The Parks Family

Well, we had our home inspection April 9th. My Mom was in town so she was able to attend as well as Jonathan’s Mom who took some time off to go. Jonathan had to work so I was on my own (aside from the Mom’s).The home inspectors worked in a team of 3, where each one had a specialty. We had 1 person for the outside/crawlspace, 1 for the inside and another that was a certified heating and cooling specialist. They were all very nice and quite informative.

I was nervous about the fact that the home is older and many of the essential ‘guts’ were old. I learned a lot about the home and my fears were put to rest.

We learned that the home is made out of sawmill cut oak. Oak apparently is almost impenetrable by a nail, let alone termites. The inspector informed me that we couldn’t afford to have a home built that would even come close to the quality of the one that we purchased. He said that after 50 years of being there, no water had even touched the wood under the house and there was no evidence of any water related damage to any pipes or ducts.

The heating and cooling tech. said that the central heat and air unit was running great and had at least another 10 years life left. The ductwork was all in good operating condition and needed no repairs.

A few problems were found but thankfully nothing major. There was a leak under the sink in the bathroom and kitchen that required the copper piping to be replaced. Also, when the home was painted a few of the windows were painted shut. Since the home is older, there are only 100 amps of power and most homes these days have 200. Thankfully the circuit box has room to be upgraded to support 200 amps with no problem.

Knowing that the home was built so well, along with the large lot and potential room that we do have, I feel better knowing that we didn’t make a very expensive mistake.

It’s Official!!

Our offer was accepted! We are the unofficial proud owners of a home. It will be official after our home inspection and we close. We got the news yesterday afternoon.

We wanted the house and put in an offer for $100 over asking price to ensure that we got it. We have been outbid before and didn’t want it to happen again. Our agent told us that it would be Saturday afternoon before we heard anything because there were multiple offers coming in and the seller’s agent was going to present them all at once. Our offer must have been the best because we got a call a day early. We are excited to finally have our search come to an end and feel much better knowing that we will close before Colton’s arrival. Wish us luck as we begin the stages of becoming home owners.

Holli found a new listing that looked pretty interesting for a home in Tullahoma, TN and decided to drive by and take a look at it. She fell instantly in love and called me at work to order me to meet her at the address for a showing she had arranged when I was off. The home was very nice and located in a good subdivision on a double sized corner lot of about 0.75 acres with large oak trees in the yard.

The home was built in 1960 and is about 1300 sq ft on the main floor with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath all recently redone with new paint and fixtures, new bourber carpet thoughtout, new hard wood in the dining room, and new matching ceramic tile in the bathroom, utility room and kitchen. The bathroom also had new enclosed bathtub, toilet and vanity. Also the kitchen had new cabinets and countertops. On top of all this it had a large finished attic that did not count towards the square footage because it wasn’t supplied heating in and cooling which is great for taxes but also would serve as a very nice storage area or one day with the addition of a real stairway a possible expansion. In addition to the newly paved driveway that can easily hold 6 or more cars there is a large shed building that has both water and power running to it with plenty of space for a small workshop and a riding lawnmower that will be needed for the large yard.

So far it was the best overall we have seen and a real bargain for what we were looking for. Apparently it looks like it was bought by some house-flippers that are now desperate to get out of it since the market slumped. Anyway, in its week of listing it was viewed 7 times and 2 offers submitted so we decided to put in an aggressive offerto be considered with these not to let this house slip out of our hands like the last one. Wish us luck.

Our second leg of the house-hunting journey was okay. We looked at 4 houses and found 2 that we liked. We found one that was perfect and had already been updated with new cabinets, appliances, carpet and refinished hardwood floors but was seriously lacking on space. It had potential to be bigger with an unfinished attic but that would require more work than we can commit to now or anytime within the next 3 years.

House #2 that we liked had 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, a nice sized living room, dining room and study. This house would be perfect for us but it needed a lot of updating. All of the hardwood floors needed to be refinished and the rooms that had carpet needed to have it replaced. The landscaping was lacking curb appeal but it did have potential.

The past 2 week-ends have been devoted to house hunting and I’m already tired of it. We are keeping the faith that the house for us is out there. From what we’ve seen so far, our dream home will have to be updated or we’ll have to settle for less in some area such as space or location and that is not really an option. We’re going to continue looking but I have a feeling that we won’t make a final decision until after Colton is born. It’s hard for me to imagine re-doing a house, preparing for a baby and moving, all within the next 2 ½ months. Pray that something will happen for us!

I had a Dr. appt. on Monday that went very well. I got back the results from more blood work and tests that I had to have done. The Dr. said this last round of testing was it for the rest of the pregnancy which makes me feel better; I’m tired of being poked and prodded but I do realize it’s all for a good cause.

I had to have the standard gestational diabetes screening which required fasting for 12 hours and then drinking a very sugary, poorly flavored drink on an empty stomach, waiting for an hour and then having my blood drawn. I don’t have gestational diabetes and all of my cultures and blood counts looked great except for my iron. My iron has dropped 2.8 points and was low to begin with so in addition to my prenatal vitamins that contain extra iron, I am now also taking a prescription strength iron tablet.

