BRAK! We got the keys!

I've refrained from posting anything about the house since we heard our bid got accepted because I was afraid of jinxing something. My odd superstition didn't help, as the whole process got derailed for two weeks because of a family squabble on the sellers side.
Escrow was supposed to close the day before Thanksgiving, but we had all our ducks in a perfect little row and it was looking like we might be able to close the Friday before. We (Meredith, my Agent Carol, and my Broker Mark) all met at the Title company's office to sign the last of the papers. When we got there the Title agent told us that there was a hitch. There had been a lien (a Deed of Trust) on the title placed by the sellers son. We had known about it, but the word had been that he was ready to sign all the necessary papers without delay. That turned out to be wrong. On the day of the signing, he decided to hold out, and then stopped returning any phone calls.
This meant that we couldn't close, as the Title company wasn't willing to close with a 'clouded' title. Now the seller herself was reportedly upset by this, she wanted to sell as badly as we wanted to buy but it seemed like there was nothing that we could do. Thankgiving week, and the week after, different solutions were presented and nothing was working.
I hired an attorney, we started talking about how much time and money it would take to get possession of the house (not the happiest of holiday weekends).
In the end (after many many phone calls and much hand wringing) a bond company came in and 'bought' the debt, thus clearing the way for a smooth transfer.
Thank god.
The bond papers got signed on Friday (Z's birthday) and then our agent surprised us Saturday by bringing us the keys! WHOOOOHOOOOO!!!!

So we have a house. I can't believe it.

And we have a lot of work to do :)