Theo really loves the new house

It is a little over one week now that we have moved into our new house, and Theo still refers to it as "the new house." For the past several months, I have spent so much time worrying about the housing market, and the housing bubble, and whether we will pay too much for a house. I am delighted to say that none of it matters anymore, because we can afford the house we bought and because everyday we live in this house, we are finding more and more things that we love. Here's a list:

1.) There are owls living in our neighborhood.
2.) We can walk the kids to daycare.
3.) Our neighbor, Nancy, is very nice.
4.) It is very quiet except for the sound of chirping birds.
5.) The driveway is completely shaded by big trees, so our cars never get hot on the inside.
6.) There is a playground in the woods right behind our house.
7.) There is a pond close to our house (a 20 second walk at a leisurely pace!). Right now it is empty because they are removing extra sediment from the bottom, and they will be building a fishing pier. It should be gorgeous by November when the job is done. In the meantime the kids enjoy looking at the excavators on the way to daycare.

The first night that Theo slept here, he said, "Mom, I really love this new house." The house is bigger than our old house, which means we don't have to feel cramped anymore. But I think what Theo was saying is, he feels safe and cozy here. He steps outside and sees friendly people walking dogs, other children running around, bunny rabbits, flowers, butterflies, and swingsets. Inside, there are two levels, enough space for running around, but not too much that a small kid can feel lonely. He and Ruby still share a room which is right next to our room, so there is no trouble finding us in the middle of the night if necessary.

So getting here wasn't easy, and that's why this is such a big deal.