The Big Move: The New Home

We have now been in our new home for 2 weeks-time has flown by! It is quite amazing to think we live in a home that we initially saw as nothing more than the Lautenschlager's second house that they were rennovating. If you had asked me a year ago if we would be living here, I would have given you a resounding no. I like having our own niche in the world (okay, in the major Phoenix metro area), and I didn't think I was willing to change that. But the Lord had other plans, and here we are, thoroughly enoying being in Mesa, close to family, and in a cozy, comfortable home.

The home itself is smaller than what we were used to; just one story and much more compact. We thought this would be a huge concession, yet we are pleasantly surprised that we are loving the smaller quarters of this house. It has made unpacking go quicker, that's for sure! I like having the kids closer to us at nightime, and it's easier to let the kids play in different areas of the house without worrying about someone falling down the stairs. I am really enjoying having a pool so far too-it has been a lifesaver for my pregnant belly and the kids are minding the strict pool rules quite well! We love living closer to family; it has been great to have frequent visits from cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents! The kids have already grown used to this and wake me up every morning with a chorus of "Who is coming to see us today?" We don't particularly like Jared's commute to work every day, but we are hopeful that will change soon. In the meantime, we are way grateful to a colleague who carpools with Jared. Church is going well; the kids are loving nursery and primary, although they are way smaller than our old ward. I think I am still trying to feel 100% comfortable in the ward I grew up in, but I think that will come with some time.

So thus far, everything is going smoothly. I am excited to unpack the bookcases this week, especially the kids' preschool-ish bookcase. I'm semi-hoping to get a few pictures up on the walls this week and having our couch delivered on Monday will be a welcome addition to the home. We are very grateful to the Lautenschlagers for making this move possible! On the way light side of setting up a new home, Jordan has already selected what he considers to be the best seat in the house. No one knew what that was for a long time-the only clue we had was the dark black circle on his head. We soon figured out that the circle was soot-his favorite seat is smack dab in the middle of the fireplace. Hee hee, I took a few not so clear pictures before blocking it off from all possible toddler access points. Welcome to the new home Jordan-glad you like it!