A couple of months ago my sisters and I were having a discussion on dreams that we always wanted. One of them asked me what my dream was. I was surprised by how choked up I got and I remember saying "some dreams have experations on them." I think some times its hard to identify what your dream is and for other people they think of their dreams non stop. My dream isn't some unrequited career (I do love my job) it isn't an academic goal ( I got by Bachelors, no small feet from a girl that had learning disabilities). I have 5 wonderful kiddos and a complimentary, compatible and uncannily devoted husband (both dreams that have come true). So my dream that had yet to be achieved was to own a bit of land and have a farm of sorts. Well we tried that dream and it crashed. Bought land, lived on it without electricity and running water for over 10 months. We had an army tent and small travel trailer and a port-a-potty. Then the bank industry crashed and they pulled our loan (even thought we never missed a payment, they just stopped offering us money to finish our house). We then sold our land at a loss and returned to Tucson with a mountain of debt and no land.
Little that I knew a couple weeks after I wrote my last blog post "a red letter day", we would have a new day to remember. I use to search real estate relentlessly. I always searched for properties in Tucson that have 3 acres or larger. I found one that I loved and had to see it. It was way over our price range but I had to check it out in person because it was in my favorite area. I talked with my fabulous sister in law Robin who is a realtor and showed her the property. She agreed that we should take a look. She called the realtors and it was being shown by appointment only. Robin also told me this was a serious listing and that the owners were only wanting to show the property to serious buyers and that we needed to have the financing approved before looking. So what does a phone call to a bank hurt? I talked to the bank gave them all our info and they ran the numbers. Since we knocked out our debt and like my last post said, saved a good chunk of money our credit scores were excellent. We actually qualified to buy the house! Thus we were able to look at the house. Convincing my husband about looking at this however was a different story. The house was listed on Wednesday March 16th. I talked to the bank on Thursday March 17th and my birthday was on Friday March 18th. Benjamin was serving as Bishop and had no intention of releasing himself with a move, and honestly I didn't either but something in me never wanted to give up on my dream. Since Friday was my birthday Benjamin consented to go look at the house. I loved it from the start from the drive up, to the house, the kitchen, living room, all of it! Benjamin thought is was cool looking but wasn't feeling it. Then we walked out to the back pasture and that is when I got him. He was like Lesley we can't afford this, right? I told him how I ran the numbers talked to the bank and we actually could. That is when the wheels started to turn and my dream became our dream.
We wrote our offer and a personal letter on Saturday and submitted it that Saturday evening March 19th. My brother John helped us write the personal letter and we hoped that by knowing us a little that they might see how much we would cherish their property We gave a full price offer but needed help with closing costs and also asked for time to sell our current house. They came back with not helping with closing or helping with closing but increasing the sale price and not making the sale of our home conditional on us buying theirs. We couldn't do any of their scenarios. So we didn't counter, The realtor called Robin and asked why we didn't counter she told them we gave the best offer we could from the very beginning because we loved the house. Their realtor suggested the owners hold an open house on Easter Sunday of all days March 27th and see what other offers they might receive.We prayed for it to work out but also wanted what God wanted for us so we were at total peace and believed if it was meant to be it would be.
The very next week Easter Sunday March 27th we got a call from Robin who said is Benjamin with you ? I said yes she said put the phone on speaker. Robin told us that the open house had over 30 families come and view it. But before they even opened the open house the owners met with the realtors and told them they didn't want to have the open house because they wanted to sell to the Howe family. They told the realtors that they are a prayerful family and feel like God wanted the Howe's to have the property and that there was no reason to have the open house. Are you kidding me?! We felt that God wanted us to have the house too! They took our original offer! The husband was nervous about waiting for us to sell our house but the wife insisted that it would all work out. And it did!
