGAIN, the WHOLE way home. Haha. This is getting hysterical right? Well there's more. I get in the shower and Max peeks in on me about 5 minutes later and I start balling AGAIN. I kept reassuring him I was just tired. But it kept happening, and at this point he was genuinely concerned that something happened during testing. AWE. Sweet, right? I'm sure the bruises didn't help my case either, but, again, I reassured him that I was just tired and happy it was over.

We got in bed. I was so tired and was thinking about the exam: "Did it really happen? Did I finally reach the finish line?" Just by thinking about it, I started to cry... again. Poor Max. He did not know what to do with this blubbering, snotty faced, cry baby. But he comforted me and held me and I finally went to sleep. The next morning, he made sure I was ok before he left for work and told me to just relax and watch a movie. Thankfully, the crying was not so dramatic. Though I did have momentary spurts of wailing and a few tears come down my cheeks. I had to verbally tell myself to knock it off. HA! Black belt exams have made me a crazy person!

Then, we were able to find out the results of the exam a few days later. This wasn't promotions. So my dad does it right before class. He let's everyone know what had happened and that today we were going to find out whether or not we had passed. He hands me a sealed, folded paper with my name on it. I turn away from everyone so I can have a little moment and I open it. PASSED. I turn around and my eyes have already begun welling up. I'm trying hard to contain it this time because my audience isn't  just my family anymore. But I couldn't hold the tears from falling down. My dad also had his eyes filled with tears and it was a very special moment as we hugged each other and he told me how proud he was of me. I have wanted this for so long not only for myself but also for my dad. I know how much karate means to him and how much it means to our family. I felt honored to have finally met my life-long goal and to join my other family members in the Black belt ranks (Truly... my mom received her black belt when she was pregnant with me! So I've been in this before I ever entered this world!).

Promotions came. My dad had a slideshow with pictures from the exams. Some of those were not so pretty of me! Haha. And then I was presented with my certificate and belt. I couldn't help but ALSO cry at this point too. I hope I wasn't making anything close to the ugly cry face... I think I'm safe on that one ;)

The Smith's were in town for two weeks. It was great playing with the kids and hanging with my sister. Sweet baby Mack is the sweetest, snuggliest little guy there ever was! I loved those moments where he would let me hold him close. Ah.

As they left, the Virginia Getz's came into town. It was fun hanging with them too! We don't get to see this family very often, so it was a blessing to get to know the boys a little better. Took a couple pictures of them and they are a wild bunch! 

On other notes... I have re-decorated our bedroom. Clean, white bedding. I also painted the mattes in our frames white (they were originally a really dark green color) and I had some wedding photos printed in black and white. LOVE them. Those frames look so much nicer now. Our bedroom needing some lightening up since all our furniture is so dark in there. I also wanted it to feel more like a bedroom than an office space... a little more luxurious feeling in the cheapest way possible, if you get my drift...

BEFORE: 

 

AFTER:

And lastly... my recent project (inspired by my sister)... PEG DOLLS! They are so cute and I've been in more of a painting mood than a sewing mood. But man... once I start a project, I have to sit through it and finish it right then! It's kind of a weird thing. I just felt like I had to finish it the moment I started it...and I did! 

I'm impressed if you made it this far in the post. It's been awhile, and I just feel like I had to touch on everything that's happened since the last time I wrote! I now get to look forward to my other sister coming to town with her kids for a whole two weeks! I just love all the family time!

Oh and... we're still house hunting. Put in an offer yesterday on a house which already had 4 other offers. They were reviewing tonight. We're kinda used to rejection so I feel like I'm just waiting for our realtor to email us the bad news! ha. ONE day, we WILL get accepted and it won't even feel real. I'm sure we will both be shocked when it does happen. Hopefully with a house here in Folsom :)

Peace out.