Before and after

We spent a week of vacation up at our lake house.  It was a working vacation as we still had things to accomplish around the house.  Some wallpaper scraping, painting, adding ceiling texture where it had been taken off under the kitchen overhang...other odds and ends.  We can finally say we are feeling like it's our home!  Next time we go we can actually enjoy all our time there without having to work too much.

I'll have more pictures later...I should have taken a few more, but we had napping girls!

it's official, we're homeowners

front view, we are on a corner lot.

back view, the screened in porch.

Grandma with the girls in the sunroom after a LONG day of cleaning...thanks mom!

Kitchen

Living room, we do have a lake view! (Don't you LOVE the picture over the fireplace?  So glad they left that for us! HA!)

#1 Bedroom- Maria chose this for the girls room, isn't that great two tone carpet??

Half bath in #2 bedroom

#2 bedroom for mom and dad

Main bath in hallway

Well, lots of you already know the whole story about us buying a house, but for those who don't...here goes.

We started looking over a year ago, in North Webster for a place to own.  Since we live in a parsonage and chances are we always will until retirement, we wanted to have something all our own now.  To be able to build equity and do with it as we see fit, without permission from the church trustees!  Also probably a good idea to not have money saved for a house sitting around when we need to send kids to college.  We may not like the FAFSA results telling us the girls don't get financial aid because of that.  Another big reason is to give the girls a home base as we inevitably move around with the ministry.

The 'neighborhood' where we purchased is called Epworth Forest and is on Lake Webster.  Also in this neighborhood is the high school Methodist church camp.  This area holds special significance for me as I attended church camp here all through high school, and accepted Christ during camp one summer.

All this to say, we now own a house.  We closed at the end of September and this weekend decided to head up to clean and move things in.  My mom met us Friday and we spent 6 hours cleaning.  We went back Saturday to move things in, since we didn't have anywhere to sleep overnight, and the carpets were wet from cleaning them.  Mom and Dad brought a truck and trailer full of  furniture to help make our empty house a bit more welcoming.  Now we have places to sit and beds for the girls!

We have plenty to praise God for; owning our own home.