Our House

 We really did it. We bought a house. It was a quick and crazy house shopping experience. We started looking a couple months ago when we discovered that Kuna is significantly cheaper than Boise/Meridian and qualifies for Rural Development, which means no down payment (a huge bonus for first timers like ourselves). We came across this house and after we saw it we debated each other for two days about purchasing it.

Closing weekend came and it was easily the busiest weekend of our lives. Thursday we signed and did the walk-through. It was terrible. The house looked like something from hoarders. All their stuff was everywhere, stuffed in garbage bags, and garbage all over the floor. We left extremely disappointed. Friday morning we waited impatiently for everything to go through, and waited for the sellers to get out (they were two hours late getting out of the house). We got into the house around five and were surprised it was mostly clean. At five-thirty we let the carpet cleaners in while we ate dinner outside. Then we started painting...

The house was previously painted in every single room. Crazy dark colors and not very well around the doors, baseboards, and edges. It was a huge task to finish painting by two (when the cleaning ladies came, compliments of our real estate agent) Saturday. Daniel and his dad stayed at the house until after eleven Friday night, and we were all back there before nine Saturday morning. Daniel and his Dad left around 11 a.m. to go get the truck and meet some people at our apartment to load it up. My mom took Sophie to her house to play and nap (much easier to paint without worrying a toddler is going to face plant in a tray of paint). My dad and I stayed and painted. Thankfully we had the help of my mom's friend's husband, a pro painter, on Saturday. He knocked out the master bedroom and a hallway in less than half the time it would have taken any of us. The only rooms we didn't repaint are the spare room (which we will), the bathrooms (which I actually like), and the laundry room (which is fine as is). It was pure madness. Then the cleaning ladies came like angels from heaven and cleaned the house while my dad and I picked up the painting mess and touched up some places. We still need to repaint the door frames, baseboards, and against the ceiling, but for the most part it's done and for the most part I LOVE it. I'm so happy we whipped all this out before they showed up with the truck at four. I swear half the ward came and unloaded the truck in under twenty minutes. It was amazing.

We still need to fix the edges and straighten the lines

 We really wiped everyone out. I'm still recovering. Sophie liked playing with Grandpa when she could (she was out with Grandma for most of the weekend) and she loves putting hats on people.

 Sophie is in love with this house. She loves wandering in and out, in and out, in and out, in and out.... She runs around the house screaming with her arms stretched out. She really loves the space. We even bought her a splash pool which is pretty amazing in her book.

 All this playing outside means more baths. And check out how long that hair is! It's really getting into her eyes now so ponytails are a necessity. Daniel tried to put up his hammock under our covered porch, but we haven't been able to make it secure enough to hold an adult. Sophie likes to swing and says, "Weeeeeeee. Go go!" She even loves "helping" with the yard work.

It makes my heart happy to see our little family in this home. I'm excited for what the future holds here. Now on to the joys and perils of home ownership.

About Town

Daniel's good buddy Andrew came to hang out with us in Boise this weekend. So we did what we usually do together: ate out a lot, strutted about town, and hung around the apartment. The boys played disc golf while Sophie and I played at the park. While we were at the park this morning, we spontaneously decided to go to the zoo as well. (Why is it $10 to go the zoo?!) 

On the menu this weekend was:

Flatbread Community Oven (A-)

Goldy's {Breakfast} (A)

Big Judd's (B)

Homemade Sweeto Burrito by yours truly (A++) {Obviously}

MFT BBQ (C+)

I loved breakfast at Goldy's, but it ended up being brunch after an hour long wait and another thirty minutes for our food. It was so delicious, I hardly care. 

While we waited we checked out the Farmer's Market again, and came across Chewbacca and a Storm Trooper, not usual market-goers. 

Baby's first Big Judd's trip. She's a true Idahoan now.

 The Zoo was a fun outing for Sophie. She hesitated whenever we set her near an exhibit. She much preferred to watch from our arms. Mornings are a great time to go though. Most of the animals were alert and that makes such a difference. 

At the park

And here's a hodgepodge of Sophie photos:

Lately she wears bibs as capes. I'm thinking I may work that into her Halloween costume. (Superhero? Red Riding Hood? Good thing I still have time to brainstorm)

Selfie

Sophie woke up before seven one day and passed out during an early lunch. 

Her favorite seat is the stroller on the balcony. She'll sit out there forever, especially with a snack. 

And hats. She's really learning how to accessorize. Good work girlie. 

Adventures on the Greenbelt

We photographed our last bike adventure. Lately we've been restricting ourselves to indoor activities  to keep the allergies at a minimum, but we have to risk it for a little fun. 

Just a twenty minute bike ride down the greenbelt is a nature park. We headed down there one nice, sunny Wednesday.

Checkin' out the huge fish in the pond

One of my favorite parts of our ride

The Boise River