welcome to colorado!

Yay, this is my official, we have moved post! I have finally dug a path to the computer and there is an end to unpacking insight!!

After our amazing time at the Grand Canyon we decided we just had to make it all the way to Colorado in one day, so we loaded up our cooler with Monster and Starbucks and headed along the 10hr drive, 11 if you count the 1hr detour through the dirt paths of kaibob forest only to find out , to our dismay, that there was a locked gate on the other side....grrrrr....but we did snag a few glimpses of wildlife so we were not deterred.

once we made it to the Ft. Carson hotel we were thrilled. We got two rooms and threw 4 kids in one and helped ourselves to the other, with Pike in tow. It had been a week since we had that much privacy! Early the next morning we headed over to meet our new home. Beau was soo excited and so were the kids. Paxton announced to them that we arrived in Kellorado and he loves our house. Of course, every time we leave it, he asks if we are going back to Kellorado, so maybe soon we will break it to him that the house is not exactly the entire state. We have tried to correct him and inform him that it is actually Colorado, but he quickly corrects his speech flawed parents so now we all love Kellorado :)

We spent days purchasing appliances, choosing paint, window treatments, etc. We wanted to get as much done as possible before the boxes came. we stayed in the hotel for week and worked on the house daily. We werent getting it done with enough speed so we imported a worker/decorator/painter from Tennessee and things starts moving :) Our first project was the kitchen redo. My husband is so sweet that in spite of all my tantrums about the builder and the house he was kind enough to let me move all the appliances the builder chose into the garage and choose all my own. By "let me" i mean he literally carried them down 2 levels and installed all my new ones himself. I have to say i am smitten, with him as well as the appliances. We went for the biggest stainless frenchdoor fridge we could find. Our friends the Slates tempted us by showing off their fabulous model and it was love at first sight. So far so good, food is cold, Haagen Daas is frozen, kids are getting their own filtered water from the door and we are loving life. We snagged a vent hood microwave. I didnt really care about microwaves (i have a future goal of living without one) but Dan the Appliance Man suggested it would give us more counterspace. He was right, its great having it out of the way. Thanks Dan :) Then there is the oven. One reason Beau went for the kitchen re do was unbenounced to me until we went for our visit with Dan. Apparently Beau has secretly allways wanted a convection oven. He was spoiled at his parents house with one but post after post the army kept forgetting to install ours so he immediately chose this oven. Strange how much this pleased Dan. Not sure why he would be so delighted with our new cooking arrangement, but nevertheless it was a good choice. It has something called super boil that works in less than a min, and preheats to 450 in 5 mins. We have traded gas cooking for an electric flat top and couldnt be happier. Never again will i take apart fifteen pieces just to clean the stove! Love it!!!! Last but far from least there is the dishwasher. Who knew it was so hard to install one? this took hours, which Beau successfully used to avoid an abundance of door to door salesmen. It was soo worth it. I never thought i could love an appliance as much as I love Pirannah but he is my new bff. He has three spinners compared to my last one which only contained one. This is nice because i can put a bowl or big skillet on the bottom and the top rack still gets clean, but his biggest and best feature, his namesake if u will, is the fact that he has a disposal right in the bottom. No more washing plates before they go in, i just toss em in bits and all. Who knew i could be besties with a Pirrannah?

oh yeah, there is more than just a kitchen lol. We chose to paint the living room blue. Inspired by the amazing scenery at the Grand Canyon we wanted to recreat that orange/blue sunset in our own living space every day. it also helps that we have a huge window with a gorgeous view of the mountains during the day, and the city at night. As I sit here typing I feel like im in one of those high rise hotels with a grand view. Thanks again to my hubster who was able to ignore my constant complaining long enough to pic a great lot without my input. Around lot picking time i think he may have been getting the silent treatment lol. This gave us a slanted backyard, but it is well worth it for the amazing view we enjoy all day long!! Thanks to my artsy friends Martha and Theresa who encouraged me to go for it with the blue and not to be too scared :) and to Grammie and Beau who painted with their fingers crossed lol.

The playroom is great but totally not done. full of boxes etc, but i have big plans :)

Pipers room is of course pink and princessy but still a little unfinished.

Pearce and pike are sharing the "ocean" room. Inspired by a target add I just had to do it. We got the ocean bedding and began to paint. Beau was skeptical so Grammie happily complied and made me a stencil. We got to work and even dad jumped it. it looks so great and all the kids love it. couldnt have turned out better!

Paxton and Parker are in the basement although you could never tell. another thing I complained to Beau about was things looking "basementy", but they dont. it is amazing. it is just as beautiful as the rest of the house and they love having their own space. Paxton has a nintendo room painted "bowser's shell" green, he came up with the paint color himelf :) Parker is still undecided and Im not pressuring him atleast until our room and the playroom are done. Like me he is overwhelmed by choice so we are currently taking suggestions on 11yo boy rooms??

In short, we have a great new house. a thousand more sqft to work with, 4 levels , 5 bdrms and a playroom, 4 bathrooms (praising God for this one most of all) and a nice yard i never have to water! maybe soon I will dig a path to the front door and see Colorado Springs beyond my living room window :)