We’re Moving! Finally!

Alan and I bought our first house a few months ago and we have been completely transforming the place before we have to be out of our tiny apartment on Wednesday. We bought an older one story house in Lewisville on a gorgeous street where no one house looks the same and everyone has 30 year old trees in the front yard that give lots of shade. The house we bought was very outdated and not our taste at all! I’m excited to share before/after pictures and step by step process for a lot of the work we (along with help from family and friends) have done so far. I’ll be sharing that in the coming weeks.

I’ve been thinking a lot about things I will miss about living in our apartment and also what I look forward to about our new house. I thought I would share those!

1. I actually don’t mind living in an apartment! Oddly enough, I feel safe in our apartment. I like seeing the same neighbors as we all come and go from our building or park next to each other. I like knowing that there are tons of people around if anything should happen… there are ears to hear, and that gives me a sense of comfort. Along that note… I won’t miss hearing our upstairs neighbors walking around or dogs barking or car alarms going off outside Beau’s bedroom right during nap time!

2. I love that I can be standing in our bathroom doorway and see into the kitchen, our bedroom, Beau’s bedroom, and part of the living room. I can also be in the bathroom and hear Beau playing and know he’s ok and not getting in to anything. I’m kind of not excited about our bathroom at the house being so far away and out of earshot from the living room. I’ve been thinking, what do people do who live in large houses? Do I have to take Beau with me to the bathroom when I need to get ready?! I also like that I can be cooking dinner and Beau can be playing in the living room and Alan can be in our bathroom and we can have a conversation and I can keep an eye on Beau all at the same time! I’m going to miss the smallness in that way.

3. I LOVE that we don’t have to pay or fix anything that breaks. Our water heater burst and we just called maintenance and they came and replaced it as well as the carpet that got wet right by the laundry room. We have had two different dish washers, had the disposal fixed, regular non-toxic pest control, and never had to mow or landscape the lawn. I don’t like having to pay and do everything ourselves now!

4. This was Beau’s first home. His room is so cool and it’s all he has ever known. So it’s a little sad to take it all down and say bye bye to the place where I nursed him as a newborn, changed all of his diapers, and put him to bed every day. Does every parent feel this way when moving with a little one?!

5. Despite the things I will miss about the apartment, I’m so looking forward to owning our first house! We actually have a ton of space and look forward to having lots of family and friends over without feeling cramped. I look forward to meeting our neighbors and hopefully making new friends with people that live by us. I can’t wait to set up Beau’s kiddie pool, sand box, and slide in the backyard and look forward to starting my own garden. Alan is excited to have a large outdoor area for a grill and a garage with a workbench and someday get the tools for wood shop stuff.

6. There are so many things I have been wanting to do but keep putting off for “when we are in a house”. Things like using my sewing machine again to make outfits or things for the home, buy a deep freeze so we can buy a large portion of local organic grass-fed beef, and I’d like to start making a lot of products like homemade bath and beauty items and homemade foods like canned fruits and veggies and kombucha and yogurt.

So there you have it, those are the things I have been thinking about lately as we begin to switch from renters to owners. Do you have any advice for us first time home owners?! 🙂

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