In our new house

We are here, in Galt, in the new house.  We got the keys last Friday, around 4 pm.  I had scrambled to get my two reviews posted before we had to vacate the hotel room at 11 am and messed up my linkys.  Its the little things that can make me feel like a total idiot.

Members of our new ward showed up Saturday morning and went to town painting.  They had asked if they could do it, so we couldn't say no.  They seriously flew.  I think they just wanted us out of the way so they could do their thing.  They painted all the bedrooms, plus the ceiling in the master.  They also did the first coat in the dining room, kitchen and dining room ceiling.  They totally rocked.  They showed up again on Tuesday and unloaded our moving truck in about an hour! They want to know when we will be taking down the shoddy covered patio, because they want to do some demo.  I don't quite know what to make of all this friendly helping, its overwhelming.

We finally got internet access today, but it may be short lived.  I don't know what possessed us, but we got HughesNet, which is slow as molasses.  We'll most likely be canceling, giving in and getting a land line and internet from the phone company.  Oh well, at least we tried.

Okay, now that we are moved in, here is a list of what we like about our new home:

No stairs.  Seriously, it is awesome not having to go up 2 flights of stairs multiple times a day
Its a small house.  I like that the kids aren't all over the house and I have to search for like 10 minutes to find them.  Plus less house means less to clean. I am all about that.  It also means more creativity with storage, and that means shopping!!

No carpet.  Sure, the tile floor is getting old, but at least it isn't harboring carpet mites.

The master bath is way bigger here, with 2 shower seats, and a window.

Our backyard is huge.  Plus, there isn't a townhouse complex behind us.  We have lemon trees, a fig tree, a lime tree, pomegranates and an avocado tree.

I love hearing the train.  Its far enough away to just be a comforting kind of noise.  It reminds me of the train when I was a kid.

This city is small.  A-town was nice with its plethora of shopping options, but it was hard to feel that sense of community.  Pretty much everywhere we go here, we can find strawberry stands, tomatoes, watermelon, etc.

Our home was a sweat-equity home, and all the neighbors helped build each other's homes.  They are also very welcoming, as this house had fallen into disrepair.

There are actually neighbor girls to play with.  Annie and Emma are getting to experience the fun and trials of having kids to play/fight/argue/disagree with.  They are learning how to to get along with others who have different values.

On cooler evenings, the neighbor kids gather in front of our house where the neighborhood basketball hoop is for a big game that includes all ages.

Our laundry is on the same floor as the rest of the house.  That pretty much is self-explanatory

The kitchen is bigger.  I know, it seems odd that with a way smaller house, we have a bigger master bath and kitchen, but its true.

So there you have it.  We are still here, alive, well and gearing up to paint our living room tomorrow and maybe unpack a few boxes.