Can you keep a secret???

We can!
We bought a house and closed on it today without our family having a clue!
(At least that's what they told us when we pulled up to our new home today!)
Let me start at the beginning.
We've been looking for a home since the fall. Bry and I are both picky. We know what we like, we know what we don't like, and we weren't willing to budge on somethings. With that being said, after nearly six months and close to 60 homes we found "our house". Being the ever fickle people, it took us three nearly one hour tours of the house to make an offer.
The first time we went to visit the house, my mom happened to be with us. She loved it as did we and from that time in February until just this past week she would occasionally ask about the house -whether it was still on the market, or ask if the price was still high. Unbeknown st to her, unbeknown st to all our family from mid-March until today, June 1, we have being playing this strange ping pong match known as purchasing a house.
When we made the first offer, the seller accepted our offer without accepting the $5000 seller's assist we asked for and also wanted a closing of July 15 contingent on them finding a property.
Ummm, you want us to accept this offer in the middle of March when the springtime is just coming and lots of houses on being put on the market, and we should accept this with the understanding that you may or may not be ready to close on or about July 15 only if you have found a place?? We should accept these terms?
Ummm, No thank you.
We walked away.
We spent 2 1/2 more weeks back in the house hunting game when their realtor called back. The sellers found a place, wanted to close on June 1 and will give us the $5000 seller's assist.
Where do we sign?
So, that's it, right?
Umm, not really. We had the inspection. Went back and forth with the seller's again over what they needed to fix (termites in the garage, knob & tube wiring, add a liner to the chimney) and the things they wouldn't fix (a new boiler or hot water heater). We agreed on the terms, had them fix it, and last week Bry went through a walk-through with the inspector.
He came home this past Thursday and said. "WOW! There's a lot of stuff in that house not packed. There's no way they'll be ready to close by Monday".
He was right.
We went for our official walk through this morning and lo and behold the moving trucks are blocking the road (and driveway) as they are moving all the furniture and boxes- hell the entire contents of the house when were suppose to do the walk through.
Needless to say the attorney in Bry came out in a vengeance! He just kept saying "The seller is in breach! The seller is in breach! I'm just letting my attorney take care of it all!".
In a nutshell, closing ended up taking nearly 3 hours instead of the usual 45 minutes, but we have a house!

It's going to take some time, money, and I'm guessing lots of blood, sweat, tears, and elbow grease to make this house our home.
Mo loves the backyard! Yes, we'll finally have a yard, with real grass and trees and everything.

I can't wait to have Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner in the huge dining room (minus the Tiffany blue paint, of course!)
Finally, Bryan is ecstatic about the kitchen!

All he needs is this: to make his dream kitchen a reality.
I can only imagine that my posts from now on may also include rantings and ravings of a new homeowner.
I'm apologizing now.