2014 has been a good year for us. I really don’t have any complaints. Mark’s work schedule is great – he’s been home with us a lot, which is always nice. I remember shortly after we were married and I was still getting my feet wet as a wife and more importantly, as a military wife, I was around a few older, more seasoned military wives. They were talking about how sometimes it was nice when their husbands went TDY or deployed because they enjoyed the space and being able to do whatever they wanted, etc. I kind of thought they were nuts at the time, but figured maybe I’d feel the same after I’d been married longer. We’ll have been married 9 years this year and together for over 10 and I still get excited to see Mark every day after work or meet him for lunch, and the kiddos are exactly the same way. This assignment has been great because he is usually able to be home by 5pm or before and we all enjoy that. He’s not as stressed as he was in Italy and that helps too.
I had set a goal to sell 6 houses this year, and I sold 7 and helped a whole bunch of renters find housing, and I am so happy about that. I truly love real estate and helping people find and sell houses. I’ve learned SO much this year and I am SO thankful that I got the courage to ask Sean if I could work for him. He and Elisa have been so supportive and have so much knowledge between the two of them. They back me 100% and have always been available for me whenever I needed help or had questions, which is frequently in your first year of real estate. A lot of this business is learned on the fly and by trial and error and I am still learning a lot, but I have so much more confidence now than I did a year ago. My skin has gotten MUCH thicker, which is needed at times in this business also. I recently had a very experienced agent tell me that I need to “get better control of my clients” because I was asking her to change something on a contract that my clients weren’t comfortable with. That probably would have had me in tears a year ago, but, although I was annoyed, I just laughed it off. I hope even if I am in this business for many years that I never try to “control my clients”. I view my position as a guide in transactions for my clients, but I like my clients to be in “control”. After all, it is their money or their house. I was talking to Elisa about the situation and she said that sometimes the nice thing about newer realtors is that they don’t try to manipulate their clients at all and are open books and completely transparent, and that’s what I strive for.
The kids have grown so much this year. They can be so much fun and complete pains in the butt, even at the same time. I have learned over the past year how to balance work and home a little better, although I’m still learning. Abbie asked me this year “Why did you decide to be a house seller instead of stay home with us?”. It really struck me as to how she perceives me working. Realistically, I am home with them 95% of the time still, although sometimes when I’m really busy I am on the computer a lot. She has cried before when I’ve left to go show houses and that’s always hard. If it’s not too hot out or I’m not going to be gone long, I have taken them with me to show a house. They sit in the car with their snacks and drinks and watch a movie. (So thankful we got the Denali with the dvd player in it. That thing is a life saver.) They have become pretty good friends for the most part, and sometimes they play together so well. Sometimes they fight like cats and dogs, but they are getting better.
Sammer has been such a good addition to our family and I tell Mark multiple times a day that I wouldn’t trade that dog for the world. I’ve missed having a big dog/Golden so much and I am so glad I finally convinced him to add to our herd. Sam is the perfect dog for us. He is so friendly to everyone and everything. He listens very well. He is 100% a people pleaser and is constantly seeking your approval, but is okay to go lay by himself and doesn’t need constant attention. Although he usually has someone’s attention at least 80% of the time. Sure, he’s destroying our back yard by chewing on the plants and the trees (???) and digging holes and killing the grass, but that’s a small price to pay for the companionship he provides us all. The kids both love him, especially Abbie. She lays with/on him a lot and is always in his face telling him how much she loves him. He’s such a good boy.
A year ending is always kind of bittersweet. I’m excited about what’s to come in 2015 but sad that 2014 is over. The kids will soon be another year older and time has gone by that we’ll never get back. Time seems to just be flying by!