I have been feeling a lot better now and have been able to get out and do more. I have lost 2 pounds since my last visit, which puts my total baby weight gain at 5 pounds. The baby and the fluids surrounding him, etc. weigh in a little over 5 lbs. at this point which means I have gained all baby weight, which makes me feel very good that it will be easy to lose.

Other than that, everything is great. Colton is right on schedule and I don’t have to go back for 3 more weeks. The time is drawing more near and with every passing day I get more and more excited. I am 29 weeks pregnant today.

Well, as you all know we have begun house hunting. Last Saturday was our first real day of looking. We viewed about 7 or 8 houses and around lunchtime we began to get discouraged. We have a price range that we want to stay within so that once we purchase a home we will be able to update it and add characteristics to make it our own.We began our hunt by going to see a house that sounded promising with 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. The pictures we saw showed a claw foot tub and the original glass doorknobs. A house with charm and room is what we expected to see. Once we arrived we realized that what was advertised as a 4 bedroom really meant a home that had been split into a duplex that required an exterior stairway to reach the upper story. That was a no-go.

The next house was just around the corner and had been completely remodeled and we were even more excited to see it. Once we arrived we didn’t know which house we were there to see. There were 2 homes at the end of a dead end street facing one another with a shared front lawn that allowed for about 4.5 feet of front yard per house before you begin encroaching onto your neighbors territory. We didn’t even go into the house because we value our privacy a little more than that house would have allowed.

House number 3 was in Tullahoma, which is a quit family friendly town central to everything that we need. The house looked decent from the outside and okay upon first entering. We knew the property needed some work so we were excited to see that a couple cans of paint and new carpet in one room would make in move-in ready. We inspected the inside of the home and loved the big laundry room with lots of cabinet space, the 4 bedrooms and the fireplace. We decided to check out the backyard and to our surprise we learned there wasn’t one. Upon exiting the backdoor we were faced with a giant hill that would take a week of serious hiking to summit. We could however walk 3 feet up into the yard and retrieve any stray balls or Frisbees that might have found their way to the roof. We didn’t like knowing that Colton could easily one day leap from the yard onto the roof and possibly break a bone or 2 so we moved on.

Next door to the yard of death was the “handyman special”. Jonathan considers himself to be quit handy so this seemed like a great possibility and the price would allow for some upgrading. We arrived at the house just as soon as the current owners were leaving and after we walked in, we realized we should have hitched a ride with them. Handyman special was a severe understatement to this home. “Complete Gut Job” would have been more fitting. The owners had 2 children and we only know this because the Spider man themed room next to the Barbie room was totally trashed with crayon marks on every wall and door and the marker stains in the floor made it appear as an artist’s studio. We walked into the kitchen and discovered an even more horrible scene. Aside from the peeling linoleum and awful cabinets that needed to be redone we did notice a nice little cozy spot for a washer and dryer……..right next to the refrigerator. We ran and we ran fast.

The next house was lacking on square footage but with the nice price tag we would room to add on if we needed to do so. We arrived at the house and were unsure where to park since there were 2 cars in the driveway. Our agent rang the doorbell and we heard scurrying about inside. We waited for a good 5 minutes before our agent rang the bell again and we were told to come in. We entered the home and looked to find a family of 4 eating lunch in the middle of the kitchen. After we squeezed past their table and went into the hallway a woman came out and acted startled to see us there. We were checking out the linen closet and someone rudely came by and pushed past Jonathan acting as if we had put her out because we might be interested in taking her home off her hands. As our agent was trying to discuss the details of the home over the woman on her cell phone that was about 5 feet away from us who almost caught me in the eye with the end of the comb sticking out of her head. We tried to find the charm. It’s pretty rude to be in a home when it is showing but then to act put out that we want to see it makes it even worse so we left.

By this time we are beginning to get discouraged but we still have a glimmer of hope that we might happen upon our diamond in the rough. We go to the next home and are surprised when we turn onto a very well kept street lined with manicured lawns and get waves from the neighbors. So far so good. We pull into the driveway of a well kept brick home and are surprised by how well maintained it looks from the outside. We enter the home onto a hardwood floor and see the fireplace with the built-in bookshelves that surround it. I am surprised to see carpet and mention to Jonathan that there are probably hardwood floors throughout. We lift the carpet and are ecstatic to see under the red and blue shag pristine, solid hardwood floors. We are getting happy now but know at any moment our bubble will be burst. We go to the kitchen and find a huge, walk-in pantry that will allow plenty of space for our growing family and a garage with shelves already built-in off of that. We exit the back door and find a yard perfect for a swing set and barbecues. We check out the wiring and the roof and the central heat and air. All seem to be in good in working order and we learn they are all new.

