House

Ok so I know a lot of you are wondering about our house. Why I went Radio Silent on the matter and pulled the blog posts I had posted.

After we moved into the townhouse and got settled, got the kids into schools, etc I had time to drive around and figure out the area. I drove back up to the neighborhood of the first house, the one we fell in love with.

When I drove around that neighborhood my heart sank. I knew we had made a mistake. The neighborhood is one where the kids can ride bikes, have room to roam around, and has all the trails for Duke Forest. Almost every house has indications that kids live there- forts, lax goals, trampolines, etc. The first house, the one I described as too formal for us, was still my fave. I parked in front of it and just knew.

The house felt formal and big when we looked at it. And it is. But when I went room by room in my mind and placed our stuff in there, it felt homey. I am so excited to get in there.

Andy and I kept saying that we wanted a “homestead”. A place where our large family could back to with their families. We knew it wasn’t our house in Ohio. And it also wasn’t the first house we made an offer on here. So that combined with the fact that we are so tired of fixing up houses, our Ohio house sold super fast and for full price, and the realization that even though this other house was pricey- it was worth it to finally have a house that was done.

So- we are 21 days away from closing on house #1. And I can’t wait. I don’t have very good pictures of it, and I feel weird posting pics of it with someone elses stuff in it but here are a few. They are crappy pics, and weird sizes but I am just throwing them up.

I have already shown the outside a few times but here are a few more

One part of the back

The other part of the back

This fireplace is see-thru between the dining and the living rooms. Kinda fun.

dark picture of the dining room

The pocket doors. I know I have shown those before. Perfect.

The details are what sold us on this house.

This formal living room will probably be our main family room because it completely opens up to the screened porch, just like our last house.

There are two baths downstairs- this one near the main living areas

and then a smaller one back behind the kitchen near the laundry and rear staircase

This room I am really excited about. It’s going to be the office/guitar room. We are up to 6 or 7 guitars so we plan to hang them on the wall and this will be where the boys play. I am excited because I love to listen to them and this way they are on the main floor.

My ideas for this room

and

This room will be my office. It’s all built-in shelves. Perfect for me.

The previous owner had her own business as well-

foyer- the door has shutter things that close.

Pretty sure that painting cost more than my car. Just kidding. Sorta. Not really.

All of the expensive art work in this house will be replaced with photos by yours truly or kid art work. Poor house- taking a step down. lol

Kitchen

There is a little hearth room off of the kitchen

the hallway behind the kitchen has the laundry, a bathroom, a pantry, a coat closet, a mini mudroom, the back stairs and the door to the garage.

Going up the back stairs

Which puts you on the end of the house with this little loft area

And then the room Austin got first dibs on

thinking of painting it gray, like this

More loft on the other side of the upstairs- this is outside of Eva’s room

Eva’s room

Blake’s room

Master bedroom

Master Bath

3rd floor gameroom

So there you go- we head back up to Ohio next weekend to close on our house there and meet the movers who will pack up our stuff and move it down here. That is going to be hard I am sure. I have been dreading it, thought about not going, but now I am ok about it. I am ready to move forward. Ready to get our stuff, ready for the new house and neighborhood.

For those of you sending me emails or commenting on the blog, your words of encouragement are much appreciated!!!!

Last night on the news they said we were in for an “extended cold period”. Amazing how everyone in my family starts to complain. It turns out “extended” is a week, and “cold period” means mid-50’s with one day dipping to upper 40’s. I have found myself grumbling when it dips below 60, but then I think about last winter, when it was -7. And I stop complaining. This winter hasn’t been bad, not even up north. And as long as the sun is shining I am ok.

misc stuff

– do you watch the bachelor?? We dvr it and I watch it when I get the chance. I was cracking up when I saw that they stayed in the same place we did in Park City when we went back to finalize Eva’s adoption. Remember the $22 cheese??? Ok looking at those pics make me laugh. Eva looked so different!