The House Post-finally!

(Picture taken by Miss Halle Kate)

I've had several requests for pictures of our new house. It's taken me awhile to get it all together. I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things about our new place. Keep in mind our camera is STILL on the fritz after 2 repair trips so these pics were all taken by camera phone.

1. Front and Back Stairs. Such a super fun feature. The kids love racing each other up opposite sides.

2. Huge Kitchen Sink. It's so great that I can fit so many dishes in it but it's so bad that I can fit so many dishes in it. You could practically take a bath in it, especially if your name is Claire and you love to help with dishes.

(It feels bigger in real life than in this picture. Maybe I should have put Claire in)

3. Playroom with built-in desk and surround sound (Ryan's favorite feature). We've had so much fun in here. I love that the space works so that we can all be together even if we're doing different things, ie, crafting, on the computer, watching a movie and playing with toys. The previous owners home-schooled their kids so the built-in desks and white board were already there. Bonus!

(The view as you walk in the door and look to the right. It's an L-shaped room)

(View to the left or straight ahead really as you walk in.)

(View from the desk area)

4. Luke's playhouse (built by Ryan). In order for Addy and Halle to have their own rooms (Mia and Claire share a room), it was necessary for the playroom to double as Luke's quarters as well. Ryan felt like he deserved an extra cool place to sleep and hang out if he had to share his room with the rest of us. He designed the playhouse the day we moved in (literally) and took just a few weeks to make it a reality. I was super impressed. There's something about a man who can build things. Love him!

(Ryan still has to put the trim on. It's waiting in the garage for him to have a free moment but I didn't want to wait a few more days until he was done. It will look even better once it's all trimmed out around the edges, window and door)

5. Backyard with porch, big trees and sandbox. Our backyard is actually smaller than our last yard but I feel like the space works better for us. I can see it all from my kitchen window which I LOVE!!! I can't wait for spring. We have a nice big built-in sandbox (which I have commissioned my resident builder to build a cover for so there are no kitty surprises inside and also to keep all the pine needles out). I love our porch. I think it's the perfect size for an outdoor table and chairs. We had a low deck at our old house that I worried more about people tumbling off the sides of (it had built-in seating around the edges that was over-rated in my opinion).

6. Neighborhood Pool. I know I'm going to love this in the summer. It's just a hop, skip and an empty green space away. I imagine we'll be spending a good deal of time there. It was definitely one of the selling features for me to have a pool that was convenient but not in my backyard so I wouldn't have to worry about non-swimmers.

7. Laundry Room Sink and counter for folding clothes (if I can manage to keep it clear of clutter). Something only a mother could really appreciate. I love having a sink in the laundry room for stain scrubbing, paint brush cleaning, etc.

8. Exercise Nook in our bedroom (too convenient to not use-ha! ha!). It's the perfect size to set up the treadmill.

9. All the kids' rooms on one level. Though our bedroom is on the main floor, it is nice having all the kids' rooms on the same level. No one is in the "scary" basement or feels secluded from the rest of the house (probably because we don't have a basement). I guess they don't do basements here in Arkansas. Hopefully, a twister won't come this way. I plan on posting pics of the kids' rooms as we get them somewhat"finished". They each had some names, etc. painted on the wall from the previous owners so they are currently a work in progress with paint samples on the walls.

10. Most of all, it feels like home. We looked at a lot of houses. They were all great houses but none of them felt right. Some were more fancy. Some looked more beautiful on the outside. As soon as we stepped into this house, we knew it was for us. It just felt right. Not too formal. Not stuffy. Just right for us. Now all we need are visitors. :)