Sealed Deal: Extended Vacation

We found a place to call home!

I'm so excited about it! Chad isn't, but I know we can make it beautiful. It's a VERY affordable, very old manufactured home on a dirt road in Queen Creek. I've always wanted to live on a dirt road in Queen Creek, that's where most of my friends lived growing up and I have such fond memories riding quads around, playing in irrigation, star gazing and playing hide and seek in the citrus groves. Our place is so small in comparison to the houses surrounding it but its on a 1/3 acre which gives us a huge grassy front and back yard, and the house is literally over twice the size of our last place!
Its no spring chicken. All the appliances, cabinetry, light fixtures, carpet...so pretty much everything is pretty outdated but its spacious, we have a guestroom and the majority of the living area is hard wood. One of the biggest selling points for me is the kitchen area, it has room for a table. Guys, I haven't had a table in almost 5 years! This place has the perfect spot for a nice big table, surrounded by windows.

When we viewed it, it didn't look pretty, or in my dads words "Well, it definitely isn't going to win any awards?", but I saw its potential. It was dirty (very dirty), boxes and tools and all kinds of junk in every room. Cob webs in every corner and lots of wear and tear on the fixtures. After we walked out, Chad pretty much shut it down. I was sad but I told him I didn't want to live anywhere he wasn't going to be happy. SO the next day, we made a list of available houses in our price range and started going on tours. It only took one or two houses til he realized that our price range requires sacrifice. We either get a nicer home and a sketchy neighborhood or a nice neighborhood and a older home. On our way home from viewing other houses, he agreed that the house in Queen Creek was our best deal. He felt like us being somewhere safe trumped granite countertops...go figure. If we want to get debt free and build our savings in the next few years, this house is how we're going to do it!

I had to take a before shot...it's pretty gnarly. Everything in the front yard will be gone, leaving us a beautiful apricot and pecan tree for shade in the summer and the back yard is fenced and perfect for a puppy (which is pretty high up there on Chads list of priorities). We get to irrigate which means lots of fun for all of us. Most of our neighbors are LDS, in fact, a few of them were in the first ward I was ever in when we moved out to Queen Creek in 2002. And get this, we live on Happy Rd. HAPPY! It's a good place to be. We'll be in there in a couple weeks but until then, we're at my parents house and loving it! It eels kind of like an extended vacation, we're out in the back yard every morning helping grandma water the flowers and pick weeds and in the pool in the afternoons. We are hanging with sisters and Liams finally getting to know his aunties! We already LOVE being so close to cousins again and having extended family so close too. Here's just a few pics of the fun we've had so far.

Kenna let me take pictures of her and her date before her senior prom! It's so unreal, i can;t believe she graduates next month! I feel like i missed so much of her fun high school milestones while i was in ID and i miss practically ALL of Breeas so it was a real pleasure to be able to be a part of this one!

Mom spent hours hemming the bottom of this dress and getting Kennas hair ready for the big night. It was so worth it, she looked amazing and her dress was by far the most elegant and beautiful that i have ever seen!

Kennas date was SUCH a gentleman! I was so impressed with him and he looked just as amazing as she did! They matched perfectly.

Mom helped with the pin, Dani made the coolest flower ever for him!

Dad wanted his signature "watchit" picture

Chad helped to up the annie by providing additional motivation to get Kenna home safe.

She had such a fun group, so many of these girls i remember having over at our house, running around in their underwear in the irrigation when they were up to my waist but now they're all young ladies..and luckily wearing so much more than they were back then!

These next photos are a little blurry but i had top share because Kenna looks like a model and her dates face evolution is priceless!

Total model status!

k, nevermind.

They're such goofballs

We also got to go to the Science Center yesterday. Liam was in a horrible mood but he still enjoyed all the running around, cool lights and colors and of course, water!

Millie looked like this literally the whole time...perfect baby.

Liam was so independent today, always pushing away from me and running off on his own t look at stuff. I pretty big part of me hated it but i also loved watching him figure out stuff on his own.