Sunday, July 01, 2007

Our new home...

This weekend, we found our first house. This only took six years of marriage, y'all, so it's a huge deal for me. =) It's a rental, but it's ours for at least the next year, and probably at least six months longer. We looked at six houses, and this one was the top contender right from the start. The others were larger and fancier, but they didn't have the particular homey feel of this one. And they didn't have the wonderful trees, the spacious backyard, and the private, serene feeling. This one is better on our bank account, and quite frankly, we don't need a large home right now. We're still thinking of space in DC terms, and this house is HUGE by those standards, about 1150 square feet. I am overwhelmed by God's goodness to me. This house has all three things that I have proclaimed over and over again that I wanted in a house. It has a huge, screened, covered back porch. (I LOVE this porch; I want to marry it. =) It has a kitchen that is NOT a galley. And it has a wood burning fireplace.

Not only does it have the amazing back yard, which goes back farther than this, it also has a new deck on the lower level for grilling out. The yard goes back farther than from where I took this picture, and it's fenced in. You also can't see it, but there are two large storage buildings. They are clean, spacious, and appear to be waterproof. Just one of them is larger than the storage unit we're renting now, so I have no worries about fitting all our stuff in, Dad. =)

Isn't it wonderful? =) First item of business is installing a porch swing, immediately. Then maybe I'll get some hanging baskets of ferns...and then maybe Mom and Dad have a couple of old porch rockers hidden away somewhere. I have already decorated in my mind, in case you can't tell. It also has a ceiling fan for hot afternoons. The kitchen looks out onto the porch, so we can look outside while we eat.

This is the view from the porch. In this picture you can see the two outbuildings. One of them is kinda ugly, but it's not that bad in person.

The paint and the carpet are brand new. I think the mantel is, too. The living room isn't big, but I think we can get all the essential furniture in there.

My new kitchen! I LOVE that the linoleum isn't white. I have come to despise white linoleum. It shows absolutely every speck of dirt. I also like the gray blue background with the white cabinets. It gives the kitchen character. And I also have a huge pantry in there. The fridge even has an ice maker that makes crushed ice! Another little treat. Yeah, I know, I'm a kid in a candy store here. Little things make me very happy.

This is another nice surprise that makes me grin. There was a kid's playset right there, and it looks pretty new and clean. I think I can even fill the little sandbox underneath with sand when Seth gets older. I can see us helping him slide, and I think we might put in a baby swing where one of the other swings is. This will be nice for when friends and family come to visit, too. I can't wait to invite all of you to come in and set a spell on my porch with a nice, tall glass of sweet tea. And in the winter, we'll roast marshmallows in my fireplace. Home, sweet home.

3 comments:

Paula said...

Congrats on your new home! Ellen this is wonderful. I know how much the porch and kitchen mean to you! You are an excellent hostess and I can see you sharing this home with your loved ones, including me! I hope we get to come visit one day. Do put a swing on the the swingset for Seth. We have the 2-in-1 secure swing by Little Tikes on our set and it is great. God is good. I knew he would provide the right home for you both! I am just jealous of those who will be living near you. I am going to miss out on sharing this with you...I can't be over to visit on a regular basis. Can't wait to hear about the rest of the house. Love you!

SMS said...

Looks perfect !!!! What a blessing!! I am going down the weekend of the 13th to look for our new place in Sarasota.. I can only pray my trip turns out as well as yours did :)

Momma B. said...

WOW!! Very Nice!! I missed the picture of the kitchen is my computer just leaving out that pic? I got SOOOO excited for you while looking at these pictures!! It seems just perfect! God is so good! We are saying a prayer of thanksgiving for you all right now!
Love to all!