"FOR SALE BY OWNER"

We sold our home.  In this economy we weren't so sure, so we thought we would try.  We posted it online "for sale by owner."  Didn't even put a sign in the yard.  Had a dozen people look at it, and then finally a young professional couple bought it.  It was on the market for about 4 months.

We've traded our 3 acres for 3/4 of an acre.  Seriously, it takes 20 minutes to push mow, tops.

We've traded our creek for a neighborhood pool.

We've traded our four-wheeler for a golf cart, maybe.

We've traded our basement for a very, very small shed.

We've traded a bare naked three acres for a view of the 11th hole fairway full of shade trees.

We've traded our three-car garage for barely a two.

We've even dusted off our golf clubs (after 15 long years in the basement).

We thought it would be a bittersweet move.  That we would be sad to leave the only home our kids knew, the one we built 13 years ago before we even had kids.  But it hasn't been.  We absolutely love our new home, new neighborhood, and we haven't looked back.  We've traded lots of things for the sake of "downsizing."  But everything has worked out so perfectly that we feel God has moved us to this place. 

We had a huge yard sale.  It was a great success.  We hired movers and started packing weeks in advance.  We labeled every box.  And no matter how much we planned and no matter how organized we thought we were, moving IS NO PICNIC.  It still took 3-plus days to get all of our things moved,  We just about killed ourselves.  We're old, what can I say?  We still do not park in our garage for all the "stuff" that still fills it.  But we're making progress. Each day one more box gone. And still getting rid of stuff.

We bought an older home that could use a little updating.  But that's the fun part.  It's a well-maintained home.  It's a one-owner home.  One the couple built after they married 31 years ago.  It's been kept up really well.  There's shade trees all around.  Much different than our other place.  But even with all the bugs and falling limbs every time a storm rolls through, I still love it. 

Our family has enjoyed a little golf in the afternoons.  Both my kids have a pretty good swing.  Me?  Well, I haven't picked up a club in 15 years, so we'll just leave it to the imagination (let's be optimistic).  My husband, the could-have-been-pro if he tried, hasn't picked up a club in 15 years and swings as if he hasn't missed a beat.  When I was a senior in high school, I worked for a chemical plant.  They had lots of golf tournaments throughout the year and always invited the interns to play.  The guys there taught me how to swing a club.  Then when Greg and I married, he bought me my own set of clubs.  And I practically haven't played since.  Isn't that the way it goes? 

The kids can literally ride their bikes to the pool, which is the biggest bonus.  Except they aren't quite old enough to stay there by themselves.  The dogs and cat?  Well, they love chasing all the critters around the yard.  And the funniest thing of all.  Our cat walks the golf course with Greg and Caleb.  He goes from hole to hole.  He will walk to the hole, sit down and watch the ball go in, chase all the bugs, and then head to the next hole.  It's the funniest thing you have ever seen.  We've renamed him the "caddy cat."  He watches and makes sure the ball goes in each hole.  He literally follows them around until they head back home.  So I think they like it here too.

Greg is literally 2 minutes to the interstate to head to work, and I'm just a straight shot downtown to the office.

It's as if we were always meant to be here.