new house

This is house number 17 for me.  Why not...?  You all have been with me for the last five houses at least.  We decided we were at a point where we needed to either put some money into our current house to make it still work for us, or start looking. We looked.  And we looked.  Our realtor called one day and said she had families who wanted to look in our neighborhood but the inventory was really low.  So we decided to list it and give it a little while and just see what happened.  We sold in 10 days!  So we had to start looking hard.  

We had one house fall through- but we never loved it.  After we thought all hope was lost and we'd be living in a hotel, we found it. 

This picture is from the assessors website- so it's not the right season. 

It never even went on the market.  A friend and collegeue told us about her neighbor who was thinking of selling. We went over and fell in love and begged them to sell to us. 

Then the seconed part of the hard work started.  With the deadline of school starting in our vision, we worked like crazy to get it all unpacked.  Crazy.  

The kids are happy to have some carpeted rooms.

There's so much light and it's just so open.  We are happy campers. 

The only immediatd project we did was to change out the track lighting fixtures in the kitchen.  The others were fine, just a little modern looking.  These hanging Edison bulb fixtures were the perfect addition. 

Every room is white, but we love it.  It's clean.  

After much debate and hem-hawing, we took out the grids in the windows.  The family room (to the left) has floor to ceiling windows and matched the rest of the house better with the removal of the other grids. 

Bee is happy with her room.  Lou asked for no picture of his room so it can be a surprise for our family when they visit. Ok, buddy. 

Perhaps the best part is that we have room for lots of friends to come over.  Is there aything better than a huge pile of shoes by the front door- when it means that you have a house full of friends?

We are right by several acres of woods. The pets love it.  We own like 8 feet of it, but we've been exploring beyond that line!

Here's our first day of adventuring.  Clearly fashion concerned. 

I found a whole bunch of poison ivy (which I'm now paying for), and we found a skull- racoon maybe, fox?  

The new house and the woods are giving the kids lots of time to play adventures.  Bee just finished reading Hunger Games (after me!) and the survival and hunting theme is coming out in their play.  Here is Lou working with his flint and steel to start fires in the driveway.  

I've said it before, but this is the last house.  They're going to have to drag me out of this one.  And if there is another move- we're getting movers!