Finally!!!!

The dream home Colby and I spent a year designing on 5 acres on the Washougal River in Washington is finally on the market!  Once we brought Reid home from the hospital, we knew we couldn't leave the Bay Area.  We're praying that the perfect family will find and enjoy this perfect home.  Spread the word and pray for a swift sale!

Click here to view the Real Estate Flyer.

Click here if you're having trouble viewing the slideshow below.

 

Almost Finished!

It's almost time to list our house on the market!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Real Thing!

Colby and I flew up with Reid to visit our Washington house for a walk-through.  It was so bittersweet!  Everything was beautiful and the views from the windows were breath-taking.  We were overwhelmed by the reality that had become of all of our time and effort in designing.  We were truly pleased with John's work and hope that another family will enjoy the house as much as we would have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Progress!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated Photos of Washington House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bittersweet Dream Come True
Here are some pictures, taken about a month ago, of our dream home plans coming into fruition. The updated drawings include changes to make the house more appealing to buyers, as suggested by a local (to Washington) real estate agent who specializes in large houses on acreage, such as ours. It was initially difficult for us to look at these photos, but we've easily come to accept the situation, knowing that staying in the Bay Area is the right thing for our little family for now.

Updated Drawing of Front:

Updated Drawing of Back (side you approach when you drive up and side that faces the view of Portland):

Excavation (tons of giant boulders on our property!):

Foundation Set & Daylight Basement Built:

Sudden Change of Heart
The night after Reid was born we brought him home from the hospital. The rush of grandparents just left and I sat in my new glider chair, rocking the little man as he slept in my arms. I looked at Colby and broke down, crying. Terrified of his response, but knowing I needed to speak up now, I told him I no longer wanted to move to Washington. I said I realized I had been pregnant for nine months, yet it was never quite real to me until that moment, that I would find myself up there in this humongous, awesome house that we custom designed, thinking only about what we had given up: Close family and great friends... I thought not only about Reid's birthdays, but those mid-week, no-reason visits with the grandparents. I saw how much they love him and not only would I be taking him away from them, but I would be taking them away from him. As much as I thought we would be doing what is best for our family by providing a big, beautiful house on a river with acres of room to play, I would be leaving what is far more important. So Colby just nodded and said, "ok." He started talking about our three-quarter million-dollar loan we are locked into and how we may be able to get out of it. He talked about our obligations to our builder (and friend) and said he would talk to him to find out what our options are. I asked him how he felt about it all and to my surprise, he answered, "Relieved."

After exploring our options, we've since decided that we will go forth with the build, changing some characteristics of the plans to make it more appealing to the public, and we will sell. This is a huge risk for us, but we both believe it is the right decision. We're both a bit heart-broken about giving up our dream home and our Washington plans, but again, we're confident that this is the right thing to do for our family and we know that God is with us whether we're here or there.

New Drawings from John

Floor Plans
Since we bought the property, we've been working with our friend/architect/designer/soon-to-be-neighbor, John Dryden, on designing our dream home... Here are the latest drawings of our future home:

This drawing shows the "rear" of the house, however it is the side that will face outward, toward the view, which will be seen when driving up the drive way.

This is the "front" of the house. The drive way will wind around to the back of the house to this front door.

Floor 1 Plans:

Floor 2 Plans:

Daylight Basement Plans:

Viva Washougal
In the Spring of 2005, Colby and I became the proud owners of a 5-acre parcel in a town called Washougal, on the very southern border of Washington, just outside Vancouver. After taking a visit up there to experience it for ourselves, we fell in love with the view of Portland and the hike to the Washougal river, which we took without even stepping foot off the property! With nature surrounding, yet Safeway, Blockbuster & Starbucks a mere 10 minutes away, it seemed perfectly balanced between the privacy of the country and the convenience of the city.

These photos were taken of the land in mid-March of '05.