I think I feel secure enough in it now to share. . .

I've made mention of the fact that we're going to be moving, and relatively soon. But I haven't shared many details about it because its all been so iffy up to this point. We've been dealing with house stuff for almost THREE YEARS now. Seriously since the babies were just 6 weeks old we've been riding a huge roller coaster of unanswered questions, false hope, changed plans, etc. It is one of the biggest regrets I have. We busted our butts to get this place in shape to sell with new born twins. I really don't remember much of their first year because it was smashed into last minute calls for showings, rushing to get the house spotless because we have an open house, and by being gone because you can't be home when someone comes to see your house. So, needless to say I've been very weary of saying anything and jinxing it. I've left it always up to what God has in store for us, and what must be around the bend must be something really special because we've been waiting for this for a long time!!

And now, something is finally happening. I'll be 100% honest here, it isn't exactly what we'd hoped. But both Todd and I can see the silver lining in it even though we know there's going to be some hiccups with this plan. I'm not going to divulge 100% of the details, because there's no need for everyone to know everything about our personal lives, but here's the just of what is going to happen here:

My mother in law and father in law are buying an investment property that we will be contract-for-deed-ing from them. Then, when our house is vacant, we will again try selling it and keep our fingers crossed that we have more luck when we're not living here than when we do!!! In all this process we wound up coming down to only having ONE choice on a house. And you'll never guess who that house is RIGHT next door to??? Yep, Todd's brother, and his family. Seriously people. RIGHT. NEXT. DOOR!! Todd and I see the good and the bad with this. My sister in law Sara and I get along WONDERFULLY. So it will be awesome to have her right next door since we hang out so much any way! And it will be nice for the days where we're both alone long hours! It'll also be nice for her because then Todd is right there if something breaks, he can help fix it. (my brother in law is capable, but just DOESN'T) The down side that both of us see is that my brother in law has NO boundaries. We're talking things like if we don't answer the phone because we're busy (lets just say he has this knack for calling during the ONLY time Todd and I get alone. GO figure right?) he'll keep calling, just because he can. It isn't that he necessarily needs something, he just wants us to answer. So if we're right next door, he'll just walk over, since he'll know for sure if we're home or not, and he'll start knocking on doors, or windows, or whatever. So we've already made a mental note to make sure we have EXCELLENT blinds on our bedroom window!!!

Also, this house will give me the opportunity to open up a day care and to give our family some much needed income. Things are SO tight for us right now, and even though Todd is getting a 5% raise this year we won't see a PENNY of it, because insurance just went up 17%. Its really really sad. this house is right across the street from the day care girl I already have, so it will be more convenient for them as well. We'll see how it goes, and how it all works out.

There are A LOT of things on this house that need to be fixed up. And we're very well aware of it. The work will all be done before we move in, and parts of the house will be TOTALLY different before we ever even live there! Todd really isn't looking forward to all the work, and I don't blame him one bit. But he realizes just how much this could benefit our family. Its going to be a big long project, but it should be worth it.

So, here are some pictures of it. These will serve as my "before" pictures. I hope to look back at these when its all done and go "wow. We've come a long way!" (I did them small so they didn't take so long to load, if you want to see more detail, please feel free to click on them and see them larger!)

OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE

This is the house looking from the driveway at the house. There is a board on the window because it has a broken window. That is one of the things that will be fixed.

Looking a little closer at the house. Almost all of the windows will be replaced before we move in.

This is the "side" entry of the house, but will be our main entry. We're planning to build a deck off of this door that wraps around to the other door.

This is where the deck would wrap around. The kitchen door is on the other side of the house.

Looking from the driveway at the yard. The flower boxes will be coming out, as will the shrub all along the exterior of the yard. We'll be putting in a fence (for the kids AND the dogs!) and putting the kids swing set in.

There is a side entry door to the garage that connects to the house with a side walk.

This is the front of the garage. And if you're wondering, standing in this exact spot, my in laws would be just to your left. Their yard connects to our driveway and garage.

INSIDE THE HOUSE

The Kitchen

This is standing in the dining area, looking towards the kitchen. All of the appliances will be replaced, and honestly, we'd love to just redo the kitchen as a whole, but we'll have to see if the budget will allow this time, or if we'll have to wait till spring.

That door way leads to the back of the house, where a majority of the construction will be taking place right away!!!

