OH THE THINGS ONE CAN DO

...in a new house.

I'm writing this in the basement where I can look out my walkout basement door and see my kids playing happily and noisily in the huge back yard. Life here has already been hectic, loud, quiet, and wonderful. We feel like we live in a grand hotel and are playing house. Pictures are coming soon, but the kids broke my good camera so it might be a while. In the meantime here are the things we have done since we've been here in Brigham:

1. I became a real parent two days ago. All the potty training, discipline, love, comfort, cooking, and cleaning don't make a real parent. It's when you have to say no to a pet that it all becomes real. It was the most adorable fluffy orange tabby kitten and it followed Ben home. Several times. (Lest you think I have a heart made out of stone, let me inform you that Ben's eyes were nearly swollen shut for hours after his "play date" from allergies.)
2. Soak for hours in our JETTED TUB. I've ALWAYS wanted one. Now I have one. W.O.W.
3. Drag main and hit Kent's, Shopko, the Dollar Store, and Walmart-which by the way is surprisingly clean and quiet. All I need is a Target and I'm set.
4. Watch the kids play outside in a half acre of fenced in bliss, complete with a play set, climbing trees, and vegetable/fruit bearing garden. Which leads us to:
5. Eat fresh veggies that I don't have to plant or water. All I have to do is weed (which I find therapeutic) and hand the kids a bucket to pick them. The kids finished off the peas after only 2 days but we have an abundance of corn, tomatoes, onions, peppers, raspberries, and later pears and apples. The whole garden has a drip system which is on an automatic timer.
6. Spend lots of time running up and down the street to visit cousins and new friends. We also love having cousins come play at our house. It's weird how we don't feel that there are 10 kids in the house sometimes.
7. Send all of the kids to the play room to play. The mess in contained. The kids are happy. We have room.
8. Watch a movie on the big screen tv that's hooked up to the computer. So fun. Jason and I have spent several evenings rediscovering our movies.
9. Plugging our ears as the many trains go behind our property. I'm very grateful for the fence. Liam thinks he needs to be outside to see every single train.
   
10. Waiting for internet/phone service.
11. Enjoying how the whole of main street gets shut down for days for the peach festival.
12. No Traffic.
13. Cooking with my own dishes.
14. A hundred BAZILLION loads of laundry as I try to wash things that have been in storage for over a year and keep up on our current dirty clothes, bedding, and towels.
15. Setting up my OWN SEWING ROOM. I'm using it for homeschooling and crafts as well. It has many uses. Basically, everything I do in there, I love to do!

We feel so blessed to be here. It's wonderful to be on our own and working hard to pay down debts. We plan to enjoy every day we spend here in this home!!

PS Does anyone have a love seat, oversized or wingback chair, or deep freezer chest they want to sell or get rid of?