Thank you for your wonderful support, everyone!

We are extremely relieved to finally sell our house.

And we’ve gotten some questions about how it all went down, so here you go…..

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Weren’t you going to close a few weeks ago?  Why did it take so long?

We had to extend the closing on our house because we needed the time to secure a loan to sell it.

(Yes, we had to take out a loan to sell our house).

(Yes, we lost a lot of money).

(Yes, we are still in a lot of debt).

And when I handed the check to the escrow lady, she looked at me and said, “I’m so sorry.”

“That’s okay,” I said firmly with a smile, “We’re just glad it’s sold.”

“Yes,” she agreed, “And I hate to say it, but a lot of people have needed to do the same thing. It’s really too bad.”

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If you lost so much money selling it, why didn’t you just foreclose?

We could have easily foreclosed.

And there was a time when we discussed that option.

Were we willing to take the hit and take years to pay it off?

Or should we just walk away, ruin our credit, but save a ton of money?

Honestly, this decision gave me pause.

But I will never forget the look in my husband’s eyes and the resounding shake of his head.

“No,” he said without hesitation, “That’s not honest.”

“Well, if we have to do it, we have to do it, right?” I asked, “I mean, it’s happening to tons of people.”

“No,” he stayed firm, “There’s always another way. Don’t you remember that talk from Elder Wirthlin? Where he said we always need to honor our debts? And he told the story of the man from the Depression who took years and years to pay off his debt, but he finally paid it off?  Well, we can, too.”

And that’s when I sat back.

Took a second look at this man I had married for eternity.

Marveled at the depth of his integrity.

And wondered how on earth I was ever going to deserve him.

From then on, my outlook on our situation completely changed.

I decided that my signature was going to mean something.

That nobody was going to lose a dime at my expense.

And that I wasn’t just honest when it was easy.

But I was also honest when it was extremely hard.

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So you’re still going to open your Speech-language Pathologist business?

Yes.

My license should be approved in a week and I’d greatly appreciate people spreading the word.

I will be working at night after my son goes to sleep, so hopefully that works for people.

Also.

I’ve decided to do more photography for pay.

Thank you to those who’ve expressed interest in this service and to those who’ve supported and encouraged me.

Here’s my new (very simple) Photography Site.

I will be working on Saturdays when Charming is not at graduate school.

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Do you regret buying your new house before your old one was sold?

So many times we’ve asked ourselves this question.

And every time we’ve had to answer, “No.”

We still feel like we made the decision God wanted us to make.

We still love our home, our neighborhood and our church congregation.

And we still hope to live here for years to come as we pay off the consequences of our treasured gift.

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What else have you learned?

That even in hard times, people give incredible acts of service and generosity to their fellowmen in need.

Our mortgage broker was unbelievable.

He’s never even met us.

Yet he worked his tail off to get us the best loan possible.

And he didn’t make a single dime.

If you live in my area and want to work with the most compassionate, honest mortgage broker who has ever lived, please ask.

I would love to give you his information!

So, thank you, Morgan!

And thank you to all those who worked so hard on our behalf and even offered us money if we needed it.

You are amazing people.

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How are you doing?  Really?

Honestly?  I’m very tired.

So I think I’ll spend some time with my husband and then go to bed.

Good night, y’all, and have a great weekend!

Thank you again for your prayers and support.

We couldn’t have done this without them!

Love,

Heidi, Charming and Bubbers