According to our contract we had one week to get our house up and listed. We had to have it listed by April 1st and we had to have it sold by May 31st. We were right in the middle of a kitchen remodel so we had to get the kitchen ready, paint all the rooms and bathrooms and replace carpet in the master bedroom all in a week! By another miracle we were able to do it! In large part due to Robin(the realtor who also paints) , John, Hillary and Barbara, Peter, Dan, Melissa, my Mom and Dad (my dad helped us bang out the kitchen his expertise was invaluable!). The house was ready but would it sell? And in sell in time of the May 31st due date?
Further proof that it was all meant to be is that a friend heard on Facebook that we were moving and called to talk to Benjamin about coming to see the house because his family was looking for a new place. This friend came and saw the place before it was listed and put an offer on our house just days after it was listed. We had one person look at the house! We had others call to come view it but it only takes one and Heavenly Father helped put that one early on in our count down. The best part was that this family would join our old ward. Benjamin as bishop would always joke, families can move out of the ward but please replace your family with others members so that the ward won't get smaller.
Appraisals of both places came in exactly where we needed them and we closed on May 31st! These are pictures of our dream house, better than we originally imagined. We have a pool, stables, a guest house and its even in Tucson not on the outskirts of town...Our dream come true. My daughter Olivia thinks I am bragging with this post, but I just never want to forget the miracles we have received. These pictures are the listing pictures so just picture our current house with not as cool of furniture :)
The main house has four bedrooms
Pictures of the guest house
Isabella is in the 10th grade! She is 15 and attends early morning seminary every morning before school. She is taking 4 AP classes. Mercy that is commitment! Her friends at school who are not LDS think she is amazing for outing more "school" on her plate. We think she is too! After this year she will be over half way through school. Basis senior year is shorter. I am already getting choked up thinking this smiling giggly girl will be moving on to brighten someone else's life....sigh time does fly.
Jiating Tong also known as Cindy, is bright outgoing and funny. She is 16 years old and is a Junior at Basis High School. She jumps right in to new things. She speaks excellent English and is animated with fun stories. She has a heavy coarse load and is also on the Mock Trial team at school. We loved picking her up at the airport the excitement was tangible! She has beautiful long hair that I enjoy braiding, any braid looks good in it!
Adrianna is 6 years old and is in the 1st grade. Last year she was in half day kindergarten so I was worried how she would handle the longer day, but she has been doing great! Every morning I am at the church building running while Bella takes seminary classes, so Benjamin is left getting the youngest three ready for school. He does an awesome job on Anna's hair! She loves Mandarin, art and math but not humanities! 
Wenhui Sui known in America as Beryl. Not a very common American name! Beryl is fun and reserved at the same time, she expresses herself very comfortably and also speak excellent English. She is adventurous and has gone to two church dances and survived! She loves Art and is in the National Honors Art club as well as a Medical club that her and Bella take. Beryl also has a very hard course load, but even in a second language she is doing great!
Holman is now over at the secondary campus so he gets to go to school with his sisters although he arrives earlier and hangs out at the library till they are done. What a great kids he rarely complains about it :) Holman is 11 years old and in the 6th grade. He has transitioned to middle school quite nicely. He is mart and fun and always has something up his sleeve. He know owns an electric guitar so he will be pretty much unstoppable in a couple of years.
Parkin is 9 years old and in the 4th grade. He is the oldest at his campus, he is loved by all. He is clever and bright and very huggable. He loves the Chinese culture and would love to live in China some day and have a beautiful Chinese wife :) He wants Beryl and Cindy to hook him up. He is in cub scouts. Between Parkin, Holman and his two boy cousins who are staying in our quest house, they can play in the pool for hours. What makes them stay in there so long? We have a rope that expands the width of the pool and they just hang and hang. It is funny to watch!
Olivia is last just because she was the last person to take a photo. Olivia is 13 years old and in the 8th grade, I am not sure how that happened?! She will be 14 in December and able to go to the "lame" church dances! Olivia continues to kill school and I love reading her opinion pieces that she rights for archaeology class, she could have a blog with just those writings. Olivia taught her self how to play the ukulele, and has a most beautiful voice and talent. Poor girl, I make her play for me sometimes and find myself getting choked up at her awesomeness.
