Friday, July 28, 2006

They're here already! Somebody get the door!!!

Today is BooMama's Bloggy Tour of Homes. Honestly, when I was taking the pictures, I couldn't believe that I signed up for this. But here I am. So....Welcome! Mi casa is well....mi casa. But you're welcome here anytime. It's noisy and usually full of people, and you're likely have to step over toys to get in and the dog will probably lick you to death, but come on in and stay a while.

Before I begin, though. I would like to say a little sometime about my house. My mom helped me buy this house before she died of cancer. She had some money in an annuity that she gave us for a down payment. She told us that she wanted to help us and to start looking. This house was one of the first ones that we looked at and we immediately fell in love with it. In fact, Sweetanlo said she was moving into in with whatever family bought this house. We told my mom we had found the house, but she wanted us to keep looking. So we did, but we didn't find anything else that compared. So while my mom was in town in between chemo treatments, my realtor arranged to let us have a look. I can remember like yesterday, my little mom standing in the dining room after the tour. "If you want this house, you can have it." she said and we set the papers in motion to buy it that very day. My sweet mom died one month after we moved in. Without her help, we would never have been able to buy this house, which I love. To me it's like a hug I get from my mom everyday. Now, on with the tour.

Here's the front door. Actually this leads into a room we call the boot-room where the front door is located.



I like that people who are selling stuff rarely make it to the front door. It also keeps the house warmer in the winter because the front door doesn't open right out into the great outdoors. There's a built-in tiled bench inside, so you can take off your wet shoes or lay your coat.

Come on in. Just ring the doorbell once though. When you ring it over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, like my kids do, it makes the dog a little crazy.

Through the front door, this is the first room you walk into - our living room. One of them anyway. We have a couple others too, which come in handy - with so many people in various age groups living here, it's good to have several different "hang-out" areas. (You can see our school area in the back of the picture. ) We do hang out in this room though. We sing karaoke or build race tracks. You'll very often find Sweetanlo sitting in the pink chair reading. Note to the circle of thieves: our enormous vicious guard dog sits perched on the couch to the right. OK, so she's just an average-sized family dog and isn't vicious at all, but she'll be laying there and will do her best to protect us!


Here's where I usually blog. Yup I'm spoilt! Pastormac got me my own lap top, so I can sit right here on my bed and blog-away. Either here, at the kitchen table or sitting in a the rocking chair in the living room. Usually here though.


This is the kitchen. I was hoping for a little bigger really, although it's very functional.

But what it lacks in size it makes up for in other ways. This is what I see out my window when I stand at the sink. And you can't tell from the picture but I have a breath-taking view of the city and the mountains as well. Almost makes me glad to have to do dishes. OK, I said almost!



Our dining room. We all squeeze in around this table. Could be interesting when we add a couple more kids!


This is where we do school. Right next to the back door so we can kick rowdy boys out for recess and the view from their "desk" isn't too shabby either!


And it wouldn't be a proper tour if I didn't show you the backyard. Here in our little piece of the Land of Enchantment, this is very often what a backyard would normally look like. (In fact, our neighbors on both sides have yards that look like this.)

So you'll understand why I'm deeply grateful that the folks who lived here before us, turned our backyard into this. (Complete with 2 gazebos, 2 decks, a fountain and a pond full of fish.) We love our backyard.





There you have it. Of course, I'm leaving out several rooms, Rummy asks me as I'm getting out the camera, "You're NOT taking pictures of our room, are you??!" No dear, I don't want to scare anyone!

Don't forget to go back over to BooMama's place. There's lots of other homes you can snoop tour. Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you around here again soon.

79 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful house. I love the view from your sink window. Thanks for sharing a little about your Mom. Blessings.

Much Ado said...

What a beautiful house and all the more precious because of you mom. Love the garden and also the quilt wall hanging.

Beck said...

How great is your backyard? And your house is so warm and cozy! It reminds me of my mom's house! So nice!

Katrina @ Callapidder Days said...

Very nice! And such a sweet story about your mom. Thanks for sharing!

Mississippi Girl said...

Love the brick walls in your kitchen.. and that backyard is awesome!
Jennifer R.

Anonymous said...

So warm and inviting, Ann. Thank you for sharing it. Love those brick walls in the kitchen!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing the history behind it and the pictures. The backyard really is gorgeous. Mine is somewhere between yours and the neighbors'. But we have a beautiful backdrop of trees, so it's nice.

Overwhelmed! said...

Nice house! I love your back yard. :)

Monnie said...

Beautiful yard!! And you're so lucky to have a view! :)

I just HAD to comment and say a couple of things though (don't worry - nothing bad!):
Firstly, it's reassuring to hear of another dog that licks visitors to death!! Our Boston terrier is the lickingest dog you've ever seen... we attribute it to his being the runt of the litter; they say licking is a sign of submission. *shrugs* Just glad to hear he's not the only canine with the habit! ;)
Secondly, YAY for the Apple computer!!! I feel like I'm constantly battling PC-advocats... all in a friendly rivalry, of course. But in the end, Apple really IS better. ;) So congrats on your Mac. I just had to stop by and say it. :)

Monica

Sarah said...

