Claire, James, Ethan and Daniel: Busy Busy Busy

To say that the last few weeks have been busy is really quite an understatement. We have had so much going on! First, we are very excited to have purchased a new house in Johns Creek, Georgia. We began our home search back in the spring. The main reason we wanted to move was to provide a better school option for our children. We were also looking for somewhere bigger with a back yard. We did lots of driving around, looking at different parts of town and decided that we really liked the Johns Creek area. Not only are the schools great, but it's still convenient to church and our friends. Matt's commute to his office downtown will be a little longer (previously 1 hour...now probably an hour and 10 or 15 minutes), but there is a satellite office that he can utilize a few days a week that is only about 10 minutes from the new house, and he travels a lot anyway. We actually placed offers on two other houses in the area, but those ended up going to someone else. Looking back, we are very thankful because this home is a much better fit for us.

Our original intention was to close after Thanksgiving, but everything with the financing and attorneys was ready early, so we decided to close on the 16th instead. We packed up our old home as quickly as possible, but this was a difficult task. For example, I tried to pack the kids' rooms in the afternoons while they played. They fluctuated between putting random things into boxes and taking everything out of boxes. They had a lot of fun, but it slowed me down significantly!

MM, Pops, and Uncle Logan came the morning of the 16th. They watched James and Claire during the closing and helped pack some more boxes. The closing went smoothly, and we were ready to begin the move. Matt rented a truck and we started loading up. Matt began work on some plumbing issues while I started cleaning that night. The house was a bank-owned foreclosure and we purchased it "as-is." We had a thorough inspection and knew what most of the issues were going to be. The biggest included a leaky pipe, broken furnace, and lack of refrigerator. Unfortunately all of these issues have escalated. Leaky pipe turned into four leaky sinks and two nonworking toilets. Broken furnace turned into two broken furnaces. Having no refrigerator turned into having a broken refrigerator and then no refrigerator again. All that said, we have the house liveable now (and heated!) and are partially unpacked. We will tackle the projects one at a time as we make this place our own. I am very thankful for my handy husband who has a great eye for detail and always does high-quality work.

The day after the closing was supposed to be a day of making trips with the rented truck and the help of my family. Unfortunately this happened.

I was sitting in a turning lane on Roswell road when another driver crashed into me and fled the scene. I was pretty shaken up, but thankfully fine otherwise. The kids weren't with me--praise God. Some very kind witnesses stuck around and called the police and helped me crawl out through the trunk. I was amazed that the airbags not only cushioned me well but also protected me from the breaking glass of my window. My car was declared a total loss, so in the midst of dealing with everything with the houses, we've also been having to deal with insurance, police reports, rental cars, and car shopping. We purchased a minivan last Saturday to replace my car. Claire is very excited about the sliding doors. Actually, I am too. I had promised myself I would never be a minivan mom, but the convenience factors are hard to argue with.

MM, Pops, and Uncle Logan helped out with the moving until Saturday night. The accident put us behind schedule, so we ended up having to keep the truck for another day, so Matt and I could finish up some furniture moving on Sunday. We spent Sunday night in our new house. The kids are adjusting well. In fact, that first night was the best night James has ever slept--he hit just over 11 hours! Claire is at a very inquisitive stage and has asked many questions about the new house and new car. Both seem to enjoy the extra space and are playing well. The house still isn't child-proof, so I'm having to keep a very close eye on them. Our cat, Brooks, has been on edge, but there are lots of windows for him to look out, so he's finally starting to enjoy himself.

On Wednesday after the closing, Matt's sister and parents arrived to spend Thanksgiving with us. I ordered Thanksgiving dinner from Fresh Market and we had to keep it in a cooler on the porch because we had no refrigerator. Our friends Jonathan and Amy joined us for the meal. We had a fun day with beautiful weather. Over the course of their visit, Matt's dad was able to help with projects and make the final trips with things from the old house. Dana and Matt's mom assisted in watching the children, so I could work on unpacking. There is still much to be done, but now that we've hosted people and invited them into our house, it feels more like home.

As far as the house itself, it's much larger than our previous home. It is a split level, contemporary style house with five different levels separated by four half-staircases. The top level has the master bedroom and bath. It has beautiful windows all along the back wall overlooking the wooded backyard. The next level down has three bedrooms and a jack-and-jill style bathroom. James' room has two large windows--one looking to the back of the house and one to the side. Claire's room faces the front of the house and has a window seat style bay window. The middle bedroom is currently being used as our guest room.

The main level of the house has a very open feel to it. There are high ceilings, cedar beams, and a lot of natural light that comes from skylights, windows, and french doors onto a front porch. There is a den area with a stone fireplace and a formal dining area that is currently being used as a play area. There is a half bath off of the foyer area. This level and the bedrooms are all hardwood floors. Along the back of the house is a huge kitchen with lots of counter top and cabinet space. There is also an informal eating area where we have our kitchen table. The eating area has a sliding door that leads onto a back porch. The backyard has a flat area for playing but is mostly wooded (relatively young trees) and fairly steep. The front yard is also mostly wooded and steep making for an unfortunate driveway.

The level beneath the main level of the house (I know it's confusing) has a very large laundry room that I hope to use for crafts/sewing, a coat closet, and the entrance to the two car garage. There is one more level below this that has a large storage area, a large room (future playroom), and a media room (not sure what we will do with this--it's very dark, black walls, black ceiling...)

Despite the frustrations and setbacks that we've had, we really do love the house and feel very blessed. The neighborhood seems like a great place to raise kids and we look forward to utilizing the neighborhood park and pool when the weather gets warmer. Things at the house are a little rough around the edges, but we plan on being here a long time and making it look great!

Here are a few pictures from before we moved in. We will post pictures as we make improvements. We will call these the "Before Pictures"!