We love the house but since everyone told us, “Don’t buy a house your first day of looking”, we were scared. We ate lunch and viewed 3 more homes and we still couldn’t quit thinking about the perfect house we had seen. One of these three was a pretty nice home with a very large yard and a nice screened in “Florida room” in the back. The downside was the house looked sort of like a manufactured home and was kind of in the middle of nowhere in Estill Springs, half way between Winchester and Tullahoma.

We decided to put in an offer on the brick home in Tullahoma. We learned the house had been on the market for 7 months and the owner had rejected several offers but we figured that had to have been getting tired of it sitting vacant so we would try to lowball and then accept their counter if it came down to it. We established a price that we wanted to stick to and put in an offer for $2k less. After we had filled out the 10 pages of papers we learned there was another offer on the table. We figured the sellers agent was trying to bully us into making a higher offer so we stuck to our guns. We got a phone call later that evening that the house had been sold to the highest bidder

We had our first real taste of disappointment in the real estate market and we’re trying to think positive. Maybe there is another “perfect home” out there for us and hopefully we’ll find it soon!

The last 2 years of my life have been crazy and overly chaotic.

Jonathan and I met,

• 6 months later I moved 3 hours away from the only place I’ve known as home,
• 5 months later we got married, 2 months later we moved to another state,
• 6 months later we had a wedding,
• 4 months later we found out we were pregnant,

• 6 months later we are now looking for our first home.

We have accomplished what many take nearly a decade to do in less than 2 years. The support of our family and friends and the happiness that we have together has made it possible for many great things to happen in our life. We have realized that anything is possible. We are each others source for strength and motivation and it has paid off.

Some might feel that we have moved too fast but we feel everyone else moves too slow. We don’t let opportunity pass us by and have taken risks that have given us big rewards.

As I sit and think about the last 2 years, I have only 1 regret and that is not having met Jonathan sooner. We are excited about the coming our baby and the impending journey of finding our first house. We have experienced many firsts together and there is no one that I would rather share these “firsts” in my life with.

I really appreciate everyone in my life that has helped me become the person that I am today. I couldn’t be happier with where my life has taken me and the things that with Jonathan, we have accomplished together, holding each others hand through it all.

The PHOTOS page is now up along with a photo set with pictures of Jonathan and Holli’s wedding. Stay tuned for more sets to be added soon.

New content of all types will be added regularly, so check back often to keep up with the latest news on the Parks Family and baby Colton. Also dont be afraid to click on any of the ads in the banners, they are safe and put there for a reason

Holli is 25 weeks and 5 days pregnant (she switches over on Wednesdays).

Colton is making very good progress and is still due June 18th. The Dr. has confirmed that everything is going along as planned. As much as Colton is kicking, Holli has a strong feeling he will be a week early and is shooting for June 12th. Place your bets on the due date now before its too late, as there are only about 14 weeks left.The nursery is coming along and the only thing its missing is a baby. Colton’s heartbeat has been strong and he is quite active. The 18 week ultrasound showed him doing constant somersaults, staying still barely long enough for us to get a clear view and confirm that he is in fact a boy.

Many people have wondered about the origin of Colton Arthur. Holli felt it important to name her first born son after her father. Robert and Lynn were both thrown out and the alternative was to name him after the place Holli’s father grew up and has so many fond memories of, Coalton, OH; The spelling is different but the point gets across. Colton will be the 4th generation on Jonathan’s side with the middle name “Arthur”.

Holli and Jonathan are very excited to welcome Colton and can’t wait for the family to meet him.

Before Jonathan and I got married we discussed our goals for the future and we both agreed that we wanted a family. Soon after our wedding ceremony in June, we decided to begin trying. Several months and no luck, we began hearing “it will happen when you’re not thinking about it.”

One day in early October on my way home from work, something told me to stop by the drugstore and purchase a pregnancy test. I had a “feeling”. I decided to purchase the 2 pack and took them home to see if my feeling had substance. At this point, I was not late and had no reason to think I was pregnant except for my gut telling me that I was. I got home and Jonathan was cooking dinner so I decided I might as well take the tests.

I took the first test and it looked like a faint ‘+’ but I wasn’t sure since it was so hard to see that I immediately took test #2. Test 2 provided the same faint ‘+’. I called to Jonathan to confirm what I saw and we both looked at each other with disbelief and amazement. I decided I needed to be extra sure so back to the drugstore we went and got a 3 pack. I went home and took all 3 back to back just to be sure and they all came back with a ‘+’. After 5 positive results we began the phone calls. Jonathan called his Mom while I called my parents. All were happy and shocked at the same time.

The following day we awoke early and went to the Dr. for a blood test just to be sure. After we told the Dr. how many positive results we had received she assured us that I was pregnant and did the blood test which confirmed what we already knew. She estimated me to be about 4 weeks and we began preparing for Colton’s arrival.

I had my first Dr. appt. on October 30 and the first ultrasound the following day on Halloween. Our first ultrasound didn’t show much but an egg and a very faint heartbeat but it was then that it all felt real and finally began sinking in.

Jonathan and I couldn’t be more excited and ready to share the love we have for each other with someone that we created.