THIS IS HAPPENING...

Hello All!

Just wanted to let you all know what’s going on with us…

 

So much to talk about, so little space…  Where to start?

 

Long Story Short #1: Our land in Minot, ND sold, and closes THIS WEEK!!!  (45 days late!!!)

Long Story Short #2: Our home in Virginia Beach sold, and closes on 15 December!!!  (On time, but a really short fuse!)

 

The next “Long Story Short”?  We need someplace to live when I (Allen) go overseas to Greece.  We considered places all around here, but when the “reality” of this house finally selling set in, we thought, “Why stay here?”.  Cristy and I will be apart, so does it matter if we are apart with her and Juliet in Virginia Beach, or her and Juliet someplace where we could really be happy in forever?

 

Cristy and I had taken a road trip this summer, and ended up going through Arkansas.  We saw the most beautiful houses, on gorgeous properties, next to great small towns, all for really good prices.  Ever since then, we’ve been “Window Shopping” for houses; just to see what we liked out there…

 

So, over Thanksgiving week, I took a trip to Arkansas to look at some places we’d been “Window Shopping” for quite some time…  Within 10 minutes of seeing the first property, I’d decided that this was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life…  My last few moments on the property, I watched the mists rise from the river valley below, and realized the short 90 minutes I’d spent there had only covered about 3 of the 10 acres of the property!!!

 

Of course, I needed Cristy onboard with this decision, so I literally took HUNDREDS of pictures!  We talked for hours that night, looking at the pictures, talking about the property, ups/downs, etc…  It all boiled down to the fact that the property was better than we had ever imagined, and we could spend the rest of our lives, living comfortably in one of the most beautiful places we had ever seen.

 

So…  About the property…  We’re gonna wait to send out the address and full details until after we have an accepted bid (We don’t want web-hits to skyrocket days before we make an offer!)…  But, in general, here’s what it’s like…

 

Its 10 acres, 2800 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, log-sided home in Northern Arkansas, on a river  (Don’t worry!  80 feet above the flood zone!  Not making that mistake again!!!)…  If you don’t have a good mental image yet, think, “Mini-Farm” out in the country…

 

WHAT?!?!  In the country?!?!

 

Yeah…  That’s where we’re headed…  And it’s happening…  Fast…  Our stuff is being shipped in 2 weeks…  We’re gone 3 days later…  2 days of driving in 2 cars with 1 kid, 1 cat, 3 dogs, and a mad grab of what we think we’ll need for 1-2 months of “Apartment Living” before our Dream House finally closes…  What makes it even harder is that I have to come back to VA Beach for 2 weeks before I make the trip again…  Then, 25 days in Arkansas, seeing the sights…  If we’re SUPER lucky, I MIGHT get to spend 1-2 nights in the “Dream House” before I fly to Greece.  If I’m lucky…

 

So, I want to thank all of our friends who have been supportive of us through all of this...  While we’re going through an absolutely crazy and chaotic time, we are absolutely sure about this move…  This place looks like a Christmas card should, and is absolutely secluded; surrounded by woods, with peace and quiet around.  Plenty of space inside and out, with an amazing 10 acre “Yard” to raise Juliet on.  Plenty of fresh air, and a life out of the city and all the bad things that happen there…  Our own private stretch of river to go fishing and tubing on, and a garden that in a few years will be a sight to behold…

 

Our friend Dave will be moving out there in February…  He’s just as desperate to get out of Virginia as we are, and I’d feel more comfortable with Cristy not being alone in the house in a new area for almost a whole year…

 

This year in Greece will be hard, but will also have some benefits…  Financially, it helps us out in so many ways.  An extra year of active duty pay and benefits will give us a nice, safe cushion to fall back on, plus a slightly larger retirement check when that day comes.    Cristy will get that “Stay at Home Mom” experience she’s wanted since the day Juliet was born…  When I return, I’ll get to be the “Stay at Home Dad”.  (“GET YOUR BUTT TO WORK, CRISTY!!!”).  Cristy will also have all the time in the world to settle in and unpack our home; getting everything just where she wants it (Before I come home and screw it all up…).

 

If you could only see this place in person…  To all of our friends and family, the invitation is there…  When Cristy gets settled in, come “sit for a spell” out in the peace and quiet of the Ozarks.

 

I can’t imagine anyplace I’d rather spend the rest of my life than surrounded by the woman I love, our children, and the peace and quiet of this gorgeous home!

 

The next few weeks will be extremely hard on both of us, and I know we’re going to need some major words of encouragement, even though we are both positive that this is what we want…

 

For those of you out there who aren’t sure about this move, consider these three words…

 

THIS…  IS…  HAPPENING!!!

 

Allen

Future Country Boy