We're Home!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am so grateful!  We are now in our new home having closed on the 15th.  We still don't have internet connected and won't until the 27th (I'm writing this back at the MIL's condo where we are celebrating the holiday with Jay's family).  I've been able to check email and things at the nearby McDonald's.  Our furniture will arrive on Monday afternoon.  Until then, we keep on camping out in sleeping bags and watching Disney movies on Jay's laptop for evening entertainment.

The house was a relocation property, so it had been very well maintained by professionals.  Normally when moving, I'd spend a day just cleaning and cleaning before my belongings arrived.  This was not necessary.  There was hardly a speck of dust anywhere, and believe me, I looked!  It was a gift to just be able to move in and make it ours immediately.  I did wipe out the cabinets and drawers and bathrooms, but they came out spotless too!  The only thing we had to do was get rid of a dead squirrel in the backyard.  Eew.

The dogs love their backyard.  Freedom from the leash at the condo!  The pool isn't heated so it's much too cold to go for a swim.  I still need to learn how to maintain the pool anyway.

Thanks to our friends Scott and Hannah for arranging all the manpower to load up all our very much missed stuff in Nebraska!  Even if we had been there in person, we would have been leaning into friends for assistance as to not aggravate Jay's herniated disc.  And I'd like to give a shout out to ABF uPack.  They have been absolutely WONDERFUL to deal with.  Every phone call I've had from their 800-number staff, their local office staff (both TX and NE) and even their truckers have all been a delight to work with.  If you see yourself moving in the future, I highly recommend them.  (And my blog doesn't reach that many people for me to be compensated for my reviews of any services).

What my readers really came for are pictures, so here are a few.  Enjoy the pictures of our bare house!

I pray God will bless this home and all who come visit!  Once our stuff arrives, we'll let you know when the welcome mat is out -- unless you bring a sleeping bag and pillow, then you're welcome to stop by and camp with us immediately!

Front of the house.
You've seen this photo before in a previous post.

Living/Dining Room.  (View 1).
Photo taken from the front door.

Living/Dining Room (view 2).
Straight ahead is the kitchen.
White door in front of the stairway is the garage access.
White door on the other side of the stairs is the guest room.

Living Room (view 3).
Eventually, we'd like to install hardwood floors for future resale
value -- not that we're planning to go anywhere for a long time!

Stairs to the 2nd level.
Powder room and guest room are down the hall on the left.  
The door on the right is the garage entry.

Eat-in kitchen with French Doors out to deck.
Anyone know how I can put a screen door on a French Door?
I really want to be able to open up to the outdoors.

Kitchen (view 2).
The cut-out above the sink goes through to the Living/Dining Room.

Kitchen (view 3).

1st floor powder room.

1st floor Master Bedroom.
We'll use this as our Guest Room.
The little square door you see near the floor and the right window leads to
the controls for the tub in the bathroom.

1st floor Master Bath.  Not a great picture.
It has a large jetted tub, 2 sinks and on the opposite side is a huge walk-in closet.

Upstairs Loft.
When you reach to top of the stairs, this is to your right.
We'll keep most of the kids' toys here and we'll home school up here
once we can find a table or desk that will serve us well.

Upstairs Master Bedroom.
This room is to the left at the top of the stairs.  It's quite separate from the other upstairs bedrooms.
The door is to the upstairs master bathroom.
This room faces the backyard.

Upstairs Master Bedroom (view 2).

Upstairs Master Bathroom (view 1).
No jetted tub here, but other than that, it's just as big a bathroom as the downstairs master bathroom.

Upstairs Master Bathroom (view 2).

Upstairs hallway taken from the loft.
This happens to be the spot where we stood and decided this was to be our next house.

Jay's office.
Faces the front yard.

L's bedroom (view 1).
Faces the front yard.

L's bedroom (view 2).




Upstairs laundry room.
In between L's room and the boys room.
Faces the side of the house.

Kid's bathroom upstairs.
In between all the upstairs bedrooms.
Faces the side of the house.

The boys room.
The last room at the end of the hallway.
Faces the side of the house.  They wake up to a view of Sea World in the distance!

Back of the house.
You've seen this photo before in a previous post.