We bought a house! (almost)

We put an offer in on a house, they counter-offered, and we accepted! So unless for some reason the inspection says there is something really wrong with it, we bought a house! We should be closing on March 25. The house is in East Mesa, right around where I grew up. It's a four bedroom, two bath home and we absolutely love it! It was originally built in 1970, but in 2008 it burned down completely and they just finished building a brand new house on the old foundation. It's a 4 bedroom house, but it isn't huge – definitely a starter-home. Anyway, I'm posting some pictures so our family in Idaho can get a good look at it. :)

Click here to view the pictures of our future home!

Chase got a job!

So even though Chase is nearly at the end of his first week of his new job, I thought I better make it official by posting it here. :)

Two weeks ago, Chase had a job offer from another company and he nearly accepted it, but we found out that it just didn't pay enough, even for an entry level mechanical engineer. So we were both kind of bummed. Sort of. Except for Chase really wasn't excited about working there – it was kind of going to be a job just to get by, not something he'd really enjoy. So it was a good thing he said no. Then, a couple of days later on Monday, he applied for a job online and saw that they had posted a phone number. He decided what the heck, what could it hurt to call? So he called the guy who said he was going through about 150 resumes. Chase was really nice and told him that he was really qualified. Actually, most of the people who applied had 30 years of experience. But the guy said he just wanted a new graduate. Ta da! May I present my husband Chase, new graduate! So anyway, they scheduled an interview for the next day. It went really well. The day after that, the guy (Darwin) called back and asked for references. The day after THAT, Darwin called again with a job offer! One that pays enough! So in one week, Chase went from jobless to starting his first day at work! And the best part is every day this week he has come home talking about how much he loves his new job. :)

The other best part is that his boss, Darwin, looks just like Chuck Norris (red beard and all) and has even met Chuck Norris because he teaches karate and has a black belt like Chuck Norris!!! So cool.

Chase's Birthday

Chase is 24!! I can't believe he's so old. And I only say that because to me he is just a little boy. :)

Anyway, a month before his birthday I started planning a special day for him to enjoy. On his actual birthday, which was a Thursday, I took him to his favorite restaurant, let him buy some speakers he'd been wanting, and drew him a little picture (he made me, really). He thought it was a pretty good birthday, so no complaints. But on the following Saturday, we woke up and got ready and I told him I was taking him somewhere for his birthday, but I wouldn't tell him where. I just made treasure maps out of little scrolls of paper that had hints as to where we were going.

Our first stop was In 'n' Out for lunch. Then we took a two-hour drive down to Tucson where we went to Saguaro National Park – he kind of has a cactus fetish. After that we killed some time at the mall then went to eat at Panda Express. Then, the final destination: we went to go see a show with Chase's favorite band, Saves the Day. That was definitely the best part of the day! Let's face it, you can only be so enthralled and excited about a bunch of cacti. But while we watched them play, every time he turned to look at me he had this huge grin on his face, and that made everything worth it.

Happy Birthday to my Chaser Bug! You are my best friend and I just can't get enough of you, ever. Love you :)

(Sorry for all the pictures! The first one is the picture I made for him – super weird, I know)