making our house a home.

We moved all our stuff in a week ago with a ton of help from our friends, Phil and Jenny and Mark and Melissa.  It went really quickly, which was great.  It was overwhelming to see all our boxes and just to think about where to begin.  But, we started, one box at a time.  Put together old and new furniture.  We got our kitchen squared away first, which is really nice.  It was also a good feeling that everything fit.  Quickly, all space was filled with cut down boxes and bags and bags of packing material.  I'm happy to say that nothing was broken (yet...).  Thankfully, my parents hauled away about 7 garbage bags full of packing material - we would feel like bad neighbors filling up the dumpsters in the alley our first week here!  Each day we tried to devote ourselves to a project.  We replaced the ugly mirror in the bathroom, put up a fancy shower head, unpacked china and stored it nicely.  We set up the Wii (we do have our priorities...).  

On Friday, I got a call from the Fancy Tiger and they got in their Japanese Cafe Curtain fabric - so I had to jet over there to get my share before it was gone.  These curtains will be super easy, cut, hem and put on a bar - they even come pre-cut for the hanging holes.  And even better - they have a little French motif that is so great:

We are still slowly working on our 2nd bedroom, but the closets are AMAZING!  so much storage space, definitely worth their remodel:
It wouldn't be fair to make you all think that we are done unpacking, so here is our room o' mess, the 2nd bedroom.  We put up our bookshelves, but are having trouble not having them slide on the wood floors since they are the leaning kind.  We've secured them with heavy boxes at the bottom, but need something more permanent.  So, here's the work-in-progress.
Now for the livable space.  I am very grateful for motivation to finish projects.  This Sunday, after church Phil and Jenny mentioned that we could all have some pizza at our house and then play some Wii.  We had about and hour or so until they came over and we WENT TO WORK!  The boxes, donations and trash were cleared out.  The bed was made, the floor was swept and in general our living room and dining area were presentable, so I felt like it's a good time to take a picture in this state:

It's pretty nice to be here, living and starting our life in this new place.  I appreciate my short drive (and maybe walk and bike) to work.  We have met all our neighbors (including the 1-week old Calvin!).  This is truly a wonderful place to start making a home.

And, everyday we are getting closer to having a puppy.  Promise, right Kalin?