Bantam Hill

Our first home-of-our-own has been named and moving is underway.  My emotions are all over the map.  Moving + Grad School = stressballs.



"Bantam Hill" has been adopted as the nom de guerre for this little residence; using the "diminutive" definition of "bantam" and applying it to the way the lot has been built up to allow for a walk-out basement.  "Diminuitive hill" feels about appropriate.  Not only that, but the "chicken" overtones of "bantam" can hang out with the current cow-wallpaper in the kitchen.



Speaking of cow wallpaper - there is so.much.work.to.do.  There is not a single interior surface of this house that we don't have plans for.  Which is exciting as planning and designing goes, but it also means that the house as it is, as we are moving into it, is sort of like an awkward teenager.  It doesn't quite fit us... yet.

So I'm working my Pollyanna muscle and finding things to be excited about.  Our first fireplace (gas, assuming it works once we get the pilot light lit), more than 2 drawers in the kitchen, a jetted tub in the master bath, and a master closet with a LIGHT in it!  (Hooray for being able to see my clothes!)

The project front is already well underway.  We absolutely require a way to keep our kids locked out of our food storage.  Non-negotiable.  So we had to frame-in the storage area in the basement of this house so there could be a door with a lock.  We had the floor epoxied, most of the walls framed, insulated, and sheet rocked within a week of getting our keys.  Mr Renn has been staying up late to mud and tape and sand and paint, and re-install shelves, and the food-room part of our storage is ready for use.  We'll return to the non-food storage room construction (more drywall and shelf-building) once we finish moving in.  We're pretty determined to keep our momentum going and live in perpetual project mode for at least the next 2 years.  So.many.plans.

But for now, let's just try to finish getting everything we own from here to there.  It's a short drive.  Really short.  But it's still everything we own, so it's still untold hours of work for the adults around here.

But, friends, we bought a house.  We get to do whatever we want to it.  I feel almost lost in the adult-ness of it.  This first time home-owner is getting her water-legs and it's weird, and kind of fun!