Although I truly appreciate all the thoughtful advice my parents are giving me (did you know that if kids don't make their own beds, you might as well kiss their Ivy League educations good-bye?) while we live with them, in the evenings the husband and I flee to our "new" century home to escape the heart-filled advice and breathe a sign of relief. Ahhhhh.....

 

It's where I feel the most comfortable to say, "Take a pic of me stripping,

the wallpaper!"

 

Although we have a crew of handymen working throughout the day, the hubs and I like to expedite things in the evenings.

 

The kiddos are over the moon with their newly found independence in their new 'hood. They can walk to town in ten minutes or bike it in three minutes. They pass by the same people sitting on their porches just waiting for a "Hello" on the tree lined street. Their new goal is to make it to the lake (Lake Michigan) in under twelve, on their bikes. Go kids, go!

 

 

However, they have yet to learn the rules and etiquette of alleyways. We've become the porch monkeys in the alleyway - observing life without a care. Pretty sure the neighbors think we are a family of hoodlums with Ohio license plates. But curiosity kills, an alleyway is so new to them.

 

 

We are all figuring things out and starting from scratch. From zero. (One day, I will fill you guys in with a summary of how someone tried to break up my family). I have to be honest, things are not as picture perfect as updated but we are keeping our chins held high while starting this new chapter in our lives. We have each other and loving family to lean on and that's enough to feel like the luckiest people on the block.