Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? This post will chronicle our moving process from the boxing and packing and loading stage in Michigan to the unloading and un-boxing and setting up home in New York. Enjoy!

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For weeks before the move, I packed and piled boxes in the bedroom aptly nicknamed “The Rose Room.” At least 2/3 of the space was filled 5 feet high with boxes.

Our new church generously purchased a UHaul truck for our move–a wonderful blessing. It was the largest they come–27 feet!

We had a small crew to load the truck, it was hot and humid, but we got the job done! Thanks so much to Chris, Garrett, Isaac and my mom and dad for working your tails off to help us pack the Uhaul.

After a 7.5 hour drive (Kevin and Dad E in the Uhaul, Mom E and Brian in the van, me and our goldfish in the non-air-conditioned Civic), a hail storm, toll booths and various pit stops, we arrived a half hour early to our new home. We were greeted by a beautifully hand painted signs by Lydia–one of our new teens–and a potted plant from Wendy O. and her family.

It took three days to get through all of the boxes, arrange things appropriately, scrub counters and floors and cupboards and stairs and walls. We never could have done it without the tireless help of Kevin’s family and my mama. They were a tremendous asset. Gordon and Linda took multiple trips to the store to pick up shelving units, mini blinds, and a dehumidifier and, along with Kevin and Brian, transformed the creepy, dark, musty basement into usable storage space and laundry area. My mom worked with me to organized the kitchen–my top priority of course–and then our bedroom and dining room and more.

I still have lots of work to do–mostly hanging our numerous picture frames and wall hangings throughout the house–but it’s set up and lovely to live in. You are welcome any time!

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The view from the front door entrance–Our living room, complete with the beautiful piano that took 7 guys to move.

The new couch we purchased the day before loading the Uhaul. I LOVE it. Our micro-suede drapes matched perfectly too!

Another view of the living room. You can see the staircase on the left and you might notice the picture frame on the end table in the foreground (bottom right). That’s the electronic photo frame Brandy and Pam and our teens gave to us before we left–it cycles through hundreds of pictures for our viewing pleasure. :)

Through the living room is this dining room–an extension of the extra long kitchen. I love the double french doors that lead to a small back deck, and having my Grandma Mary’s dining room table and buffet (filled with my China) makes it a truly special space.

This is the view of the kitchen from the dining room. On the left is my desk, then our stand up freezer. It wouldn’t fit down the basement stairs, but I kind of love having it so accessible.

The cute curtains were found by Mom and Dad E–the red flowers are the perfect accent to tie in with my red stand mixer and kitchen tools. The stove took some serious scrubbing to get it up to par. Those new drip pans turned it into an almost-new-looking appliance.

The large window over the sink is lovely, and I love those light fixtures above the curtains. Also, the sink is almost new and I’m SO thankful to have a double sink and garbage disposal.

This is the door in the kitchen that leads down to the basement. I didn’t feel like taking pictures of that area. :) Though I did laundry for the first time today and it wasn’t half bad.

Kevin’s wood-paneling-offfice is located off of the kitchen/dining room, so he’s always nearby. It’s a small space, but the perfect size for his extra large LaZBoy recliner (for optimal reading), desk and two bookshelves.

Back to the front of the house and up the staircase…
(To the right of the staircase is a large bedroom and extra large closet, but it’s just filled with boxes of decorations for now, so it wasn’t really picture worthy. The closet, though, is totally useful–already stocked with our large collection of games and my excessive number of sweatshirts and coats.)

At the top of the stairs and to the right is our bedroom. We couldn’t fit the queen sized mattress upstairs so we opted for the double bed. I am in love with the headboard–another gift from my Grandma Mary–and we’re using our favorite bedding set again–a gift from my other Grams. The wood laminate floors are in all of the bedrooms and hallways–I really like the look of them!

This is the landing at the top of the stairs–the perfect spot for yet another bookcase.

Another small guest bedroom that also happens to be my “dressing room.” Our closets are tiny, so I’ve occupied this spare one with my clothes, shoes, and purses.

The bathroom is upstairs as well. It’s a nice size, and I think I’ve finally put everything where it looks nice and makes the most sense.

Three cheers for bathroom closets!

And that’s that. I’m sure I’ll upload more pictures as I settle in more and more. You won’t mind will you??

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