Our New Home

Pretty, huh?

We got it! We move in two weeks. YIKES!!

We're gonna start a slow move process next week. We should get the keys Monday and I can start hauling van loads of boxes down there so that when we do the big move on 4/5 we'll just have to get the furniture out.

It's a 4BR, 2 1/2BA Colonial with a 2 car garage. The house sits on 2+ acres and has a finished attic over the garage which is accessible through what will be Tora and Doodle's room, so they've got a playroom all their own. That'll also be the guest room when friends and family come to visit, and we'll put the trundle bed in there. The space is big enough to hold all the kids' toys, their easel and play kitchen set, a TV area with their chairs, and a reading nook with their bookcases. It's amazing. The master bedroom has its own bathroom and his and hers closets. We've got an eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, formal living room, and family room with a huge fireplace and beautiful mantel. The fireplace has heating vents built in to the sides and top which means that when we have a fire going we can close the doors and the heat will still get in to the room, but none of the ash! The fireplace can be cleaned through a grate in the back, which is in the garage. We've also got a partial basement (extends below the main portion of the house...the brick part in the picture) which is finished and also has a root cellar under the garage, and exterior access. There are flower beds around the exterior of the house which need some TLC, but already have a few bushes which should readily come back to life. We've got real tile in the kitchen (not laminate) and gorgeous black marble countertops, and brand new appliances. The laundry room is upstairs with all the bedrooms which will make it much easier for all the kids to keep their rooms clean. It's tough for a 5yo to remember to bring her dirty clothes all the way downstairs every day.

The best part of this whole scenario is that the house is lease-to-own, which means that we'll really never have to move. It's only 15 minutes from our church and the stores we regularly shop at, is one block from the river, has tennis courts and a pool a half block away in the neighborhood, and will cut our commute to and from Tora and Doodle's school in half.

We are feeling so incredibly blessed throughout this whole experience.

Wish us luck!

I must remember

I must remember that soon, my children will not want me to tuck them in, and to treasure every snuggle and snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug blanket job.

I must remember that they will only be small for a short while.

I must remember that soon, my baby will not want to nurse.

I must remember that soon my baby will stop falling asleep on my chest, and I will miss having the ability to smell his sweet head and listen to his baby snore.

I must remember that soon my children will stop looking to me for guidance when they try new activities.

I must remember that very soon, my baby boy will be running away from me instead of clinging desperately to me.

I must remember that hugs and kisses from my toddler girl are hard won, and every one is like a precious gift from above.

I must remember that the long, sleepless nights spent consoling my teething babies will enable them to be strong, independent, and confident in our love.

I must remember that before we know it, our children will be grown and gone, and we will have all the free time we need to do all the things we want.

I must remember that they will only be small for a short time.

I must remember how deeply blessed I am to have such a wonderful, kind, gentle, loving family.

I must remember to never take one single moment for granted.

Boring boring

Well, not really. :)

We've been busy busy busy. Trying to get the house ready to show so that we can theoretically move. Our lease isn't up until December, but if we can find someone to rent our house, then we can transfer our lease to another property run by the same management company we're with now. They have several houses that would suit our family much better. This house has been fine, but it's technically a three bedroom, so Tora and Doodle are sharing a room, Dahdoo is in the mini spare room over the garage, and Jax is in the office which means that B has no decompression time in the evenings. Jax goes to bed between 7 and 8 now, which means B can't get in "his" room after that.

So, we're looking for a 4BR with a basement so that we can put the playroom and all of the girls art supplies and games downstairs. In a perfect world, we'd like a 5BR, but we're not holding our breath. There's one house that the rental agency has right now that fits the 5BR bill, so I'm working as furiously as possible to get the house ready to show ASAP. Wish us luck!

Par-TAY!

Last Sunday we went to Uncle K and Aunt B's house to have a joint b-day party for Uncle K and Jax. We had so much fun!

***And let me just take a moment and say that I am SOOOOOOO excited that I'm going to be an Aunt (again) in just a few months! B looks amazing, and gorgeous (as usual) and I am so incredibly thrilled for her and K. They're going to be phenomenal parents, and their little bean is already so loved by his/her Aunt S and Uncle B, and all the cousins!***

So anyway...my parents and brother drove down for the party, and mom brought absolutely delish chocolate cupcakes made with Guinness. Really yummy.

Not much else has been going on here. Oh, except that we're moving. Guess that's something, eh? I'm trying to get the house ready to show in the next few weeks so that we can find a house that's better suited to our family's needs. This house has been fine, but there's a LOT of wasted space (the bedrooms are unnecessarily huge for one) and no storage or play space to speak of. B doesn't mind it, but I'd rather not keep all the toys in the living room, you know? It'd be nice for the kids to have a basement (or an attic like in our last house) to go play in during inclement weather where they're not going to wake up any sleeping siblings. The management company we're renting from now has a few single family home - we'd prefer to get away from a townhouse - that sounds like they'd fit us better. The sooner I get the house ready to show, the better, because as soon as it's done we can hopefully find a new renter so that we can transfer our lease and move. Wish us luck!

And here are pictures from last week of the whole crew (minus B...he hid from the camera for some reason).