Oh yeah, we're moving... again.

I move about every 8 months or so.  At least that's what it feels like.  I did a quick count in my head the other day and this upcoming move will be my 11th move since graduating from college in 2002.  Yes, my ELEVENTH MOVE in 10 years.  That is ridiculous.  This will be the 5th place that Chris and I will live in together in our 4 years of marriage and May's 3rd home.  She's not even one year old yet and this will be her THIRD home.  Like I said, that is ridiculous.

Now, onto the good news.  We are buying a house! SO, if everything continues to go smoothly... we shouldn't be moving again for a very very very long time (insert giant deep cleansing breath here).  We found a precious ranch with a finished basement in Gurnee.  I spent my entire non-adult life in Gurnee and Chris spent a large part of his childhood there as well.  I am a little bit more excited about moving back "home" than he is though.  Where we live now is about 2 minutes from Gurnee but this is different.  I feel like we're coming home. Is that weird? Well, it is what it is.

Here are some pics of the new place.  Obviously, these are from the real estate listing.  I canNOT wait to start posting some after pics of all the projects we will be doing!

The outside... I hate that giant tree but I'm sure it will be there for years to come.  I think we'll be doing alot of landscaping and painting...

The family room... LOVE the gas fireplace and the hardwood floors (although it will be funny to watch May slipping and sliding around since she used to carpet)

Another view of the family room -- the opening to the right of the fireplace goes to the bedrooms. 

The Kitchen... A very amazing person is GIVING us a stainless steel fridge and oven... and I totally plan on painting the kitchen cabinets (one day when I have like, a month with no other plans and May has become completely self sufficient).  I LOVE the window above the sink.  I've always wanted that... I spend so much time standing at the sink, I love that I'll have a nice view of our back yard :-)

This is actually a formal living room in the front of the house but the previous owners obviously used it as a dining room.  It's oddly cut off from the rest of the house though so the entire wall to the right is coming down which will open it up to the kitchen eating area (below) and the family room.

This is the eating area in the kitchen - the wall with the built in shelves will be coming down and it will open up to the formal living room -- the wall to the left is also coming down and will open up to the family room.

This is the AMAZING shower in the master bath.  It has multiple sprayers.  I might not ever get out.

This is the time capsule basement... I'm not-so-secretly in love with the wood paneling and the leather padded bar.  The door in the back there leads to the laundry room and a storage area -- the storage area is going to becoming a 4th bedroom for the parents.  My dad is giving us a giant sectional and giant TV for the basement.  We're pretty stoked. (Well, I'm pretty stoked because I don't have to get those two giant items out of my dad's basement and into our basement.)

So, that's everything! The projects mentioned with the walls coming down will be happening on our second weekend living here.  My darling husband, the carpenter, is going to use his one weekend off to work on our home all weekend.  He's so excited to finally get to do work on his own home.

And, I almost forgot to mention that this house is on a cul de sac in a REAL neighborhood and there is a little playground at the end of the cul de sac! Yay!

Here's a picture of May... just because.