"Ummmm Babe... We're buying a HOUSE..."

As I am sure that anyone who has ever bought a house - particularly a not-exactly-new house - already knows, there is a dip in excitement in the homebuyer timeline between having a ratified contract and, well, having a ratified contract that takes into account all of the little things that the home inspector pointed out. Things that make the Perfect House seem a little bit less Perfect.

That's the part of the timeline where we sat for the better part of this week, following our inspection last Saturday.

However, after some compromises on our end with regard to what we could do ourselves (let's be clear that "ourselves" = me and Bret and both sets of parents) and what we should/could ask the sellers to do, and after some waiting to find out what the sellers WOULD do... we now have a ratified contract and a ratified contract addendum.

We are pretty pleased with the results of our negotiations, and we are hopeful that we are in the home stretch towards closing on April 13th!! That leaves six weekends to:
- Pack
- Look for furniture to furnish at least twice our current living space
- Pick out paint
- Pack
- Purchase wallpaper remover
- Buy a lawnmower
- Read up on fence building (so that our new neighbors aren't introduced to Elsa and Otter with us chasing after them frantically)
- Paaaaaack....

And oh so much more. Things that we are excited to do, and things that are tedious, like figuring out who our new utility providers will be and making those calls (this is for Bret.... NOT IT!).

We had been holding back on starting any of this until we got past the inspection stage. Now it feels as though the flood gates have opened. Every so often, we catch ourselves turning to each other, wide-eyed, and saying...

UMMMM... WE'RE BUYING A HOUSE!!!

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Well, folks, get ready. This is about to be a Cheap Eats blog. A "Best Flavor of Hamburger Helper" blog. Maybe even a Couponing blog if Heather Steele has anything to do with it.

A "Renovation and Redecoration on a Budget" blog.

Because while we've been away from our blog, we've been getting new jobs and moving on up and saving up pennies. And finally, for the past month, HOUSE HUNTING.

And yesterday, some kind people accepted our offer to buy a house. A great big, awesome, beautiful house in the suburbs, with more rooms than we know what to do with, for the time being (and the foreseeable future...don't be getting any ideas, Parents). A house with a great big yard with grass for which we do not yet own a lawnmower. A well-cared for house with pink walls and blue carpet and Oh. So much WALLPAPER.

I outright refuse to post a link or an address or any identifying characteristics, lest I jinx us. After all, there's still an inspection to worry about. And they still will want that check that empties out our savings account.

For now we are excited and anxious and stressed and happy.

So stay tuned. When I started this blog, we were away from friends and family and doing interesting things in our Colorado Life that warranted pictures and stories across the miles. When we moved back to D.C., I fell off of the blogging wagon because life got, well...less interesting. But soon, (pending appraisal and inspection and finance contingencies) we will be Homeowners. God help us...

Summer is Moving Along Like a Freight Train...

This summer is moving SO fast that I am already dreading the cold of winter, even though it was 100 degrees today (and will be for the next few). Lest you think I am complaining, let me remind you that I, Jaimy, have spent the last two summers studying for bar exams. If I am complaining about this summer, it is because as the weeks tick past, I wish it could last forever. Labor Day will come all too soon - definitely before I am resigned to Fall. As much as we often wish we could click our heels together and be anywhere-but-D.C., I have to admit that summer is the BEST time to live in Northern Virginia, especially since we have a new back patio that is like a little oasis:

Even when we are home, we are "busy," cooking up a storm and/or whiling away the hours outside over brunch just-the-two-of-us or dinner with friends.

Summertime recipes enjoyed by the Lewises:

Seared Mahi with Green Gaspacho

Perfect No Cook Strawberry Ice Cream

Blueberry & Nectarine Cobbler

Grilling whatever we can...

We've tried new restaurants all over the District and Arlington, and I swear I have wanted to tell you all about them... but I was too busy enjoying the sunshine! Hope you are all doing the same!

One Extreme to Another...

So Good to be Out of the City!

Here's a link to pictures of our visit last weekend to Orange County, VA, with our good friends Meredith and Cord. Another (food-related!) post to come...

Snowed In

OK, I just wrote a big long post about how we have been snowed in....and then blogger ate it. I think blogger ate it to get back at me for not posting for the past six months, so I have decided to just accept my punishment, instead of tempting further retribution by trying to recreate the clever things I said before.

So without further ado, here are some shots of the members of our family who have been quite pleased to have Mommy and Daddy stuck at home for the past SIX DAYS, and who really do not mind the three feet of snow in their backyard. In fact, they really quite enjoy it...

Otter digging a snow cave on his 1st birthday (Feb. 6th)

Bret tossing snowballs for the pups

Elsa enjoying the cold

Attack stance (This was early on in the snow fall,

when you could still see the bushes over the snow)

Done. (Again.)

I'm going to act as if the little readership of this blog has been chomping at the bit for an update, as if it is not made up almost entirely of people I talk to on a daily basis. It's OK. Just let me think that. (And if you are evidence that it isn't true, drop me a comment and let me know!)

Anyway, today is Day Two of Post-Bar Exam Bliss, and T-Minus ONE day until I turn 29. After the last few weeks of stressing and cramming and generally exhausting myself, I'm tempted to make a few last minute additions to my birthday list. Namely, a walker, some orthopedic shoes, some Ben Gay, and an industrial sized bottle of ibuprofen. Don't get worked up -- I am not saying I AM old, I am saying that I FEEL old. As in, decrepit. I tried to do two days of coffee detox in an attempt to "reset" my system, but that lasted one day, and that is only if you don't count the fact that I had three cups of Earl Grey tea yesterday. Oh well.

Here is the point where I sing the praises of my amazing husband, who has now seen me through two bar exams. The mere fact that I was able to take the exam instead of being admitted to the hospital for lack of nutrients is a testament to his devotion to keeping me fed and watered and generally moving in the right direction. This time was definitely harder than last. I "quit" at least 3 times a week, only to be encouraged and gently guided back to rational thought. Then, in those last few days, when the going got really tough, I came home to a "care package"- a new Vera Bradley bag filled with chocolate and gummy bears and advil and chamomile tea and a sleepy-time CD. He offered to drive me there ("there" being Roanoke, 4 hours away) and back, only to come pick me up two days later (which I turned down because, while the offer was tempting, it would be a little ridiculous). And PEOPLE, he had our house cleaned while I was gone. I left a certifiable mess behind and came back to sparkly cleanness. The moral of this story is: I am the luckiest girl on the planet.

And now our "summer" begins. Birthday celebrations lead into Anniversary celebrations. We've got tickets to the Legg Mason Tennis Tournament here in D.C. And my little brother is coming on his first solo trip to visit us. These next few weeks were my motivation through the last few... the light at the end of my tunnel, the cherry on top, etc. Bring on the happy stuff!

Happy Place.