OUR new house!!!

First of all, I just have to say that this is one of my favourite pictures of all time:

It’s “Team Greidanus” in Kenya. Ooooo, I’m so proud of the fam that it gives me goosebumps!

Carlynne did a post on Marc & Kylie’s blog about her and the rents’ arrival…check it out.

In other news, before our wedding, Lowell and I bought a house in Lethbridge. Yes, that made a crazy time about ten times more crazy, and yes, we bought in Lethbridge even though we’re living in Edmonton.

We originally looked in Edmonton, but it’s RIDICULOUS! $350 thousand for the grossest crack shack in the sketchiest and most remote part of town. Lethbridge’s real estate is currently on the rise, but not NEARLY that silly, so we decided to buy there. We think we’d eventually like to settle in Lethy, but if not, well, it’s a good investment!

Lowell was in Edmonton for the summer, but my parents and I went nutso in Lethbridge with the house. We had some help too! We had the contractors who built my parents’ house do some fixer-upper things, and Megan and Uncle Tony helped me paint. It was a big ol’ job, but we are very satisfied with the outcome. Lowell and I look forward to possibly living there someday!

Here it is from the outside: our house!

The front flower bed used to be cedar chips, but my parents hauled them all out and replaced them with a cute little flower garden! (Pardon the dead lawn. We had other things to worry about:)

Here are some before and after pictures of the inside.

KITCHEN BEFORE:

Eichi, Anthony, & Terry were so quick to start, that I didn't even get a good 'before' picture in! The entrance to the kitchen was the left hole, and the hole that you see Terry through was an ugly closet thing. Note that the washing machine is in the middle of the floor. That's how it was when we bought it! The dryer was in the ugly closet, and the washing machine was in the middle of the floor b/c it was too big to fit in the little crevice behind it. Interesting...

This is another shot of the kitchen. Note the counters to the right of the doorway are awkwardly close to the door, and there is no counter space to the right of the stove (although there is a cupboard above where there technically SHOULD be counter space). Oh, and the counter top was already removed from most of the counters, but you may notice the unflattering green counter top to the right of the fridge.

KITCHEN AFTER:

BEFORE LIVING ROOM:

DURING LIVING ROOM:

Megan and I working away.

LIVING ROOM AFTER:

BEDROOM 1 BEFORE:

BEDROOM 2 DURING:

BEDROOM(S) AFTER:

HALLWAY AFTER:

Apparently I don't have a picture of the hallway 'before', but all the white stuff was the wood that you see in other 'before' pictures, and the walls were the same mauvy pinky purpley as the other rooms were 'before'.

FRONT ENTRY AFTER:

We love the Victorian style archways and the RED DOORS!!!

Another great thing is that the whole upstairs has beautiful hardwood under the carpet. You can bet that we'll be tearing out that carpet if & when we move in!!!

Mom and Dad put SO much work into the yard as well. You should've seen it before. It was COMPLETELY overgrown with weeds etc. They are wonderparents!!

Lowell's sister Lori did a much needed pruning job on our beloved apples...and Mom has made many an apple treat with those apples already!!

Mom and Dad were SOOOOO great during this whole process. They helped out SO much, and since the process wasn't totally completed by the time Lowell and I got married and took off to Hawaii, they finished things off and secured upstairs renters for the year.

The basement is also beautiful and being rented out, but I don't have pictures b/c A&M were too quick to move in! Perhaps when they're all settled, they can take some pictures and send them to me (hint hint A&M:)

Oh, and the house is 2 doors down from where we grew up, and not even 2 blocks away from where my parents live now. I think it’ll be handy having “Gramps” and Gran” so close (when the time comes)…don’t you think Mom and Dad?! ;)