New House Owners

As most of you know, Luke and I closed on a house this week.  We are so excited about the opportunity that stretches out in front of us.  It's a big house that's been terribly neglected.  We bought if from a bank as it was in foreclosure.  The neighborhood and location are great and the house is laid out in a manner perfect for us. 

We've spent the last two months researching, getting bids, talking to banks, contractors, and engineers, researching some more, yes then talking to more contractors, and on and on until last Thursday we signed the papers at the bank and found ourselves in possession of a hole-y wonderful house.

There is lots of work to be done and we will be documenting that adventure most likely in a separate place.  I'm kind of addicted to reading house blogs and can't resist starting our own.  More details as we get it developed, I promise.  This way if in person we start yammering on and on about all kinds of house projects you can just say, "Oh, yes, I read that on your blog." (regardless of whether you did or not...) and we will (probably) stop talking and ask you something about your life instead.  Everybody wins!

Thursday night we had a 'Before Party.'  About 30 of our friends and family came over to eat hamburgers and look at the mess we had just purchased.  The kids raced all over the big empty rooms then climbed around in the back yard full of hazards.  Wheee!  Everyone made it out in one piece and next year when we host the 'After Party' I'm sure it will be a much safer affair (steps that aren't crumbling, zero poison ivy, no broken glass).

Grandpa and Gran with their arms full of cuteness.



Our guests helpfully brought camping chairs.  Next year we'll have seating for them.  Even better, next year we'll have operable bathrooms for them.



Levi and some of his best buddies.

On Friday we commenced with demolition.  While Luke was working to get rid of the moldy materials in the basement, I was out front with the boys.  Milo likes landscaping.

Surveying his new domain.

"One question, Mama: two days ago I was wearing shorts and today we had to bundle up.  What is with this Kansas weather?"

No furniture in the house means lots of room for boys to play.  Here they are in the dining room.

This little guy loves tools already.  When we are at the hardware store he practically lunges out of the cart trying to get his hands on the merchandise.

Levi found a worm.  Then he requested I take its picture.  The worm refused to smile for the camera.

I told him not to stick the shovel in his mouth.  He did it anyway.

The boys love riding in the truck.

We've cut cow's milk out of Milo's diet and he has been a lot happier.

Rolling around in fresh laundry.

Papa, you might want to hide this picture from Nana.  After seeing it she may just drive to the Providence airport and buy the first ticket out to KC.

He's generally been in good spirits with occasional grumpy stints.  Today we discovered why: part of his molar has come thru!  He's not quite 15 months old and doesn't even have the rest of his non-molar teeth.  We were surprised to see it.

He climbed into the shoe closet to apparently enjoy himself by spilling soy milk and getting his mitts on Levi's helmet.  That is a usually closely guarded object.  Milo seems pretty  excited to have it in his possession.

Somersaults were going on while the helmet was being pilfered.