Our House is a Very, Very, Very Fine House

Here are just a few outside shots of our new house in Minnesota.  If we ever manage to unpack the boxes, tubs, and bags all over the inside I'll put up some pictures of that, too.

The front of our house.

The side of our house.

The back of our house.  

(And the back of our minivan.)

Some information about our house:  It was built around 1900 and has all of the original woodwork and windows.  It has a very large enclosed front porch as well as a smaller one in the back (so you can keep the winter wind out of the house!).  You can also see the little deck that's on the back of the house in the last photo.  The back door leads into the kitchen, which is a bit of a problem for families like ours who make a huge mess in the kitchen on a moment by moment basis!  Anyone who stops by is greeted by my sinkful of dishes.  (At least until Maggie and Beatrice are old enough to wash up!)  The other rooms on the first floor are the dining room and the living room which is basically one very large room separated by two beautiful carved pillars.  The large front window has leaded glass details.  There is also a small room with a bathroom under the staircase on the first floor.  We're planning to use this room as a study for Rob and also invest in a comfy hide-a-bed couch for in there that all of you can use when you come to visit us this summer.   All of these rooms have beautiful hardwood floors which a previous owner stenciled with wide brown lines in various designs.  In pictures it looks like an inlaid design and we were surprised the first time we toured that it is just painted on.  It's very beautiful.

Leading up from the front door (which has beautiful scrollwork and leaded glass) is the staircase which has a beautiful spindle banister running it's length.  Maggie has already attempted to sneak her way up the banister, but now knows that it's naughty and not received well by her mother.  The staircase has a small landing about ten stairs up and then turns with four more stairs leading to the bedrooms.  There are three rooms on the second floor.  The girl's room is at the end of the hallway.  It has the slanted ceilings from being under the eaves at the back of the house and two tiny little closets.  On her first trip to the house Beatrice declared that she would be sleeping on the shelf in her closet.  It's just barely wide enough, but she hasn't slept there.  It's the perfect room for two little girls to share.  One of these days I'll probably paint it pink!  In the hallway after their room is the tiny laundry closet.  We had to get a new set of stacking washer and dryer to fit in there because it's just not wide enough for side-by-sides!  (I love my new W&D, but that's a story for another time!)  Across from that is the main bathroom.  It's small.  That's about all I can say about it!!  The schoolroom and the place where I've stashed all of my knitting paraphernalia is the room that the staircase leads directly into.  It's a nice long room with plenty of room for bookshelves full of schoolbooks, puzzles and games, and kid's craft supplies and has the most useful closet in the house.  Right now that closet is full of random boxes!  Our bedroom is down the hall from that room and it has the most bizarre closet in the house.  It actually has a closet inside the closet.  You walk in and to your left is a door to the second closet.  It's by far the strangest use of space and we haven't figured out how we're going to use it.  Our room is just big enough for our bed and the baby crib, but there's not much else you need in a bedroom.  Our room is also the only one in the house that we've put curtains up in.  From this room you can see Frontenac pond and the rest of little Frontenac.

The second closet also has a little celling opening that leads to the attic.  Neither of us have been up in it, but it is large enough that one day there could be at least one more room up there.  You can see the window to it in the side picture of the house.  Once it warms up I'm going to drag the ladder up and have a look.

Well, that's a verbal tour of the house.  Now imagine it filled with those boxes and bags I mentioned before as well as a million My Little Ponies and stuffed cats.  We all love it here and are so happy to be in a house that has character and history.  The owner before the man we bought it from lived here for 50 years.  I wonder how long we'll call it home?