The House will be ours.

We went to meet the realtor at the house yesterday. We went in the front door and down the stairs. We were in the family room, which on the internet looked a little cave-like and I was afraid the ceilings would be low. But no, it was a huge, warm space with plenty of light. I left Hubband to ask questions and turned left to check out the rooms I couldn't see from the "virtual tour". A nice-sized bedroom was on the left. A full bath was on the right. And straight ahead was the room that made up my mind in an instant.

The room is listed as a "rec room" in the listing, but it's not big enough for what that means to me. It's a long room, about 10 x 5. On one side is a double closet where the furnace, hot water heater, etc. are housed. The other side is completely taken up by a counter with drawers and cupboards below and shelves from ceiling to counter above.

I swear I heard angels singing and voice saying, "Caribou, here is the craft room for which you've always longed. Go forth and make with the glitter and glue. Dust off thee Singer and put needle to material. Show your love for others with rubber and ink. It is meant to be."

And then, just to make sure I was meant to have this house, I went upstairs to check out the kitchen and found hardwood floors and cabinets the color of honey (not dark like in the pictures).

It is not a perfect house, which is why they excepted our first offer. The furnace and roof are original and we already know the roof will need work in the spring. The windows in the front are all vinyl, but the ones in the back are not.

But the garage is HUGE!, drywalled and spotless, with an attic for extra storage. There are more than ample closets in every room. The carpet is the same as I would have had in this house by next year if we were still here.

Hubband has decided (and I think it makes sense) that we should turn the living room into a formal dining space and buy a table that seats twelve. We've never been able to have a meal with his family where we all sit at the table. We're talking china cabinet and sideboard time, here. But if we do that, then I want to put french doors where the doorwall is and a couple of cozy little chairs in what is now the "dining room" part of the kitchen.

Since we want to try to get a good price from this house, we've given them 90 days from closing. The house they're building will not be done until Easter and we're in no hurry to move them out. (Okay, yes I am, but we're trying to be realistic here!) It will give us more time to save and shop for furnishings, too. We'll need them.

The weekend has whirled by so quickly. Yesterday we looked and got pre-approved for our mortgage. Today we signed the paperwork, made the offer and got accepted. All within 24 hours.

My husband says I'm tenacious.