We're In!

Well, after a very hairy weekend, we are finally settled in our new home. We started moving in while Forrest was still doing the painting, so there was a lot of multi-tasking going on.

For the first time in 11 years, we are in an actual house, and it is a very good feeling. It was so strange to sleep there the first night and realize that there were no neighbors attached to any of our walls- we didn't hear any toilets flushing or doors slamming- just quiet! It was also very exciting to take the kids trick-or-treating in our own neighborhood, not one that we had to drive to get to.

Some of the highlights of moving into the new house have been:
*Our first sit-down meal of spaghetti and salad (tasted very good after a week of living on fast food.)
*Watching my boys roll down the grass hill in the front yard.
*Watching Ashlee go exploring in search of pretty rocks in the backyard (we've got a little bit of land.)
*Being able to choose custom colors for the interior paint job- we've never had anything other than apartment white!
*Having our very own spa in the backyard.

Some of the lowlights:
*Being so tired at the end of the day that you fall asleep in bed with the kids.
*Trying to get ready for church on Sunday when your clothes are at one house and your shoes are at another.
*Not seeing much of your husband for the past two weeks.
*Living on take-out food (the novelty wears off after a while.)
*Thinking you keep a clean house only to realize that dust bunnies, toys, candy wrappers, etc. live under the furniture.
*Deep-cleaning an apartment for someone else (the perk will be getting our insanely large deposit refunded.)
*Trying to carry boxes upstairs with a pregnant belly in the way.

All in all, we are so grateful to be in this new home. We have a one year lease for now, but we may eventually purchase it if all the pieces fall into place. We are 1.7 miles from where we used to live, but in a much nicer neighborhood. I have not yet had the chance to go exploring, but it looks like there are some really nice areas to go walking (or, eventually, jogging.) I have two friends right across the street, and my visiting teacher is two doors down. I am so thankful for all the help we recieved, there is no way we could've done it (as quickly) on our own.

As a side note, our Internet provider does not service our new location, so we are off-line for the time being. We have the same phone number, so that is the best way to reach us.

I am currently in the library doing this post, and I'd better go grab my kids from the children's section before they take every book off the shelf. Oh, and there's the not-quite-finished house waiting for me. Until next time...