M.D.

Today is the day we have been waiting for for a really long time. Bryan is graduating from medical school! What an accomplishment. I am so excited for him and proud of him for reaching his goal of becoming a doctor. He will make a fine M.D.! Way to go Bryan. I couldn't be happier for you. You are a wonderful husband, father, doctor, and person. I love you.

Our House

I think our house in South Bend is final and we know it's going to work out! I have been waiting to post picutres until we knew for sure that it was ours! We are excited to get to South Bend and get settled. It's three bedrooms, two and half baths with a finished basement and a fenced-in backyard. It has been fixed up and all the carpet is new, there's new hardwood floors, and all the bathrooms have been remodeled. Here are a few pictures of our house:

This is the kitchen. It's cute, a little smaller than I was hoping for, but it will work fine. The kids can play out in the backyard while I am cooking dinner and watching them out the window. This is the backyard. It's big, fenced in and so nice! The kids are looking forward to having a place to run. Bryan and I are excited to have a place to hang out and BBQ or sit and chat.

This is the basement. It's half finished. This will probably be the TV room and playroom. There is a small room you can see in the picture. It will probaby be our office and maybe share as a guestroom. I'm not sure it will fit a bed in it- we'll have to see once we get there. There is also a room for storage and a place for the washer and dryer.

This is the house. Isn't it cute?! The curb appeal is great. There is a wooden swing on the front porch that the seller's are leaving and the house is at the end of a circle so the kids will be able to play and ride bikes without worrying about too much traffic. Bryan and I have talked about maybe painting the yellow part someday. We'll see if that really happens. I really don't mind the yellow though.

This is the master bedroom. It's hard to see in the picture, but it's a nice size and I love the stripe that goes around the room. The bathrooms are all redone. It will be so great to have our own bathroom! No messes with toothpaste, bows and elastics, tub toys, etc. The kids rooms are cute too, but I don't have any pictures of those yet.

This is the family room. It's cute, but small. The rest of the house made up for this space! I actually think it will work out fine for our family.

This is the formal living room. I have big plans for this room! I want to use my Titanic ship as inspiration and decorate it old-fashioned/vintage like. It will take a few months to save up some money to pull off my idea, but good things can wait, right?!

So, that's it. Having a home is something I have looked forward to for a long, long, long time. It will be great not having to worry about being quiet for the neighbors! The kids will have space to get away from each other when they need some alone time.

I wonder how long it is going to take for it to feel like 'home'. It is hard to imagine anywhere but Vermont feeling like home. I am struggling with the thought of leaving Vermont. I will miss it so much. We have had great experiences here and have made life-long friends. Driving away from here is going to be so hard.

At the same time, I am looking forward to moving on. Bryan is finally done with school and will have a real job! I'm sure we will have more great experiences and make more wonderful friends. I am always up to a new adventure!

Projects

The countdown is on! We move to Indiana in just under a month. The time is flying and I have a lot to do. I have a few projects that need to get done. The first one I did was the girls' dresser. I resanded it and stained it- looks like new! I should have pictures, but I don't.

Bryan found this rocking chair on craigslist for $20. We went to Joann's and bought some outdoor canvas fabric and recovered the seat. Then we sanded the chair down and then stained it with Pecan wood stain.

Before...

After...We can't wait to put it on our front porch and rock while we watch the kids ride bikes and play.

Next, we had a yard sale with our neighbors. I have been cleaning out our house and was glad to get rid of some things. Niah and her friend Gracie sold lemonade and cookies. They each made about $6.00. Pretty impressive!

Only a few things are left on my list:
*Finish Bennett's wood blocks that I started two months ago.
*Make some art boards to give to friends or sale at the next yard sale.
*Cook some meals and freeze them for when my mom and dad come to stay with the kids. (Bryan and I are going to the beaches of Mexico!)