Showing posts with label home ownership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home ownership. Show all posts

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Pool Fun

One of the major perks of our HOA is the pool.  Our fees help maintain a really large main pool, a baby pool, and two life guards who are always on duty.  With all the 90+ degrees days with humidity the pool has been a very happening place.  We are lucky to go often with a couple of friends.

Loving the bucket our friend A brought.


G bear carrying a heavy load :)


This is our little friend K.  She and Peach are in our nursery together...she cracks us up with her hair dipping routine!

No more pictures please :)

 
All I want for Christmas...this week Captain E lost both his front teeth.  His new lisp cracks me up :)  I have to get him singing for the camera.

Last year Captain E wouldn't even put his head in the water, now he's teaching himself to swim.  He's actually getting pretty good.  Maybe he's finally ready to take lessons from the life guards :)


This is my favorite in the series.  Captain E likes to swim around the pool with G bear on his back. 

Our friend B likes to join in the fun!



Look at those eyelashes!

No qualms about jumping in the pool!

G bear has these cute little freckles that have shown up this summer.  Freckles and eyelashes, I've got some really cute kids.

Have to love the matching swim suits!

How Much Does Water Cost You?

We got our second water bill today, the first full month cycle one and holy Hannah, the thing was for $70.  I did a hypothetical budget when we were first working on our match list of all the areas that were possibilities and the pay, and since then I made a new one specific to our area.  In my highest estimates I figured water would probably run us, $50 a month.  On a positive note I figured electric in the summer would probably run close to $200, and in our hottest month so far we came in at $70.  So I guess that was better then expected, I was just a little shocked at how much our H20 is running.  I mean it doesn't help that there's almost $30 of just taxes and fees just to have water, but still.  Am I watering our law too much?  It looks pretty dead to me.  Should I reduce the amount of water games?  Maybe this is just what water cost, which explains why most of my neighborhood has now just let their lawns die.  This is my first time paying for water on my own so maybe I'm just not aware or the cost.  Tell me please, what do you pay for water on average?  The saddest part, the water here taste horrible, like worse then Arizona :(  Dr. J will come in sometimes and say, "Do we have any soda, or anything?  Anything taste better then the water from the tap!"  Premium price for icky product :)







Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Because You Know You Wanted 28 Pictures of My House

 Front view.  Do you love the pile of tree branches.  Dr. J cut them two weeks ago and hasn't had time to take them to the dump.  Hopeful he can do it on his next day off because I'm actually having nightmares that our HOA is going to fine us if we leave them out there much longer.  Those three front windows are in my bedroom.
 Have to love the fake shutters.  It breaks it up a little.  In the right corner you see the ordamental pear tree whose branches are driving me nuts.
 Our couch looks a lot better in the bigger space.  This shelf will be ok to once we get some baskets for it.  Right now it's just storing picture frames.  Some of them need to get on the walls. 
 We decided to leave the computer downstairs.  Our kids are getting to the point where we really want our computer in a place that is walked through often.  Just feel better about it.  Those lamps and boxes need to go though.  I need someone to come visit so I'll feel the pressure to get it cleaned up. 
 This is our family room.  I swear I clean this up every night but with three kids what do you expect.  Coveting a good place to put the TV.  Until I find one on craigslist or at a garage sale this will have to do.
 Our family room is big enough that we've had this tent up for a week and it doesn't get in the way at all.  Have to love the extra space!
 Kitchen/dinning area.  This table fits here so much better then at our old place, and look at all the cabinets.  And yes unfortunately that counter is acting as my catch all!  I need so bar chairs at that island to keep me motivated to keep it clear.  Will be checking garage sales for that as well.
 I LOVE our patio and the play equipment.  We got them to leave that as part of the deal on the house...and it is so fun to have.  My kids hang out there two hours a day just swinging, sliding, our handing out in the pirate hold.
 Lots of grass space.  Wish it would rain though because I'm getting sick of running the sprinkler...after all we actually pay for water now :)  Lucky for me I have a doctor to mow my lawn!
 Back view of the house.  We planted some cool plants in the planter.  Hoping they all take.  Meanwhile I'm loving the gladiolas and roses.  Dr. J wants to put a roof over the patio for shade.  So excited for that project!
 Up the stairs now, nice and wide for carrying stuff up.
 1st room...planned use, office/guest room.  Currently a big scary mess.  We've put all the office stuff in here but haven't put hardly anything on shelves or in the closet, then we'll go in and pull one or two things out and leave the lids off.  So it is kind of a huge mess.  The room is huge though and ideally once we get things picked up we should have room for a full bed, futon, or possibly a trundle.  We want a place for visitors to stay...translation, WE WANT VISITORS!!!!
 This is the only non walk in closet in the house.  It has a lot of space, but didnt' seem ideal for clothes.
 Our laundry room is upstairs.  Nice not to have to drag laundry down the stairs. 
 Captain E's room.  He keeps complaining he is the only one that doesn't have to share a room.  Silly boy!  That Roman shade cracks me up.  I was going to get one to go in the girl's room.  Turns out the cheapest one I could find was almost $300 I decided not to :)

 Captain E has a walk in closet that is almost empty.  He also has a shelf full of all his treasues.
 My mom's friend did one of these for each of my kid's at the Freedom Festival this year.  Captain E didn't want to take his sun glasses off, but it is still pretty fun!
 Kid's bathroom.  My mother-in-law doesn't like the shower curtain (to much clash), but I got it for $2 at target 90% meaning I LOVE IT :)
 This is Dr. J and my room.  It is a sad empty place.  We've always been shoved into these tiny, little rooms and now we have space to spread out.  We just don't know what to do.  I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a nice headboard...and who knows what else, a treadmill, a pool table, a disco ball.  The room has a lot of space.
 There are those three windows again.  When we first moved in they had taken the curtains that were in them.  We decided we didn't want them and ended up putting these blinds in from blinds.com.  They cost us about $50 a piece and were totally worth it. 
 Have to love the walk in closet.  When my mother-in-law saw it, the one who lives in a house that cost 21/2 times more than ours she said, "Oh now I'm jealous!"  There is so much space.  I gave Dr. J the two little racks on the left.  The rest is all mine :)
 Master bath.  Not much to see but so nice to have.  We've never had one before and knew it was something we really wanted when we were looking for homes.  So WORTH IT!
 G bear and Peach's room.  These beds cost a pretty penny but the girls love them.  They can be in a bunk or singles.  These I bought at an actual furniture store because I wanted something very specific and I wanted quality pieces that would last until these little girls move off to college.  I think I did pretty well. 
 These bed sets I got at Target on clearance for $15.  I've been holding on to them for six months just waiting to get them up.  Originally I wanted to do the girls room in stripped pink, but this room was already yellow and it matched so well with the bedding I thought, why mess with what works.  The only thing I really dislike about the room right now is the dresser is just a pine color.  I'd love to paint it white but I've never redone any furniture and it makes me nervous. 
 I found this curtain rod at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and it matched the bedding so perfectly I had to have it.
 Here are Peach and GiGi.  Can you tell how much they love the room?

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