I'm glad you started off the tour with the story of your mom. Thank you for sharing that piece of your heart with us. What a blessing.

I LOVE your backyard. My husband does landscaping, so I know that was a lot of work. I'm so glad you and your family get to enjoy that.

Susie said...

Your home is lovely. My sincere sympathy on the loss of your Mom. How special that she is with you always as you live in the home she helped you buy...

Mall Worker said...

You have a very lovely home! I just love your backyard!

Kim from Hiraeth said...

Oh! YOur kitchen looks like one I had once! Thanks for sharing!

Mama Duck said...

Oh, I want your laptop!! LOL I'm stuck at my desktop and it drives me crazy ;).

Angela said...

You have a nice home. Thank you for sharing:-).
Have A Great Weekend!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I just love the backyard and dontcha just love, love, love it when someone else comes before you and does all that grungy, dirty, sweaty work?! :0)
God has blessed ya'll!

~Jennifer said...

Thanks for the tour. Beautiful house, and that quilt hanging in the living room is gorgeous!

Lindsay said...

I LOVE your house! I want your back yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thes best part of this Blog Home Tour is seeing everyones different tastes and styles! I LOVE it!
Thanks for sharing!!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a great home. Wish I lived there.

Oh...Wait...I do.

Anonymous said...

very pretty...I had a nice visit with you

Carole Burant said...

Thank you so much for letting us see a glimpse of your home...it's lovely and I like you, I have such a nice view from my kitchen sink too! Makes washing dishes a bit more enjoyable! lol This Tour of Homes idea was brilliant:-)

Michelle said...

Thanks so much for the tour! This has been so much fun.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Well what a wonderfully touching story of how you got your house. And what a wonderful house it is....That backyard is fabulous, too!

TJ said...

Nice to meet you...and thanks for sharing your cozy home and memories!
:-D

Val said...

Just love the nautical feel of your back garden, with the bridge and the rope fence. It's given me some ideas. Thanks!

Your kitchen looks to be the right size actually. A kitchen can be TOO big and cause extra steps to be taken (over the years that amounts to quite a lot). Nope, you've got it right, I'd say.

Tammy said...

Your house is very warm and inviting. I like the quilt hanging on the wall! :)

Michelle said...

It was fun getting a "tour" of your home; and what a great story about your mom and how special this home really is to your family. Loved the backyard!

Anonymous said...

Lovely quilt!!

Thanks for sharing your heart and home!!

Blessings! ~Beckie

writex3 said...

What a lovely home with a beautiful story.

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story about your mom. Thank you so much for allowing me into your lovely home.

Carol said...

Very cute! I love the corner woodburning stove. And the back yard. You are blessed!

Free In Christ said...

THanks for the tour. I love the backyard.

Jenny Quld said...

Thankyou for inviting me in. You have a lovely home. Thankyou for telling us about your mum.

Stephanie Appleton said...

I love the quilt in your family room. That backyard is fab! And how special how you were able to buy the house. Thanks for the tour.

Karla said...

What a great house! That's really neat that your mom was able to help you get it. I don't think I would ever be able sell that house.
I love the fireplace and the brick in the kitchen! And what a great back yard! What a difference between yours and your neighbors'.
Thanks for the tour! And thanks for stopping by for my tour! ;)

Big Mama said...

Your kitchen is just beautiful! I love the brick walls, they make it so charming. Thanks for sharing your home.

Anniesue said...

I love how you were able to get your house. It makes it so special. I also love the brick in the kitchen. It adds so much warmth. Thanks for letting us visit!

Dianne said...

Thanks for the tour. I think a house isn't a home without a great yard. You sound like a terrific mom.

kpjara said...

I LOVE the brick kitchen walls. Your backyard looks like it's been in 'trading spaces' for backyards! I cannot believe that's the Land of Enchantment, when we lived in ABQ our yard was much more like the other picture.

Thanks for the tour. I love the home!

Anonymous said...

Wow, your backyard is amazing! Thanks for sharing your home on the Tour :)

Susan said...

Thank you for visiting me, and thank you for your lovley comments. Sorry about your Mum too. And I love your garden it's great. And I've always wanted a stove like yours in the living room.
God Bless

Heather said...

WOW! I LOVE your backyard! I have been reading your blog for a while actually - so come on over to my place!

Nancy Murphree Davis said...

Your backyard is great and I am a little envious of your large family. I can barely survive two kids, but it would be such an adventure to have a bunch. Thanks for sharing the story about your mom and buying the house; it is truly special.

Grafted Branch said...

Oh that backyard is certainly incredible!

I like the wall of windows by the dining table, too.

Thanks for posting.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Beautiful house! Love the quilt on the wall, just gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

Shawna said...

You have a nice place and oooohhh, your quilt hanging up is beautiful! I enjoyed the tour!

Robin said...

