March Part 2

Here it is the end of April, and I am just finishing up the March blog.  But the good news is that last week we passed all our inspections and were able to move everyone into their bedrooms.  Which means we can also begin to unpack and start to empty out our piles of boxes in the garage.  So now taking a bit of a break from all the finishing touches and the unpacking that needs to be done, here are the pictures from "March Part 2". 

Yes, the extra square footage has been nice, but for some reason 

we tend to still cluster within a few square feet.  I'm not complaining.

Claire's first play-date at our new home with her bus buddy Will.

While Dad has been serving as builder and contractor, he has also been serving as Grandpa and babysitter.  Each morning he takes a break to watch the boys while I bring Claire to school.  Just enough time to read Henry a book and throw the ball around with George.

Joe looked forward to spending his birthday in Colorado to celebrate "Uncle" Pauly's wedding, but that meant we had to celebrate a few days early with dinner at Russ' before he set off for his trip.

I love Claire's expression - totally jealous that George gets 

to help Dad open the present.  It's hard being seven!

The Lego White House.  

The bonus room upstairs is coming along.

Our bedroom.

A slumber party while Dad is away.

Back home and right to work, "Young Joe" 

learning to lay tile for our upstairs bath.

And now for the grout.

Painting the spindles for the railing.

Always with a tool in each hand.

Claire helps patch her trim in her bedroom.

EASTER

Emma, Nolan and Henry at the Easter Egg Hunt

George was surrounded by candy but found one 

little sucker and was happy to call it a day.

Avery and Claire with their goodies.

Swinging in her Easter dress.

HE IS RISEN!

Oops, startled George.

A little hug ought to do the trick!

Yep, all better.

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

March Part 1

It has been a month full of special moments.  Too many for one post, so I have divided our pictures into two parts.    

I think these first few pictures are actually from February, but I wanted to sneak them in anyways.

Henry's teacher came to visit and brought one of Henry's favorite activities.

Our kids have really enjoyed having Ms. Sybil for a teacher.  She's the best!

Grandpa is staying busy with house projects.

The upstairs bath demoed and ready to go.

And now we begin March.  Still on Oakwood for the first week.

We seem to have a thing about moving in snowstorms!

Thankfully, the snow cleared a bit so we could get a few good days 

of hauling our belongings to the new house, which thankfully, isn't far.  

Just north about a mile and a half.

Our version of "Move-In Ready Home" means drywall is up!

Saturday morning, my family and our small group from church 

helped us get the last few loads over to the house.

While the grownups moved, the kids kept busy playing at the Oakwood house.

Loading up the garden.

Aunt Laura and George

Andrew and Claire proudly display the worm found in the garden.  

We couldn't leave him, so he ended up making the trip to our new home.

Of course, the day before we moved out, one of our kids dropped a lego down the bathroom drain, which wasn't really a problem except when Joe went to retrieve it, he noticed the pipe was almost rusted out.  So one last project at the Oakwood house.  It's a fitting way to leave.

Our last night on Oakwood.  

Everything was packed up, but we had a fun family 

sleepover to mark the special occasion.

My sleeping boys.

One last effort to clean 9 years of dirt and dust bunnies.

The new owners came by at noon, and we officially handed over the keys.  They are a wonderful couple with a young daughter.  I pray they enjoy the house as much as we did.

As sad as it was to leave Oakwood, we were all excited to head over to the new house to get things organized and unpacked.

Until the upstairs is completed, we put together some makeshift bedrooms.  Joe and I are in the living room, George is in the foyer, and Claire and Henry are in the main floor bedroom.  It works well for the time being.

Most of our belongings ended up in the garage for now, but there's still a fair share of stuff that is being brought in.

And on our very first day in the new house, Claire lost a tooth!

Showing off her tooth in our newly situated living room.

On our first evening, Joe and the kids watched some home videos.

A note for the tooth fairy: "Claire's Tooth, First tooth at new house."

Henry's first night in the new house.

George's first night in the new house.  

Most kids have a blanket or stuffed animal to snuggle 

with at bedtime.  Our son has a ball.

An unexpected perk of the new house...the puddle that forms for a short time after there's been a rain.  The kids are super excited!

The kids watch from "our bedroom" as Grandpa gets ready to work.

It's Insulation Day!

Our very full garage.

  

And it officially feels like home!