Part of the kitchen. I don't like at all how the cupboards are layed out. You have these lower ones, and then those really teeny tiny squares up top (that you can see by the open door at the top right!) What on EARTH are you supposed to use them for? Not to mention you'd have to have a ladder to put ANYTHING in there!

The one thing I DO like in this kitchen is the pantry. Its nice and big! I hate however that the range is pinned between the fridge and the pantry. Especially since its a GAS stove!

This is the dining area that is connected to the kitchen. Its actually bigger than it looks! We'll be removing the carpet in here (well, the entire house actually! Its all getting replaced, and ALL repainted walls!)

These are the stairs that lead to the upstairs where the twins' bedrooms will be. They're the ONLY two things up there. This is standing in the same spot as the last picture, just looking up the stairs.


LIVING ROOMS

This would technically be considered a living room. It was at one point the main living room for the house. That is until they put on some major additions to the house!! This will serve as our entry room, and a place to set up day care tables, storage, etc.

The fire place that is in the entry room.

This picture is taken from the same spot as the stairs picture, and the dining room picture. They're all just in from the front door. And the entry way you see on the other side there is to the addition they put on the house, its the new living room!

This picture is looking through that door way, towards one side of the living room.

Obviously this is whats behind that big broken window! Looking from one corner of the living room to the other.

This is the window on the side of the living room. . .looking out this window you can see the garage, and just past that the in laws house!


THE SOON TO BE CONSTRUCTION ZONE

On the main floor there are two bedrooms with a bathroom in between. These two bedrooms and bathroom will be taken out, and made into one large bedroom, with a large closet, with a nice sized walk through bathroom. This will become the master bedroom.

This is the bedroom on the right, behind the kitchen, that will become the walk through bathroom and closet area.

This is the bathroom in the middle of the two rooms. It is so small and would NOT function for us. It'll be being moved, and made bigger!! (the doorway you see through the door way of the bathroom is the stairs for the basement!)

This is the bedroom on the other side. Its closet is just NOT cool. Its seriously just a little bigger than a foot wide! NOT cool. This rooms behind the entry room.

Looking into that bedroom the other way. Don't you just LOVE all the green????

THE BASEMENT

These are the stairs to the basement. They're a little narrow, but thats not uncommon for a house built in 1950.

This is looking to the right once you've reached the bottom of the stairs. The room straight ahead will be Todds music room. Oh, and ALL THE PANELING WILL BE GONE!!!

Looking into the laundry room, which is next to the music room.

Looking the other way in the laundry room. There is more cupboard space in this laundry room than my KITCHEN has right now!

This is looking out of the music room. You can see where the laundry room is, and where the kid's bathroom will be.

Inside the mucis room.

This is the room I dubbed the "church". Doesn't it kind of have that feel? With the benches at the other end that kind of look like pews? Yeah, all the paneling will be removed, and it will be sheet rocked so that it isn't so dark down there! This will be the kids livingroom/rec room! The through those doors that you see at the end, that will be the boy's room. Its under the living room addition from up stairs. Its HUGE.

This is looking the other way at the bottom of the stairs, into the mechanical/storage room. We'll be able to get our deep freeze in here, as well as an extra fridge! YAY!

Other side of the mechanical room

The kids bathroom. Much of this will be changed because in moving the upper bath, we have to tap into the main drains in this bath! So we'll ecentially have TWO new baths!

BEDROOMS

This is looking into Dallas and Gabes room. Its 17x22. HUGE!!! They have a window well, so its officially an official bedroom. Even though it seems the last people used it for an extra living room.

Stepping into the room and showing the true size!!

the other side. Each boy will have half of the closet, and that niche area there will hold their dressers! It'll be nice and large for them!!!



This is one of the upper bedrooms. it has built in dressers that will be taken out, and re built. There's NO way I'd keep them with that horrid green color. Eeew! but the thought of the built in storage is nice!

Same room, looking at the closet. These rooms have a lot of it. ON the other side of the room is access to the storage/attic. And you can see out the doorway the other bedroom at the top of the stairs!
the other bedroom.

Again with built in storage.

Well, there you have it. There it is, in all its "needs work" glory. Its exciting, nerve wracking, and scary all at the same time!!!!!! I'll update more as we know more. But please keep your fingers crossed for us that everything works out, and that we're not too exhausted to enjoy the new house!