A little background to get you up to speed

Here is a VERY quick recap of the last 9 years . . .

2003

Hubby and I both move to our current city in NC - separately - we do not know each other at this time, but little did we know, fate was about to jump in!!  In June, we both start our careers, me at a large bank, and Hubby at a national home builder (BTW - we are both at the same companies now as we were when we made our way into the working world in 2003).  Hubby purchases the bungalow across the street from where I was renting (Rental #1) with college boyfriend.  Hubby is dating college girlfriend - none of us get along and both our significant others are suspicious of something other than a friendship - which at the time, there were NONE - for real!!!

The Bungalow (soon to be House #2)

2004

I buy a house 10 minutes away from Hubby's bungalow. As you may have guessed, our other relationships did not last much longer.

House #1 - MY House

2005

Hubby and I start dating in January; We get engaged in December at Litchfield Beach, a special place in my husbands heart and of course now in mine.  We vacation at the house my husband and his family owned since he was little.  They have such great memories there and I love that we are all creating new ones together with our girls.

I said YES of course!  Ring in seashell between Marry and Me!!!

                                   

Engagement Dinner at Franks - Litchfield Beach, South Carolina

2006

Hubby moves in to MY house and we rent out his bungalow.  We renovate the kitchen, baths, basement, and add a deck to the house.  In August, we tied the knot.

Mr. and Mrs. "Berger"

Our Interfaith wedding - Baltimore, Maryland

2007

We decide to basically tear down and rebuild hubby's bungalow, adding 2000 sq ft - heading back to where it all started. We find out we are UNEXPECTEDLY preggo with "Berger Babe #1" in August right before our 1 year anniversary , so we change one of the 3 guest bedrooms to a nursery!!  MY house - well I guess it is OUR house now - goes on the market and sells in 3 days in September and we move into OUR new house in December (formerly the bungalow across the street from my rental  - Rental #1)

35 weeks preggo with Berger Babe #1

2008
We settle into OUR new house and Berger arrives in May - our lives are changed forever - she is amazing! The first year went by so fast - this may have been the only year in the last 9 that we actually did not do much - if one considers taking care of a new baby is not doing much :)

H's Bungalow (House #2)

Berger is here!!!

2009

In July, we find out we are expecting Berger #2 - a few weeks AFTER we put House #2 on the market. Luckily it sold pretty quickly and we moved out in October to a GREAT rental 2 streets away from House #2 (all while pregnant with a 15 mth old and working full time) We also bought a lot for House #3 in December.  House #3 is 3 streets away from Rental #2 and 5 streets from House #2 - same general area but a different neighborhood with AWESOME schools.

2010

Berger Babe #2 arrives in March  (we call her Button), Construction begins on House #3 in late January (9 mths preggo) and is complete in June - we move in immediately of course - Berger is 26 mths and Button is 4 mths - YES we are CRAZY.  We LOVE our new neighbors, friends, and hood.  We could not be happier and plan to never leave them . . .

Button arrives, Berger is IN LOVE

The Berger Girls

House #3

House #3 - Kitchen, Breakfast and Family Room

2011

A tree fell on a house basically across the street from us while we were building House #3 in 2010.  We knew we were going to eventually "flip this house", so made an offer to the owner of the now empty lot in late August.  We could not agree on a price, so we waited hoping he would come around . . .  In October, House #3 was featured on our neighborhood home tour - we felt so honored we were even considered and that we could help raise money for two local charities and our historic neighborhood (one of the oldest in our city).

2012

The owner of the lot finally caved in March and it was ours.  House #3 went on the market in April and less than 24 hours later there was an offer, then another, then another...  Finally 3 days later we were under contract and finalized plans for House #4 - across the street and 4 houses over - yep, that close!

House #4 Sketch

So here we are in July - As of a few weeks ago, a cute new family lives in House #3 which we know will fit right into the mix of our street.  We are renting a 1400 sq ft townhouse (Rental #3) in a complex that used to be PARTY-CENTRAL back in the day - well it still kind of is - dubbed "Sleepover Ridge".  Though we have downsized big time while renting, the T/H is great.  There are pools, gyms, tennis courts, etc . . . There is less to keep up with and more time for family fun and traveling - and it is only temporarily.  Sleepover Ridge is in very close proximity to our old neighborhood which is nice since we can easily go back to our street almost every day to see our neighbors and the progress of House #4.  We may miss the impromptu pizza party in a front yard, wine parties on the sidewalk just because, fire gatherings on mother's day, puddle jumping, etc . . . we know we will be back soon to move into our new beautiful home (hopefully by January) which makes whole process totally worth it!

  

House #4 - Lot staked

Of course I skipped so many exciting details of the last 9 years, but many of you know of them  - there have been more weddings, vacations, celebrations of grandparents lives and everyday craziness. I will try my best to take pictures keep everyone in the loop on all things BERGER and the house . . .

The "Bergers" - Fall 2011

Bergerbabes walking down the isle at Uncle M and Aunt Ks wedding