Our New Whare

Let go back in time to about this time last year (has it really been so long since I have blogged??!)... 

Once again, our Landlord told us "Im selling", why do they always do that?!

And so we were pushed off the plank into finding a new home. 

We had spent years in the rental market, assuming that buying our own home was impossible.

Instead, we saved our pennies, week by week, we increased our Kiwi Savers and made voluntary contributions in to them... And over the years it started to add up. 

We couldn't believe it when we started to house hunt for our own home and that it might just be possible!

I found this little gem while Graeme was visiting family out of the country. I called him and said "We're putting in an offer". We did, we got it, and we love it. 

When I visited the open home I walked up the driveway underneath these sunlit trees, the sun was peaking over the house and I was sold already before I even went inside.

When I saw that little red stain glass window I fell in love (even more!) with this 1929 bungalow.

Sure, it's got its limits. A tiny section mostly, which makes me a little sad on somedays, and happy on others (we came from a rental with a great yard). We're hoping we can make it useable for the girls for this summer so there will be lots of things to draw them outside to play and explore.

But for now, it's home for the next hopefully many years. I'm so glad to be paying our own mortgage. Just today I paid the next rate installation and I felt so relieved by it. No more landlords, house inspections, unmet expectations, surprise visits, and stresssss.

What seemed impossible 6 years ago became possible!  

I'm so glad to be here and feel so grateful for our home. It suits us so well and we are doing little things to make it more ours.

Big Girl Bedroom

Katie got her very own big girl bed this week! 

The first night was a write off, both of us actually forgot that getting kids to sleep in a bed takes some prep work. We just sort of put her in bed, said good night and turned off the light. Well, obviously that didn't work! 

The following nights we have been going through the routine, making it exciting, and letting her have ownership over her new bed (choosing her duvet etc). The next (and last) two nights she has slept soundly and I'm hoping that will continue for years to come! 

We really do have great sleepers! We have been blessed! 

Its so nice to creep into their room and watch them sleep side by side. Two sisters, it's so precious!

We have been saving credit card points and spent them on matching bed frames for the kids! Its so nice to be able to buy new things for our children. I get a lot of joy out of it! Life must be getting easier, because a few years ago there is no way that would have been possible.

Our third bedroom was being used as a spare room / craft / computer office / storage space in our home. It had no carpet and the floor boards had gaps and were freezing. You could actually feel the draft coming up through the spaces in the boards. Anyways. Two years later, we finally thought to ask the landlord to carpet it. And he did! The carpet was done this week and we moved the two girls in that night. They love sharing a room, and I love having a spare room, so it works well for everyone. This room has slightly more space than their previous one so we can squeeze two beds in. Although there is little room for anything else! 

In the mean time, the contents of our spare / everything room was dumped on the lounge floor. Luckily our kids don't get "into" things and I am able to chip away at finding a home for it. I'm eyeing up a wardrobe so that all of this stuff can be behind closed doors! Ack. This is what real life looks like! 

I really do hate moving! Bring on the day where we can live in a house for 10 years and not worry about tenancy agreements and landlord inspections! 

I'm off to tidy! Have a great weekend! x

Big Tree

I love our big tree. It towers over our new home. 

During the day it sings of birds, during a moody evening sunset it blows like the ocean.