OFFICIAL HOMEOWNERS!

On Friday at around 10 or 11 o'clock I got THE phone call... "You are official home owners now!" Woo hoo! I sat down at the computer and cried. I tend to do that a lot lately. Everything makes me cry- joy, sadness, happiness, pain, lack of pain, and so forth. :) But that's okay because this was a GREAT day for us!

After Josh opened the door with our OWN set of keys!

(I promise the peacoat makes me look BIGGER than I really am...

it's not very pregnant friendly! HAHA!)

Our Realtor, Troy!

The kids seeing a REAL mailbox for the first time!!!

And yes- we have a garage!!! FREEDOM!

Troy teaching Josh how to light the pilot light.

Man. Let me tell you how much easier it would have been if

we would have just brought matches with us on Friday-

cause Saturday was quite the adventure! haha!

And finally- JOSH DOING THE HONORS!!!

We are so grateful and excited that this is happening for us! We strongly felt that it was time. We've had people tell us we're stupid for buying right now when the market could still and is still going down. My answer to them is this: WHEN IS IT EVER THE RIGHT TIME? If we wait our entire lives on other factors we will miss our life. We have to take a leap of faith and jump in with both feet ready. What if Josh gets laid off. What if I die of cancer in 6 months. What if there's another attack on our country. We can live by "what if's" all we want... but we will never progress in life that way. Life is about having faith, and Josh and I have faith that this is what and where we are supposed to go.

We love everyone and are thankful for all of your support. :) This is our dream that has finally come true!

Love Nichole

Closing Time... (I Know Who Will Want to Take Me Home...)

We signed all the closing documents on Monday. It was a 400 page book full of jibberish that Josh and I had seen and signed all the month before in other various runs to the Lender. My signature was AWESOME the first quarter of the way through and then turned into an ugly mess of scribbles and cursive. I hope they don't question the validity of it! HAHA!

Today is supposed to be the day we hear back that the deed of the house has been put in our name and we get our keys! Everything with the timeline of buying this home- or ANY home for that matter- has been really off. I know that all good things in life come from waiting and are more appreciated when agonized over but PLEASE can we close today??? :)

Josh and I are hoping to move Monday. We even have people lined up and on call for when we get our special call. If we don't- then we wait until after Thanksgiving to move. SUCH A JOURNEY! HAHA!

We ARE extremely excited... but being almost 29 weeks pregnant this excitement exhausts me. HERE'S TO TODAY! I hope I have a happy tale to tell by the end of it!

Love Nichole

6 Years... My Cinderella Story

Six years ago my breath caught in my chest as I watched my husband walk around the corner wearing his black tux with a turquoise tie. His hair was gelled and cut short. He slightly blushed as he saw me sitting in the foyer of the temple wearing my bridal gown. Staring at one another we both just smiled. Finally after some prodding from one family member or another we finally took each other's hand and walked to the front doors. We knew what awaited us outside- a horde of loving family and friends ready with camera's.

One. Two. Three.

Pushing the doors open we were enveloped with so much love as we walked outside the temple doors as husband and wife. Flashes and congratulations met us. Overwhelming feelings of awe and wonderment filled me as I smiled at everyone.

"So this is what Cinderella feels like?" I quietly thought to myself.

It was the most amazing experience of my young life. Little did I know that the experiences that left me speechless would continue to stack up as the years Josh and I lived together as husband and wife increased.

******

It amazes me how long six years feels when I look back on it, yet somehow it flew by. Getting ready to give birth to our third child, I feel emotional as I remember all the trials that have brought Josh and I closer together. We have experienced serious disappointments and amazing enjoyments together. From arguments that really are quite comical, to some that didn't feel all that great during the time. From a miscarriage to two live births (thus far); and many dorky moments driving to Taco Bell at midnight before there were any children. Every stage of our life together has been a journey, a journey that is building upon the foundation that was created those precious years ago. The story of Joshua and Nichole Gaertner- married for time and eternity.

I love my husband more today then I that day he blew my breath away in his handsome tux. I never thought it possible with my young naive heart to ever feel more then I did that day. If I were to fast forward to today I would be pleased with how our life together have forged out to be. My heart would fill just at the knowledge that my life goal and dream of being a stay at home mother would be fulfilled. That through the prodding of my husband I would obtain my bachelor's degree and explore with my passion of photography. I am so blessed to have married a man who cherish's my own dreams as much as I do. I am so blessed to have married a man who has goals and dreams that coincide along side mine. I am blessed to have found a companion that just plain puts up with me. :)

And so here I write to my husband and say: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY AND I ADORE YOU, HEART AND SOUL. You are my best friend and life long confidant. I thank you for your hard work and dedication to this family and I love you more then I ever thought was imaginable.

You are my Prince Charming- and I will forever be your Cinderella!

Love Nichole (aka Goose... aka Nikki-Anni-Hanni!)