up! To the east side…
WE GOT THE HOUSE! The owners accepted our rental application including the request to add more lighting. We signed the lease today and all that’s left is for the owners to sign. We hope to hear final confirmation tomorrow. The only down side to this is that our move in date is 01 August. That’s 37 days in case you wanted clarification. To further clarify, that’s 37 days of two adults, two kids and two cats in a one-room hotel room (with a mini kitchen). But the bright side? When we move into that 1500 square foot house we’re going to think it’s a mansion!
Until we try to move all of our possessions into it, that is. This brings me to the title of my post. I’m moving on from the searching phase to the planning phase. Now I can start trying to visualize where we’re going to stuff everything. I can start shopping for bunk beds. I can start shopping for storage solutions. ALL THE FUN STUFF! This planning phase is probably the best part other than seeing the final result, which often takes months if not years to achieve. We don’t have years though so we’re going to try to get it right the first time.
I’m also excited because I’m going to do some container gardening and I get to start planning that. What zone are we in? When does our deck receive sun? How shady is it? Where is the nearest nursery? (Why, right across the street actually). One cool thing is there is an extension office several hundred yards away and they are experts on local flora. I haven’t had even a semblance of a garden in three years; barely even plants in pots, so I’m hoping to do some cute things.
Another cool thing about the house is its proximity to everything we’re going to need. Du has an 8 minute bus ride to his work. The girls and I are an 8 minute bus ride to the metro. The bus stop is about fifty feet from our front door. There is a playground/park two hundred yards away. There is a pool (with a splash pool) two hundred yards away. The community center is two hundred yards away. Y’all I’m not even joking about the closeness. There are shopping centers within walking distance. My favorite grocery store is about a ten minute drive. Old Town Alexandria is about ten minutes away. If we wanted to drive into DC that would be about ten minutes as well (in good traffic). We still have to find a church, but that will happen once we actually start living there.
Every time we’ve driven through the neighborhood (which is a lot. We’d be considered house stalkers if anybody had been keeping track of us) we’ve seen women walking dogs, women pushing kids in strollers, women jogging, young families taking a stroll. I think I’m going to feel safe enough picking back up that little health habit I’ve been trying so hard to avoid maintain.
So here’s to moving on to bigger (than a hotel room) and better things!
Not So SAHM 
YAY! Congratulations. SO happy for you. The neighborhood sounds wonderful — and just perfect for your family.
I am soooo happy for y’all; sounds like an ideal location. Knowing you, you probalby have started a list for each project; that would be how many already? ; )
I have the biggest grin slapped on my face right now! It was so enjoyable for me to read about all you have planned for your new home! Hooray for you! I’ve been feeling really down in the last week (since I actually did what Dave Ramsey has been telling me all these years and put a budget down on paper) because I essentially have no budget for decorating. And an empyt house. With no furniture. With no anything. Boo hoo 😦 But, at least I shall get to live vicariously through you, V, and I do hope you post plenty of pictures of your new pad!