We're Home!

So, it's been hard not to blog about what is one of the biggest changes in our family this summer and that is moving into this...

I wanted to wait until things were all said and done. And they have been. For a week. So let me tell you the story of our new home! (I'm keeping it extremely condensed.)

June 23--listed our old home for sale.

July 2--found new home above. Planned to close July 29th. Decided to put our old home on the renter's market to see what we could get.

July 5--found potential new renter. They didn't work out.

Between July 5 and July 17--same story as July 5 with multiple prospects.

July 17--S and I started feeling sick about the whole decision. Decided to back out of renting our old home, even if it meant losing our new home.

July 19--relisted our old home for sale.

July 23--received full offer on our own home. Moved closing date on new home to Sept. 2.

August 27th--closed on the sale of our old home. Closed on the purchase of our new home. Moved into new home in under 3 hours that evening thanks to S's extreme efficiency of packing everything into our garage the week before and 7 very strong people (plus a very helpful 4 year old.)

All of these pictures are from our first walkthrough early in July. The house was a spec home and had been finished just around the date that we first listed our old home for sale. So everything is brand new. The crazy thing (and just one of the dozen reasons I feel this home was built for us) was that every single thing, from the carpet to the lighting fixtures, was exactly what we would have chosen if we had been involved in the design process ourselves.

It's hard to name a top three, but here are my favorite things about this house.

(1) The kitchen, particularly the countertop. Just imagining cookies and cupcakes spread over it...

(2) The grand entryway. It's beautiful at night from the outside, too. Imagining Bean walking down the stairs to greet her date for prom.... *sniffle*

(3) His and her sinks. We thought we were getting them in our old house until we discovered that they were an optional upgrade. I guess I'd never quite gotten over it.

We've been there for just over a week and it is already starting to feel like our home. The first few days follwing a move are always a struggle, trying to build up a routine and such. But I'm surprised at how, a week later, we have adapted pretty well. The only thing left to unpack is my craft room (it's going to be like Christmas...I've been buying this and that and then packing it away. I'm sooo excited!)

Bean had some rough nights this week, both I'm sure with adjusting to the new place and because I gave her my cold. But she seem to be okay now!

And the whole reason we moved. To get some land.

I faithfully read Better Homes & Garden. We have some major plans. I feel an idea coming on for a new blog...