Well this has been the HOTTEST summer I have ever experienced. As a first time homeowner I can tell you that the extreme temperature can greatly effect a home, and easily increase stress levels. First of all, my garden was an expensive fail...I was so excited to see if flourish and to enjoy the benefits of garden fresh tomatoes. However, I probably only had about 2 patio tomatoes, and 5 cherry tomatoes. Out of the four tomato plants I planted, only two produced anything. The other two grew huge, but never had a single fruit. My zuchinni and squash were a total flop as well. I blame this partly on the heat. I couldn't keep the garden watered enough without the heat sucking it dry. The other stressor Matt and I have experienced this summer is our driveway cracks getting bigger, and the side of the house looks like it is pulling away. The foundation on the east side of our house is mostly dirt, it has not had any grass on it. Because of this there is no moisture held there and it seems like the super dry foundation is effecting the stability of the house. Matt is constantly worried about the wood pulling way and the cracks in the stone getting worse. We water the foundation when we can.
Another thing we have dealt with this summer is a more than double cost of electricity! We were shocked when we got our JUNE electric bill in the mail because it had more than doubled what we had budgeted. I don't want to see what July's will look like. We keep our AC at 78, but to keep it 78 degrees in the house it runs almost constantly.
Budgeting is tough for a first time homeowner on a teacher's and youth pastor's salary. We have experienced many hurtles this summer from our electric bill, buying a tv, having a puppy and the $1500 we spent fixing both cars. It has been a good summer. I am learning a lot, and despite the sometimes stress and hardhsip, I still LOVE being responsible for a home. I like that I have to get up and water the yard; I like that I can walk to the end of my drive way and check the mailbox. I didn't realize how "not" grown up I was until I moved into a house and realized what real responsiblity feels like. Of course taking care of Molly has helped a LOT with that.
