So - We are Finally Moved In

It's been a doozy of a month, folks.  It's been busier than I ever could have imagined, and a little stressful to top it off, but good none the less.

After something around 7 closing dates, we finally closed on  random Saturday morning with about an hour notice.  I must add that it was the Saturday preceding the Sunday that we were leaving for vacation back to our 'ole stomping grounds', so not much was accomplished on the new house that we'd signed our lives away on.

Ok - let's be real - the hubs and I did get B and Ans' rooms painted and their bathroom (which we later found out 2 of the 3 of these would need two coats, despite our efforts and $$ spent on the two in one paints that are proclaimed by Lowe's employees to be 'one coat only'.  Ahem.)

Anyway.  So vacation was great.  In fact, I think it's safe to say that it went better than we ever would have expected.  The kids did so well on their first 11 hour car ride (25 hours + over the course of a week!) that it almost makes me nervous to do it again.  Could they be that good again?  I'm not so sure. And, no, folks, we did not drive at night.  (This momma covets bedtime fiercely, and I don't mess with it if I don't have to!)

So anyway - there was a baptism, and great time with great friends, and stories, and good lunch and dinner dates, and go carts, and bumper boats, and batting cages, and running around barefoot in green (not painful) grass, and there was the hubs and I soaking each other to the core with water guns.  There was Cardinal games and dippin' dots in little Cardinal helmets.  There was good ole summer fun I tell ya.  Good ole summer fun.

And then chaos started.  Get home, paint like no other for three days non-stop, clean and move and unpack and clean some more.  Bring in more boxes and unpack some more... and that's pretty much been our 'non-eventful' life the past couple weeks.  As well as hanging things on walls and installing ceiling fans and putting together Ikea furniture.  And you know what?  EVERY bit of it is a blessing.  Every bit.

Lemme be honest here for a minute, folks.  I love this house.  It is more than I ever could have dreamed of or hoped for.  In every room I can envision memories to be made as a family with our kiddos.  I love seeing the kids play outside.  I love my kitchen.  I love the kids rooms.  But I'm so afraid to say how I love it.  It's so much greater than I could have imagined.  So much better than I would have allowed myself to have, and I prayed fiercely for God to put us in 'the right house', that sometimes I still get the perception of God that He leads us to destruction to make us stronger and teach us stuff.  All of that said to say that I'm semi-impatiently waiting for the dark cloud to loom.  Something's gonna go wrong.  This can't really be good can it?

And then I realize that I'm so ignorant.  What a lie to believe that God's just waiting to make us miserable to teach us.  I have to think that this may just be one of many small blessings that God has given us for a time.  The ultimate blessing - an eternal one - being Christ Jesus our Lord and the sacrifice He made for us.  If God willingly gave Himself up for us then, why then am I so surprised that He surpassed my expectations in this much more insignificant circumstance?

Anyway -  so without further adiu - let me show you some house pictures 'pre-us' (as in - we'd not done anything to it yet :):

The house is 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath with 3 living areas and 2 dining.  I pray that we have lots of guests stay here from back home, that we have BBQ's with friends, are a safe haven for our kids friends as they get older... this can be a place to hang out safely... etc etc etc.

This first picture below is walking in the front door.  The stairs are immediately in front of you, this picture shows the formal dining with the formal living being just to the right of the picture.

Another view of the formal dining / living, from the hall to the back of the house.

Walk towards the rear and to your right will be the kitchen, that's what you see here - and the door in the back right, yep - this girl has a pantry (and a laundry room - but let's focus on the pantry for now ;)

That there light fixture hangs above the 2nd dining area and the kids are running through the family room.

Pantry!

This is the upstairs bath which serves mostly as the kids bathroom but also as a guest.

This here is Bryton's room.  He chose it.  I'm stoked with how it's turning out.  Totally.  Can't wait to show you!

This is Ansley's room.  They are side by side with just her closet separating them.

And this is not the 3rd living area (which I actually don't have pics of???) this is the master bedroom.  LOVE!)

Master bath.

Another view.

Master (walk in) closet!

 And the yard... high priority with two kiddos!

I'm probably going to blog a room at a time for awhile, but I may even do a video walk through at some point (for all your friends of ours back home who are curious).  It's just easier to piece it all together that way.

Anyway - back to blogland again :)