A New Chapter...

So I have been thinking about blogging for a long time now. I read blogs.  I even enjoy some of them.  But I never really thought I had much to say that was worth listening to.  Moving to Georgia though has changed all that.  Ok. Not really.  I still don't have much to offer as far as something worth listening to.  BUT...I do have plenty of people to keep in touch with in Texas.  I am horrible about keeping in touch.  Awful.  Always have been.  There were summers that I would go to my dad's for a visit and go weeks without calling to check in with my mom (Emmi and Addi...I will HURT you if you ever pull that on me.)  But I digress.

Anywho...we are here in Georgia.  I would say we are "settled" here in Georgia but that is a bit of a fabrication.  We are holed up in a two bedroom apartment with the girls in one room and us parentals in the other.  It is small.  It is cramped.  And it gets trashed SO easily.  But.  It's a blessing.  A HUGE blessing.  Cause it is free (thank you Doosan!)  So while we are waiting for our housing project to be finished...we are living expense free (at lease HOUSE expenses free).  Not too shabby huh?

We got to Georgia March 30.  It's May 13 now.  Where has the time gone?!?!?  How is that possible?  I am happy to report we did get the house we wanted to badly.  The house the bank (it's a foreclosure) had told us "no" to and told us not to bother coming back to them with another offer in March.  The house that the bank then called us (at the end of March) asking if we would make another offer (who's laughing now!?!?)

We closed on April 30; however, we started acting like it was ours WAY before that.  We had our own "secret" way in and I would meet contractors there to get bids.  We removed the microwave and put it on the counter.  I even got mad when I saw someone had been in the house...probably a realtor showing the house.

In any case...take a look at our dream home!  Hopefully you can use your imagination and see the potential and not the ugliness it started out as!

We found out about our house when our realtor, Joe, called me in Texas to tell me he was walking through it and to pull up the pictures on the Internet.  I took it as a bad sign when he said "just skip over the first picture...it doesn't do it justice."  Can you say The Adams Family home?!?  I asked him if it was haunted...

I think this picture does it better justice but it still is not nearly
 as pretty as it is in person.  In any case, we are situated in on
2 acres right on the Milton/Alpharetta border, just 3 miles
from downtown Crabapple.  

Welcome to our home...

Come on now.  Don't be jealous.  Not everyone gets
the flooring right out of the Billy Jean video for their foyer.
"The guys" (Matt and Joe the realtor) had a hard time getting
me past this.  Needless to say.  It is the first thing on our
contractor's "to do" list.

When you walk in the front door (into the foyer) the dining
room is on the left.  The is a picture looking into the dining
room from the foyer.  The door you see on the right is to the
kitchen.

A view of it looking towards the foyer.

Immediately, to your right is a living room/office.  This is
standing inside the office looking at the front door.

The photographer took some serious liberties with the lens.
This is the same room as the one above (office.)

Look closely and you will see the "gorgeous" black and
white tile.  This room is at the end of the foyer.  It's a guest
bedroom with a full bathroom and walk out to the deck.  It
is the only room that will still have carpet on the main floor
when we are done with the renovations.

Ahhhh...the kitchen.  The oh so "why did they do THAT"
kitchen.

The bank installed the granite.  They didn't think to change
out the 18 year old appliances or "straighten" the
cabinets that are all lopsided. And can anyone explain
why you would have a plug outlet, against the metal sink,
just below water????

The eating area. It is a nice sized eating area but not THIS big!

Oh my favorite part of the kitchen. I still can't
believe the bank thought it was ok to leave
the mismatching oven and microwave!

Again, a little liberty with the photographer's lens but it is
a nice sized room.  This is the family room which is attached
to the kitchen.  The photographer's back is to the double
doors leading to the deck and the entry to the kitchen is to
the left.

Let's head upstairs...

Emmi's room...of course it will be much cuter when we get
done with it.  She has her own full bath and walk in closet.

Part one of the master bedroom.  The "living" area.

Part two...the sitting area.  It's obnoxious how big the master
suite is. My biggest problem with the house has always been
how big the master suite is.  I guess it is a good problem to
have.

The master bathroom needs some love.  There is carpet
sea shell sinks, and just pretty "blah". But it has lots of
potential and that is what I am crazy about!

At least the carpet is new and clean!

Poor bug.  I just realized I don't have a picture of her room.  I downloaded these from the realtor's website so it is not that I just totally ignored her room while taking pictures of the home.  In any case, she is also spoiled rotten and has her own full bathroom and walk in closet.  

On to the basement...

Apparently this was once a theatre room.  There are plugs
and phone jacks EVERYWHERE.  It is vinyl flooring and
has a horrible echo. I don't know how they pulled off
a home theatre in here.  I don't have a separate picture of
the room to the left but it is a big play area.  There is also
a full bath in the basement.

This is the bedroom in the basement.  It is huge and has a door
to the outside.  Our parents have threatened to move in. I told
them they were not old enough yet.

Moving outside!!!!

The family room is behind the photographer and the kitchen
is to the right.  Yes. That is a hot tub to the left.  Not currently
in working condition.

Boy would it be nice if we can get it up and running though!

The backyard...Lord willing a pool is in our future! There is
not swim/tennis in the neighborhood so with two little ones
it is pretty close to being a "must".  We want the kids to
want to be at our house as they are growing up.  A pool might
help ;-)

Finally...heading up the driveway.

Tomorrow I will try to post some pictures of the demolition and then keep the blog updated through the construction process.  Hugs!