So we bought a house...

 For about a year, Eric and I have gone back and forth about buying a house.  We really did not enjoy renting.  Maintenance issues were either not addressed or were taken care of quite slowly.  (The refrigerator situation I recently posted about...was finally repaired last Friday.  Nearly a week after we moved out and no longer needed a refrigerator).  Also, our landlord seemed quite comfortable with raising our rent every year.  However, as we weighed pros and cons, a big con for me was moving out of our neighborhood and away from our children's best friends.  Especially as we face an unknown year for Eric's travel.  We basically shut the door on buying.  The one exception was a house just two doors up from us.  It has a beautiful front yard with a great deck.  And a garage.  I told Eric if that house ever went on the market, I would consider it.  Well, about a week later, it did.  We went to take a look at it.  It is actually smaller than what we were living in, but because of the layout, we started to believe it would work for our family.  Plus, it had an even better covered deck in the backyard.  We made an offer, it was accepted and we closed in July.

 We quickly realized we needed to repaint the whole house to take care of the smell of cigarettes.  This was a bit of a blessing, because we (I) got to pick paint colors that I really liked and make the house feel more like our home than just a place we were treading water until our next move.

 Though Will was a bit hesitant, all of the other kids are really happy and excited to be in the new house (and I'm pretty sure Will is coming around).  **To distract a small child, give them poker chips, egg cartons, and an old plastic wipe dispenser.  You can probably get 45 minutes to an hour out of this activity**

 The house is three bedrooms, but one of the bedrooms had been renovated to have a built in desk where the closet would be.  We elected to keep this arrangement and make it our office/homeschool resource room.  And school has been delayed indefinitely...okay, not indefinitely, but definitely not this week.

 The biggest positive of the house we were renting was the enormous kitchen.  A friend pointed out it was an HGTV kitchen.  Our new kitchen is a bit smaller, but definitely enough space.  And there is enough cabinet space for the counters to be basically clear.  Eric scoffed at this dream of mine, but I'm sure it will be a reality.  Smaller space = faster cleaning/tidying time.  I just need to be diligent about it.  And he needs to find space for all of his glassware.  #Mitziproblems

 Where we lost space in the kitchen, we gained space in the living room.  It is huge compared to what we use to have.  We've already enjoyed Return of the Jedi and a Royal's baseball game in the comfort of our cozy room.  I've even put a little "John area" behind the couch.  We'll see how much he uses it, but he was pretty excited last night.

 We also have a dining room again.  The dining area and kitchen were co-located in the old house.  It worked well, but we are really happy to have a dining room.  And I've conveniently placed all of our games in a built in cabinet.  So many games that had been under-utilized, are now being utilized.  Including Apples to Apples.  And as a side note, let me say that is a generational game.  I also had to explain to Dom and Will that the only real win is if you can make people laugh with your submissions. 

 In the kitchen, we have that useless space above the cabinets.  Again.  Eric asked if I was going to decorate and I'm pretty proud of myself for displaying some of our lesser used items.   Decorating and storage all in one. 

 We have already had many meals out on the deck.  Partly because we didn't have a dining table at first, but also because it is fun.  The kids ate lunch out there today, which I served through the kitchen window.  Because they ordered their meals through that as well.  yup.  Speaking of meals, moving is hard enough without having to stop every few hours to figure out what to eat and to actually prepare it.  Just saying.  I'd probably forget to eat, but I have four little stomach alarms that go off regularly.  I should really work on syncing them.

 And here is a picture of the bunk room.  It is snug, but it is enough space.  They have their bunk beds, an armoir they all share, a bookshelf, and a toy bin shelving unit.  And they are enjoying all being in the same room, so far.  We've set up an area in the garage with the majority of their toys.  They also play outside, in the hallway, in the dining room, in the living room, and in the kitchen.  They have plenty of room.

The last item we moved in was the piano.  It fits in quite nicely in the corner.  Coming out to just short of the bookshelf I decoratively placed in the entry area.   I also cleverly plugged in the lamp in a socket so that it can pull double duty as a hall light or as the piano light.  I know, I know, my arm is hurting from patting myself on the back so hard.

Our home isn't designer, and I shouldn't delude myself that I could make it so (watching HGTV doesn't seem to miraculously change someone...weird). But, it is our home and we are so happy to be here.  I've told a few people, but the Monday after we moved the majority of our things in, when Eric came home from work, I felt more like he was coming home than at any point in the previous 3 years.   It suits us and the fact we needed to downsize to make it work turned into a blessing. 

That said, feel free to come visit.  I think we can get a queen-sized air mattress in the office.  Or we can pitch a tent in the backyard.  The kids would probably gladly give up their beds for you.  You'd have to share with John; however, I've been told waking up to his chatter is a lovely way to be greeted to a new day.   But, we won't charge you extra for that privilege.  Just consider it our gift to you :).