Introducing...

Things change fast in the Huberty household. And with the purchase of our first home and the addition of a family member, I figured it was time to return from my blogging hiatus. So I'm back on the bloggin' wagon. There are just too many potential before and after photos in this little house not to share them! 

Case in point: the exterior in desperate need of a paint job and the curious lack of shutters on the first floor windows.

This was actually not the first house that we tried to buy this summer. Back in June, we put a deposit on a two family home that was different from this house in pretty much every way. And when that fell through, we expected to continue renting for this school year while we looked for other options. Then in August, Aaron saw this house online and we loved it as soon as we walked inside. The price had been dropped by $70,000 in a few months' time, putting it in our price range. And while the timing wasn't ideal (we picked up our new international student, started work again, moved, and closed on the house all within a few days), we decided it was worth it. We loved the fireplace, the backyard, and the potential for so many remodeling projects. We loved the street, which is just a few blocks from where we lived before, and the area is so quiet and peaceful that you can hear crickets at night. Crickets, guys. No more sirens. No more motorcyclists who deviously plot to rev their engines right as you're about to drift to sleep. No more crazy guy who paces the street screaming obscenities. Ok so I kind of miss the crazy guy. But it's a little bit ridiculous how quiet it is here. Ridiculously awesome.

And speaking of ridiculously awesome, meet our new international student, Jiabei! 

Jiabei did not know what she was getting herself into when she signed on to live with this crazy host family. And while she will probably refuse to lift another box for the rest of her life, she's been such a huge help with moving and getting the house in "livable" shape. We wanted her room to be done as soon as possible so that she would have her own space in the midst of our chaos, and it's almost done! Jiabei chose the color, and let me tell you, the girl does not mess around with neutrals.

So that's life right now. Stay tuned for a photo tour of the house!