We made it!

Phew. What a whirlwind weekend!

Friday we got the keys to our townhome (that sounds so much better than "apartment" doesn't it?) and paint- paint- painted! We did an accent wall in three of the rooms: downstairs bath, living room, and master bedroom.

Yellow & Blue Living room:

Golden-Brown & Purple Bathroom:

Green & White Bedroom:

I am so proud of us! Neither of us have done a paint job of this scale from start to finish. We are really growing already. Someday, we'll have a house and know what to do with it! Speaking of which, we have some personal yard space here, too, which will be a good training ground for us.

Anyway, Laura came over from Springfield and helped us do the second coat. Then she helped me decide where all our furniture would go. That made moving the next day much easier! We were able to direct traffic and get things all set up how we want them right from the get go. She was also a tireless packer and cheerful babysitter and marvelous kitchen organizer. Seriously. Saturday morning, she packed our entire kitchen (minus several boxes of dishes which Ashley packed for me last week. Thanks, Shley!). Then that afternoon she unpacked it all and organized it. She claims the unpacking is her favorite.

Laura, Kitchen Goddess:

We had plenty of help moving all of our furniture and boxes from the new place to the old. Thanks to all who helped! And their wives, who very often lent me things or let my baby nap at their places. Special commendations go to Scott Cromar, who was there from the beginning, and Matt McCarter who installed our washer and dryer. (We have a W/D! I am so SO thrilled! No more trips down 3.5 flights of stairs and across a snowy walk with laundry and a baby!) Also, anyone who moved that beast of a couch, hulking desk, or piano (free piano! amazing! wonderful! pictured above) deserves special thanks. Thanks in advance to those of you who have volunteered to help me clean our old place sometime this coming week. My heart is really (but not literally) overflowing with gratitude.

And it is just so lovely here. Such a neighborhood. Benjamin can look out the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room and see kids on bikes, people walking dogs, the bus going by, etc. It is quite a contrast from our apartment complex which was all but vacant this past year.

We're settling in well. We slept here last night. We attended our new ward (and were glad to see familiar faces) this week. I've already received some mail here. It is starting to feel like home.