Bunking With Papa and Grandma...

Unfortunately, our rental home in Gilbert wasn't ready after we moved out of our Prescott house.  Papa and Grandma were sweet enough to let us all bunk with them.  Lots of fun was had over the next 7 days while we waited for June 1st to arrive.  

We finally closed on the Prescott house...

Thank Goodness!

Selling to these buyers was anything but easy.  The initial back and forth at the beginning of our sale wasn't a huge sign of how difficult these buyers would be but it became obvious after just a few days. Wanting access for this and for that.  Asking for more items after the inspection.  I know, I know... this all sounds like normal home selling business but I promise you it was anything but that.  See it got very complicated, the buyer is a real estate attorney!  She clearly knew all the details of real estate sales and exploited that knowledge when negotiating after their inspection.  They submitted their required form for repairs they desired.  None of which were lender required.  See when we entered the contract and I found out she was a real estate attorney, I had our realtor put in the final agreed upon offer that we would NOT repair anything that wasn't lender required to avoid petty repair fixes.  We just renovated the crap out of this house.  I didn't need more projects to add to our list with Marc already working 2 1/2 hours away.  The list of requested repairs was silly.  Some of it wasn't even an issue.  A supposed leaking toilet... that wasn't even leaking.  Their inspector failed them when inspecting and failed to acknowledge that a child had just showered 30 minutes before their arrival and inspection period.  Water had splashed on the floor and he didn't take the time to wipe the area and see if it was, in fact, leaking!  Proper vented exhaust fans.  Their inspector didn't go far enough in the attic to see they were properly vented.  Touching up paint in areas (which included repairing/replacing the large back deck which we did end up changing out $8 worth of boards and I slapped a coat of paint on the deck to spruce it up).

Caulk missing in one tiny, microscopic area of the tub surround.  Replacing a window that had a minor crack (which was cracked when we bought the house!!).  The list went on and on.  And then was the pellet stove.  A pellet stove that was there when we bought the house, not in working order when we bought the house, and an item you would NEVER use unless you didn't use the basement as living space (which wasn't the plan for this large family).

Come to find out that the pellet stove is a warranted item.  Warranted items must be in working order at the time of the sale.  We tried to give a credit but she didn't want that low of a credit.  She wanted some obscene amount off because she felt we owed her that much?  At the end of the day, we negotiated something a little more reasonable but it still infuriates me that we gave her anything at all.  There is no way that they are going to buy a new one.  They'll never use it.   What thrilled me to no end was that weeks before we settled on the credit, we did attempt to have it fixed.  We drove the 400 lb pellet stove 2 hours away to have a specialist assess if it was worth trying to fix.  In exchange for his labor, he agreed to keep it for parts and not bill us the $250 service fee.  Had this buyer just taken the initial credit we offered, she would have a credit and a beautiful (but not functioning) pellet stove on her hearth.  Instead, she made a stink about it being fixed and caused it to no longer be present at the home.
In the end, we walked away with a successful sale, a little profit for all our hard work, and more knowledge for the next home sale that will be in our future!

Phoenix Zoo With Friends...

 Our friends invited us to the zoo today.  It was a little warm to be at the Phoenix Zoo but, luckily, we came prepared.  Kids in swimming suits so they could run through the 3 different splash/water areas scattered throughout the zoo.  We arrived early so that we could see some of the animals out just after their morning feeding times.  We left close to lunch time with exhausted children.

The Fractured Prune...

We discovered the yumminess that is The Fractured Prune.  These are custom made donuts made to order.  They are the most expensive donuts I have ever purchased but made a great dessert.

Packing To Move Again...

I'm not sure what the end move will be but I, sadly, know this isn't our final move.  We have opted to sell our Prescott house and rent in the valley given the current housing market.  Moving a family of 8 is no small job.  Almost 30 pages of box and furniture stickers logged, 2 moving trucks, and 4 moving guys completed this move in just 4 days time.  Here are just a few of the many pictures I took  to document our 16th move!

Piano Recital...

Lillian worked incredibly hard this year to learn how to play the piano.  It all started when Marc and I scored a player piano off a Facebook group site for $20 last year!  Lillian had always wanted to play piano but it wasn't until this year we invested in some lessons.  She played beautifully and did a fabulous job.  We hope to continue lessons for her once we are settled in the valley area.  

Homemade Gifts...

Before saying my final good byes to the RE staff at St Germaine Catholic Church, I decided to make them a few gifts.  I used up some scrap wood, fabric, and flowers and made these cute crosses.  After finishing the crosses, I began working on a special piece for my friend Morgan.  She had pinned a similar project as something she wanted to make.  I figured I would help her out and make it for her.  Her 35th birthday was coming up and I can't not give a present to someone on their birthday, especially when they've been such a fabulous friend!  The gift wasn't where I stopped, though.  We had planned a final Moms Night Out (final for me with my move) so I planned her birthday celebration that evening.  I hope we made her evening a memorable 35!