Escrow: Home Stretch

Well folks, this is it.  I signed my last bit of paperwork on Friday.  In the morning I stopped at the loan office and finished up my paperwork there.  In the afternoon I was joined by Mike, my mom, and my dad as we did the final walk-through and saw the repairs that had been done.

Updates:  The patio was not 100% removed and re-built as I would have hoped, but it is definitely repaired and will serve as an excellent entertaining area.  The water heater is now strapped securely to the wall of the closet and appears earthquake proof.

I walked through the house like a little kid on Friday: It was actually becoming a reality.  I'm not too sure what to do with myself after checking another item off of my bucket list.  I don't have a concrete bucket list, but owning a home or condo was definitely on it.  I've realized that within my extremely satisfying relationship with Mike, I've been able to check quite a few items off of my bucket list.  Here's a few that come to mind:

• Graduating from college.  
• Purchasing a home.  
• Sitting on a deserted beach somewhere drinking beer.  The somewhere was Isla Ixtapa, Mexico.  The beer I believe was Dos Equis.
• Getting a motorcycle license.  
• Leaving the US without my parents, and Ensenada doesn't count.  So Mike and I went to the Bahamas!  

So I guess the question is, what's next?  I guess I'll add a kitchen remodel to my bucket list, since we're going to do it anyway.  Perhaps a bathroom renovation?  I think I'd like to learn how to sew window treatments of some kind like my mother always did for me.

So that's it for now.  I'm in my final stages of packing but I've hit a rather large dilemma: I've planned a little work trip to Mammoth over the upcoming weekend and I managed to pack almost every article of warm clothing.

So, my current hurdle is gathering up all of the clothes that I'm going to need to survive an extremely snowy locale and packing a weekend bag.  All that while trying to work, go to photography classes, pack the rest of my junk, and attempt to be a loving and doting girlfriend.  Thank goodness Mike has decided to head back to his parents house for the weekend and give me time and space to accomplish all of these things!

Love you all!  Can't wait to see you at our new home soon!

Mike & Kipp

PS Any thoughts as to where I should take this blog after the home buying process is through?  Home remodeling perhaps?  Pepper in some interesting photography perhaps?  No really, I'm looking for ideas.  Please comment below!