Love the brick in the kitchen. I thought I was one of the only ones who had a brick wall there! Of course, you can't see mine in my kitchen pic, but trust me it't there. Glad your mom got to leave knowing she was able to help you in this way!

Jodi said...

Your home is lovely, thanks for having me over!

Rebecca said...

Do you think blogger's husbands buy them laptops because they're tired of them hogging the family computer? :>

Just a thought, you don't have to answer (since I'm comment number 53!!!); thanks for sharing your home, though!

sarahgrace said...

Very nice! Thanks for sharing the story of your home, very touching!
Your backyard looks divine!

Susanne said...

I love the brick in the kitchen! And I'd love to have a view like that when I'm washing dishes (maybe I'd do them more often!). Thanks for the tour!

Kari said...

Okay, I have to admit, after reading your beautiful story about your mom, I toured your entire home with tears in my eyes and streaming down my cheeks. What a beautiful testimony! I can't imagine how blessed you are to walk through your home each day and truly say... this house is all about love! Thank you for sharing your personal story and for opening up your beautiful home! It was an honor to stop by!

Chilihead2 said...

I love your back yard! It is gorgeous. I also really like the exposed brick in your kitchen.

Susanne said...

Lovely home! Very welcoming! Love that corner fire place!

Anonymous said...

What a great place and you are a phenomenal storyteller and I very much enjoy visiting your blog for a good laugh! BTW -- I think your brick backsplash in the kitchen is so cool. Very warm home...

Sue said...

What a wonderful back yard, and I love the view from the kitchen window too.

Becca said...

what agreat place! I love the story about your mom. What a sweet memory!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your home...I think my favorite is your kitchen and that big window and the view, awesome! The back is pretty great too. I think I might want a laptop after seeing so many other people with them!
Thanks for visiting me.

Geekwif said...

What a sweet home! I love your yard. And you blog on a Mac! Woo hoo! I'm a Mac girl too - hoping to get a new Mac laptop soon.

Thanks for the tour!

Erika Jurney said...

Fantastic view -- thanks so much for sharing your home!

Barb said...

I love the little woodburning stove in the corner of your living room. And your kitchen is so pretty - all that brick. I'd stand there and wash dishes by hand all day to enjoy that view. Thank you for inviting me into your world.

Randi said...

Lovely home! I am absolutely drooling over the quilt above the recliner chair--beautiful!

Stephanie said...

I love the afghan on your bed ... your house is so home-y. :)

Turtleheart said...

You have a sweet house, I love the little stove in the living area-- and is that real brick on the kitchen walls? Your kitchen is just adorable! And such a lovely backyard, too! Thanks for the tour!

Cheri said...

I love that you can look out your window and see the mountains! What a perfect place to do devotions!
Thanks for stopping by my place and your very sweet comments!
cheri

Andi @ udandi / Lunch It Punch It said...

That's a fantastic fireplace! Thanks for stopping by my home :)

Jenn said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love your kitchen AND your back yard! Hope to "see" you again sometime.

Shalee said...

That is a very delightful backyard! Love that someone did the work for you.

And I love the table where you do all your schooling. (I would have to sit with my back to the window or else I would be daydreaming like crazy!

Thanks for welcoming us into your home.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Hi, me again.
Thank you for your visiting and nice comment about my home!

boomama said...

Yay! Another Mac person! Yay!

I have to confess that seeing your computer - which is a twin to mine - totally sidetracked me as I was looking at your pictures. :-)

And I love that your house has such a legacy behind it - a real blessing.

Kristen said...

Very nice home and beautiful backyard! Thanks for sharing your home, and thanks for stopping by to see mine!

Paula said...

What a wonderful story about your home! Thaks so much for inviting us in.

kim said...

Thanks so much for sharing your place with us! And sharing about your Mom, what great memories you must have and such a legacy for your children.

I do admit, the brick in the kitchen is my favorite feature.The views are priceless.

Thanks also for coming by my place, even if you just got the front door! I have another room up now and some funny commetnary to go with it so you know who I really am! hehe. So please do come on over and visit again! I'll be back to check in with you.

rena said...

Hi,
Thanks for visiting my home on the tourh..I'm still plugging away, a couple of homes a day. Your's is lovely. The backyard is wonderful with the decks, gazebo etc and the kitchen is very nice too! Sounds like it's your family that truly makes it home!

Rena

Anonymous said...

Ah, it feels like home. Nice and liveable without worrying about messing up the rug. Thats how we like things around here.

Malissa said...

:) thanks for sharing and for visiting my tour. I enjoyed reading your tour.

Your kitchen looks very cozy

Stephanie said...

Lovely home and the yard rocks!!

Anonymous said...

Found your link on your husband's blog and I've been reading through some of your posts and really enjoying your blog!
I am SERIOUSLY loving that back yard!! I also REALLY like the fireplace, I just like the look and the way it is situated in the corner like that...wish I had one...wish I NEEDED one!

Cathy said...

I don't know which part of the tour I liked best. Your mother must have been very happy and pleased to see you get the house. Your home is very inviting and lovely. Thanks for letting us in.

And thank you for having visited me.