Progress In The Making

I feel like I'm getting lots done on our new home. I have been at work the past two months, gone every week. So it has been difficult to continue with larger, time-consuming projects (like staining the rest of the cabinets in the house). However, when I have been home, I have been able to get a lot done. It's starting to look like something lived in, and if you can ignore the severe lack of seating in the living room, it actually looks quite nice. The plan is to shop for couches starting in January, since a lot of furniture stores have great sales after Christmas to get rid of inventory before the new stuff arrives in February. Though we might find what we like and buy it in January, it could take up to eight more weeks after purchase before we see some sitting situations in our living room. We will be getting two couches and two arm chairs for the living room, and a small love seat for near the fireplace in the dining room/reading nook. Only I would make a reading nook in a house! We will also slowly be searching for end tables, a coffee table, and an ottoman for the love seat reading nook. It's practically impossible to read without one's feet in an elevated position.

Though some rooms still appear empty, quite a bit of progress has been made. It's amazing to think we've had the keys for almost three months already! As the temperatures continue to cool to bearable levels, we will soon be heading outside to make headway on the plants out front. We were able to start a little yesterday morning, and it's even easier now to imagine no wild bushes taking over sidewalks! I doubt we will be planting anything this fall, which is the perfect Arizona planting season. Hopefully by next February (another planting season...we have three, after all), we will be ready to put some new greenery into the ground. The goal is low-maintenance desert landscaping that looks like a million bucks. Have I set my hopes to high yet again?!

I was awakened yesterday morning to the sound of the pool pump going crazy right outside my bedroom window. I didn't panic since it meant someone was out there cleaning the pool, and John indeed was getting rid of the remnants from our big storms this past week. After just an hour of cleaning, the pool was sparkling and beautiful. Too bad it was still a little too chilly to dip in! Because it's a diving pool and has nine feet of depth on one end, it's hard for the pool to ever get really warm. I just enjoyed the view for the day.

I am rather partial to this house. Rather partial, indeed. What do you think of it so far?