December

We made it into our house about 5 days before Christmas. I didn't think it would happen but it was ready - all except outside paint.  The temps became too cold for that so it'll be done in Spring.  We did put our tree up on Christmas Eve and that was the extent of our decorations.  This was the first year that the boys woke up before we did and came to get us out of bed. I wonder if we'll ever go back to us waking them...maybe when they're teenagers?

The boys were happy with their gifts - although apparently Santa didn't get a letter Bennett wrote at school and he was sure that his teacher didn't mail it.  So she may not be his favorite any more. They did get a trampoline with a net enclosure.  Maybe that will help prevent major injuries until we put it at ground level. Unless we decide we don't want to dig a big hole again...I think we'd use a backhoe this time.

This was also probably the fastest they've opened gifts; I think Bennett hardly saw what Paxton got even though we tried to have them take turns.

I'm not the fastest decorator around so I am still working on that side of things. This is the upstairs living room off the small front entry - anyone suggest a rug color? I've been looking for weeks and am still indecisive despite the tens of thousands of rugs online!

Here is the basement family room - we just got the curtains up a couple days ago because they and the rods took forever to come (ordered Dec 1st). It's very close in size to our last living room but the walkout to the backdoor is in a corner, to the right here. and you also cannot see the wood burning stove.

We are having the boys share a room. Their beds just look too good together to split them up! And we want them to practice dealing with another human being in their space. So when they're physically bigger we'll split them up and lose the guest room.

Just the hall of doors downstairs - we had one in the last house so we repeated it since we found it to be very useful storage. There are two double doors and then the single for the space under the stairs. At the end of the hall is the basement laundry room and the door to the cold storage.

This is my studio space with an outside entry there in the corner.  Next to it is the rec room / pottery studio, which is still in disarray because it's been the catch all room for boxes. So I'll get pics of it up and maybe the kitchen too next month. I frequently have technical difficulties getting these photos uploaded so sometimes I just take whatever I can get.

Meet our cat Chica. She does not come out from underneath Paxton's covers until night time, and even then she'll only go a little way across the hall into the bathroom and sit on the rug. So I lifted the comforter to take the photo. Apparently she doesn't love moving. Our other cat hid the first two days under Bennett's bed, then he ventured out and explored everywhere. He is back to his old self being annoying at night by climbing over us when we're trying to sleep. And, like his sister, he has learned to climb under our covers to snooze. Our dog Chula is still doing quite good despite her old age, but she certainly prefers Grandma's grassy yard over our current mudpit.