Ahh.. We're adults, and we can renovate a house??

Well, the time has come, we're adults. It's kind of scary.... Jordan and I decided several months ago back in November that we wanted to begin looking for a house that I could move into before we got married. Me, being the hard-headed independent lady that I am, has a dream of living on my own before I get married to my best friend! So, we began house hunting back in the late fall, somewhere in Westfield near our families. And crazy me completely overlooked the old family farmhouse that my mom inherited when my Granny, Papa passed away. This house is quirky. I mean some of the floors aren't level, lady bugs have built their home in the upstairs, there is a door under the staircase, and lots of 60s, 70s, and 80s charm that was added over the years while generations, upon generations of the Pell's lived there.

You see, this house was built around 1935- my Granny "Iva" grew up during her teenage years in the house because their original, massive farm house burned down. There are dormers on the house, a dining room, a den, a living room, and three bedrooms plus a bath. It's white, charming, and has a lot of potential. Luckily, Jordan was smart enough to say- hey- let's renovate that house. The land that the house sits on has been in my family since about the mid eighteenth century, so it was the perfect place to be, and begin our lives. (Next year it will be official when we decide on a date).

So, this will be our house, without all of the bushes, random trees, and such. You have to use your imagination, but there is going to be a huge porch on the front, an addition on the right side, and new siding put on the house! It will be the cute, quaint farmhouse that I always wanted, and it will be a great first home for Jordan and I. 

(This is a photo of the road that led to so many tobacco fields on the family farm. It is so important for us to remember the heritage of where we will be living).

So, renovations have begun. We have torn down wallpaper and paneling, and ripped up carpet among other things. Luckily! Underneath the horrible awful shag carpet lay a diamond in the ruff, original pine floors that were logged from the family farm when it was built. Some of them are slender pieces, and others are more thick, but, boy oh boy, will they be amazing when they are refinished!

Pre-carpet rip up! That horrid shag carpet.

We are lucky, both the den and the living room have fire places that we are going to re-do in rock! One of the many projects and DIY's that we will be conducting on this house! :)

Part of the kitchen--> imagine beautiful wood cabinets, either stained dark, or white- we haven't decided on colors yet!

More kitchen. This will be my favorite place- you see we are adding on a 12 foot addition, and the kitchen will be HUGE!

Jordan ripping down the awful paneling- it is a fun job :)

Our dining room will look gorgeous with the family's antique 100+year old handcrafted table we will be using! We are super excited about this room as well. 

Needless to say, Jordan and I are very blessed to be able to renovate, remodel, and make new a house at 24 years (soon to be 25 on Thursday for me) old. We are at a great place in our lives, and everything seems to be falling into place (especially after the engagement last weekend--> I still can't stop smiling, its that can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence world series kind of love, and life). Our families are being extremely supportive, and we know they are going to be there to help us out through the whole process. We are so very blessed, and know the "big man" and all of our guardian angels are guiding us in each step of our journey!

April 5, 2014- Engaged to my Best Friend!

Last Saturday, I received the surprise of my life. Jordan and I have been dating for almost 8 years, it will be on April 29 of this year. We have been waiting patiently to get married, trying to do the right thing financially. We began dating as juniors in high school, and have worked through working long crazy hours, hundreds of baseball games, many volleyball games, races, and family struggles through those 8 years, but we have worked through each happy occasion and struggle and are stronger than ever.

Back in the fall, we both obtained teaching positions in Stokes County, Jordan at West Stokes, and me, at South Stokes. We could not have been happier! After we obtained teaching positions, we started talking about getting married a little bit more often, but we wanted to make sure that we were ready- and that everything was okay within our families. I suppose Jordan had decided that the time was right.

April 5th, 2014-

It began like a normal day, Jordan preparing for the upcoming turkey season, and me running and training for the 10k on the family farm. We have begun to renovate a house that I will move into as soon as it is completed. It was the house that my Granny grew up in during her teenage years, and it is on the old tobacco farm that has been in my family since the 1740s. We received GREAT news on Saturday that our loan had been approved and that we would move forward with signing and begin construction/renovations on the house within two weeks! Such a great day already!

Well, Jordan came over to visit while I was running, he stopped me and said "why don't we go look at the old tobacco barn logs on the backside, then go get supper tonight" I told him I didn't want to get sweaty, and he insisted that I would not get hot, for me to get ready, wear my boots, by 5:30 that afternoon. So, I did.

Jordan picked me up at my parents house and we went down to the farm. As we are walking to the backside- (Jordan holding my hand all the way) Jordan begins asking me questions about what I have going on at work the next week, what we need to do to the house first, and I ask him the same thing. Finally we reach the top of the ridge where a tree had fallen and I look up to the tree where Jordan had carved a J & A in it several months back. A wooden board was hanged up above it, and I start complaining about someone trespassing on our property, and how I did not want to deal with that when we moved over there.

Jordan asked me to flip the sign over to see what it said, and so I moved toward the sign, and he helped me flip it over:

It said "The Jessup's" and as soon as I turned back around Jordan was down on one knee with a ring out:

Jordan told me that he loved me and wanted to marry me: I was in shock, but of course said "YES"- he told me "come here so I can put the ring on you." 

Needless to say, I was balling like a baby, so surprised, and happy. I hardly could even understand what Jordan was saying. Finally, he told me that he had another surprise, that his mom was hiding in the woods taking pictures of the whole thing- and I started to hear the "click,"click" of the camera.

I found out here that Kem was taking photos! Jordan planned out this proposal better than anything that could have been written in a book, or acted out in a movie! From making the sign that said "The Jessup's" to having the entire thing photographed. He is amazing!

So excited! 

The ring was more than perfect!!! 

So, we will be "The Jessup's" sometime next year. We have been patient with each other, with timing, and with our lives, and could not be more thankful and blessed to begin our journey together! We have been there for each other through good and bad times, and I will be honored and proud to be "his wife," because he is the love of my life.

 So happy and in love with my best friend! We are blessed to have found love early, and grow in our love each day!

So excited to be "The Jessup's" next year!