One thing you will not hear us complain about too much is the weather. Texas has weather. Yes, it's been horribly hot, but we can handle that. We are loving the sudden rain showers and the thunder and lightening storms. We hit a huge, beautiful storm as we drove across the state line at the end of our first day of driving. Lightening flashed on the horizon all around, and the rain came down in sheets. A little intimidating as we were driving, and the kids were a little frightened. A few times already, as we have been running errands around town, we've been caught in a sudden downpour. And nothing is cozier than sitting in our home listening to the rain drum on the roof.
A couple days ago, I tried to explain to the kids why the air feels thick and sticky. As I talked about water droplets in the air and told them it was called humidity, Joy's natural response was, "Can I lick it?"
I absolutely love our house. We are still in the middle of unpacking, so it looks like a disaster, but it is slowly coming together. The kitchen is fully functional. Joy's room is almost done, with the boys' room close behind. You can barely walk through the master bedroom. This happens every time we move; our room always gets done last. Some things I love about our new home:
-There is a huge backyard. I can't wait to get it fixed up and put in a swing set and watch the kids enjoy it.
-I have a laundry room. Not a closet off the hallway, or washer and dryer in the garage, an actual laundry room just across from the master bedroom. Do you know how many Pinterest ideas there are for laundry rooms?!
-The kitchen is gorgeous. Good amount of cabinet space and tons of counter space. I've already tested it thoroughly, and the functionality is perfect. Everything is right to hand without being cramped.
-The pantry is large, but wide instead of deep, so we won't lose things in back, dark corners.
-The floor plan is fantastic. The kids room are set off in the front of the house on either side of an open room that will be our office/homeschooling space. The living space through the kitchen, dining area, and kitchen is very open, and the master bedroom is tucked in the back with a large bathroom and closet.
-Joy's room has a small window alcove. How many times have I talked about making a reading nook for her? It is so perfect. I've already got a window seat and curtains set up. Just a few finishing touches needed.
-There is both a shower stall and a large bathtub in the master bathroom. This just seems so luxurious to me.
-There is a ceiling fan in every room. Makes a huge difference in this heat!
-The kids' bathtub does not have sliding doors. Minor detail, but have you ever tried to give a kid a bath around those kinds of doors? Grateful for the small blessing of an open tub.
-The whole living area is tiled. Fantastic with little kids making messes everywhere.
-The size is perfect. Big enough to fit us comfortably and do some entertaining, but not so big as to be unmanageable to keep everything clean.
Outside the home, we are starting to learn our way around town. Driving is definitely different out here. The streets are all crooked, and not clearly marked, and some of them have two names, which is tons of fun when trying to navigate with Google maps. We have located all the important things: coffee, bank, grocery store, Target. The big store out here is HEB. It's a big warehouse store with pretty much everything.
So, overall, we are very happy to be here. As we settle in, I'm working on establishing good habits and routines. It's a brand new beginning, a fresh start; I want to make it right!
Oh, and by the way, this guy just turned 1 year old!
