We're Here!!

We have officially moved into the new house, and are now residents of Albion, NY! We got a moving truck yesterday and loaded up all vehicles to the brim. Our friend Kary loaded her van and followed along to help watch the boys so Nick and I could unload the truck. With just me and him we managed to move 3 couches, 3 beds, table/chairs, washer/dryer, tons of patio furniture, lawn equipment, and countless boxes. You never realize how much stuff you have until you have to box it up and move it!

The boys did pretty well, even though the little one didn't get a nap. We made it a priority to get their beds situated so that they could get to bed at a decent time. We however did not get to bed at a decent time...more like 2am.

Cuddles seems to be adjusting well. He isn't acting all skittish like the last time we moved. He seems pretty comfortable with the new place!

I definitely needed to do some laundry, but was a bit surprised to find that this house has hookups for a gas dryer instead of an electric! So until I can find a good deal on one, I am making good use of the clotheslines I found in the basement!

I am really trying to hustle on the kitchen unpacking so that cooking meals isn't such a hassle. You know these boys would starve without me....either that or eat burger King for every meal!

While Nick was getting another truck full last night, I managed to wrestle the wrapping off of one of our new couches!! It's super plush and it was so nice to sit down for a few minutes. It's kind of a gray-brown and looks nice with the slate blue walls and new rug.

I searched most of last night and today looking for the new shower curtain so that i could shower before going to work tonight. I finally found it (in a box in Brad's closet...) And it looks great in the bathroom! The shower head is really nice and has a detachable handheld device.

Tonight will be my first commute to work, so pray for an easy trip with no traffic!

Color My World

We made some purchases at Home Depot the other day so that Nick could get started on painting before we move in. We got blue for each boys' room, red for the dining room, and teal for our bedroom. We also got a large chandelier for the dining room, and a smaller matching one for the foyer. And of course ceiling medallions for each one!

He is going back tomorrow to do two more rooms, and Sunday is when we get a moving truck for the final move!

My New 117 Year Old House

We are officially homeowners again! We have the keys to our dream home in the country, and now we just get to make it our own and settle in. We closed on the 14th, and went straight to the house with some boxes and the boys. We found these sweet thoughtful presents waiting for us on the counter!

The boys had fun running around the big backyard while Nick started on the kitchen renovation and I worked in the garden.

We are putting in new granite countertops, new backsplash, and new cabinet doors to match these:

The garden goodies were huge and I filled two bags without even making a dent! I brought home basil, lettuce, lavender, zucchini, kale, jalapeños, and bell pepper!

We are going back Friday for the company to come measure for the counters. Nick will be going there on his own to do as much work as he can before we move in.

Did I mention I got glasses?

My Next Kitchen and Other Room Plans

Monday is the big day that we FINALLY sign the papers and get the keys to our forever home! This has been a journey in the making for about 9 years so we are definitely ready to be settled.

I have been in full planning mode! I've been saving my hard earned money for years in preparation for us to have a house we could finally decorate for US, and not for resale. The one room I know exactly how I want it is--big surprise--the kitchen!!

Here is the current kitchen at our new house. It's the only part of the house that I want to change major things in:

It is pretty but...I'm not a fan of blue tile, wood counters, or open cabinets! I already knew what color scheme I wanted, so the devil was in the details of how to bring it all together. So here is a collage of  how I basically want it to look after remodel:

The cabinets we are going to paint and glaze ourselves, just like we did to our house in Norman. The counters will be Spanish granite (that I have already picked and paid for!), the backsplash will be beadboard, and the aqua accents pictured are ones I have already purchased! The appliances and the sink are staying, so my biggest dilemma right now is figuring out how to get the best deal on replacing those cabinet doors. Of course the previous owners did not keep them...so that makes my life a lot more difficult right now! They aren't cheap, let's just say that. Plus hinges, plus knobs....I'll be very happy when it's done! I was fully intending to pay a contractor to do the work for us, but the few I found in this town are too busy to take my business on. So it is going to be another DIY kitchen remodel for us! At least we'll be saving some money.

Here are a few more collages I've made of the other rooms I'm planning:

This is our bedroom! Teal walls with gray and gold accents. The bedspread, rug, and sign pictured are already purchased.

This will be the dining room. Burgundy walls with white wainscoting. On the ceiling we are doing a white trim square of molding with the wall color painted inside, and a medallion for the chandelier. The rug pictured is already purchased.

This is the living room. Walls are already slate blue so we like that. The rug and couch pictured are already purchased, the accent chair is one we are considering getting.

Niagara County Fair 2017

Today we made our yearly trip with the boys to our county fair! The weather was sunny with a cool breeze. We saw a neat Delorean on the way there!

First we got some food because everyone was starving. Then we walked around the car show to see the cool hotrods.

Next we got Brad a wristband so he could ride all the rides! We got a few extra tickets for Jacob to ride a couple as well.

A storm moved in as we were finishing up, and we got in our car just as it started raining! Another year in the books.

Pool Time

Today was the perfect day for a family trip to the pool! We haven't been in a pool since the summer of 2015. We didn't get in the pool last year because we sold our house before summer started.

This was our community pool just down the road. The had a big water slide, and a separate baby pool. The boys had a blast of course!