The third time is the charm

So, on Monday we headed down to Cedar City yet again for a blitz house-shopping trip. (We left just before 7 a.m. and were back in Provo just before 8 p.m.) Our realtor told us that a house we wanted to check out probably wouldn't be on the market much longer, since the price had just dropped considerably, so we went down right away.

As it happens, Dan didn't like that particular house so much. But we think we've found on that we *do* like--and this time, our bid has actually been accepted! The house is older than many that we've looked at (it was built in the 50s), but it's in a beautiful area of Cedar City close to downtown and--what I think was key for Dan--it's less than a block from the university, so we wouldn't need a second car to get him to and from work in the winter. It's a cute little red brick house in excellent condition--beautiful hardwood floors, big windows in the family room, a pretty black-and-white tile kitchen, and a lovely garden mural in the baby's room. There are only two drawbacks: no garage (but then, less than half of the houses on the street have garages--has to do with the age of the house, I think), just a carport; and no master bath (again, a factor of the house). But, since Dan and I have never actually had a master bathroom in the history of our marriage, that wasn't a deal breaker. For the rest, the house seems to have been recently remodelled--the paint is all contemporary, the basement is finished with new carpet, and, if it isn't quite as spacious as some houses we looked at, it still has plenty of space for our little family (with some room to grow), and what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in charm. You can see some pictures of the house here.

Dan's cousin Jodi saved us while we were there, by agreeing on short notice to watch Andrew, who had a blast running around with her three boys. The oldest, Kade, observed to his mom that he thought Andrew was "cute," but that he talked funny, "like a grownup." That's our Andrew!