House Adventure

James here! After we matched into the Florida program we quickly discovered that there are very few rental opportunities in the Ocala area. There never seemed to be more than 10-15 options and most were on the high end of our budget or located in areas we wanted to avoid. After talking to some of the current residents and watching a few Webinars about buying a home in Residency, we decided to go ahead and buy a home! We quickly found a good Loan Officer/Company (SunTrust) and Real Estate Agent (Patricia Kilgore-seen below). 


We went house hunting on April 7th-11th. We ended up taking the boys, but fortunately Karrah's Mom was able to drive down form Atlanta to watch them as we were out with our agent. I'm not sure we could have done it without her help. Both Karrah and I feel extremely stupid because during the entire trip we didn't think to take a single photo other than a few we snapped while driving to and from the airport. 

We ended up only needing to see houses for 2 days. We actually really liked the first house we saw on the first day, but decided to look at a few more in case we needed a back-up. Oddly enough it was a home we did not like when we were looking online. It has a really bright teal outside paint and the inside has a dark green carpet. The colors made us dismiss it, but as soon as we walked inside we really liked the set up of the house, the spaces, and the neighborhood. Obviously we would plan on make some adjustments over the next few years (i.e. flooring, paint, add a fence, etc.).

We decided make an offer for full asking price, but did request that they cover some of closing. They accepted later that day which we are so happy about. Since then it has been a whirlwind of activity. We had to sign the contract, set up a Home Inspection, contact loan officer, send a mountain of paperwork, and much more. The plan is to close May 31st, which is good timing, because we plan to be moving down that same week. Here are a few pictures that James snapped while we were signing the contract. 

Match Day Adventure

James here! I am horrible about keeping a journal and wanted to find a way that our family and children could see some of the many adventures we are experiencing. Karrah suggested that I become an author on her blog. So, I thought I'd give it a try!

On March 12th we found out that we matched into a Family Medicine residency program! For those unfamiliar with the process, you interview at numerous locations and then rank them from your top to bottom choice. The programs do this as well with the people they interviewed and the lists are submitted into a computer algorithm that finds the best "match".  The way it works is after finding out IF you matched you have to wait 4 days to find out WHERE it is. On the 16th we found out we are going to Ocala, Florida. It was not our number 1 choice, but was very high on the list of 15 that we submitted.

The closer we get to moving down to Florida the more excited I am about this opportunity. If we had not matched into a location in Florida I'm not sure we would have ever moved there. And there is just so much there I am looking forward to experiencing!

Happy Birthday James

We officially have a one year old! James changes what food he will eat almost daily. Sometimes he will down 3 or 4 cherry tomatoes and the next day he won't touch them. He is getting really fast at the walking thing and likes when I chase him around the house. He likes it when we wait by the door and see Dad driving up. James LOVES to dig through the kitchen cabinets that he can reach and be right next to me when I'm trying to cook. I took a few pictures of him today and remembered to get a few for the little party we had for him. We invited a few of our friends over for cake and ice cream. We are grateful for the friendships we have made here in Dreary Erie. I tried to upload the videos but I can't seem to get it to work so if you want to see them check my instagram! His first reaction to the cake was tears but after he calmed down he really liked it. I played around with my computers editing tool on my computer to so don't judge on the job. :/ I was trying to fix the lighting. ANYWAYS we love this crazy kid of ours and I am grateful I get to stay home with him.

Almost a year...

Not only can I not believe that he is almost a year old but the weather here is a lot warmer than it was this time last year. Still chilly and for me chilly is cold but a lot better. According to the forecast there is no snow in site for this week which makes me so happy because it snowed the day he was born.
He looked so adorable in his Sunday suit that we snapped a few pictures before church on Sunday. He is my favorite little man! I love his little moccasins as well. A friend introduced them to me and I'm so glad that she did!

11 Months

I cannot believe that he is almost a year old. I know I say this every time but seriously where did the time go. He has 4 1/2 teeth. I say 1/2 because one isn't completely in and he is getting another one. He will pretty much eat anything I give him but if he decides he doesn't want it he will either spit it out of take it out with his hand and then throw it. He couch cruises and has taken a step on his own but only once. He isn't quite ready to do it on his own. He loves to play all the time and always wants whatever I have. Like right now he wants my computer. He is my best little bud and I am so grateful to have him in my life. He gets so excited when he sees Daddy's truck pulling up and LOVES bath time.

This is a face he makes when he is trying to tell us something. 

So is this one. 

And this one. 

And this one. 

He loves his Daddy!