Excited!

We are moving out of the neighborhood I lovingly refer to as the ghetto in a few short weeks, and I'm so excited! Of course, I exaggerate a bit (but only a bit) when referring to these parts as such, but I don't exaggerate when I say that I do not feel incredibly safe here when going outside. Reasons range from a sketchy neighbor, to the drug deals and crimes that happen just a little hop, tiny skip, and wee jump away. What we didn't know when we moved in is that you can tell any native Gainesvillian or, for instance, a cop (like our friend Jake Smith) about where we live and they'll probably give a slight grimace and say "ohhh..." or a friend of mine who's lived in this town since high school said to me a few weeks ago "Kim, I don't feel comfortable with you living there."

I must say, however, that this little town home has been very good to us and it definitely served it's purpose while we've had it. Ever since we moved in, I've really loved the layout overall, and of course the cost of rent! But there are just a few things I'm ready to be rid of, that I am reminded of more and more on a daily basis with an increasingly active toddler toddling around!

What I am looking forward to when we move:

• TILE floor (NOT CARPET) beneath my child's high chair. He could win a medal for food slinging. Tonight we had herb crusted fish. Niiice.
• No stairs for little Boo Boo's to fall down and get boo boo's.
• The washer and dryer being far away from the babies' (plural...whew hoo!) bedrooms. Right now it's right outside his door and the best time to do laundry is when he's sleeping (as much as he LOVES to help)...not conducive because our washer and dryer doors open and shut rather loudly.
• not the cheapest carpet available that looks dirty again the day after Stanley Steemer drops by.
• No more 35 year old bachelor pad/ drunken madness/ beer pong happening right outside my baby's window
• A YARD FOR BOO BOO TO PLAY IN!!! (We have about 5 feet of "yard" now, but it's covered in ciggarrette booties. And the front area for him to do his "woking" in is a parking lot and has broken beer bottles and trash all over it, which Captain Planet (ie: Boo Boo) insists on cleaning up...
• A fenced in yard, at that! Boo Boo told me he wants a sand and water table/ sandbox/ something fun to put back there for him as a housewarming gift...fyi ;D
• One more bedroom for Baby Bumpkin #2!
• a garage!
• a white picket fence in the front
• a SAFE neighborhood, complete with a community pool, playground and tennis courts
• lots of sweet friends from church all around us in said neighborhood!
• Plenty of room for friends and family to come and stay and visit!

Yes, we'll have to watch our "pocket books" a bit more now, but it will be oh so worth it. I am so grateful for a tax return that will be covering the difference in what we pay now and what we'll pay there. I am truly so grateful this is all working out!!! Now, we just have to figure out what we're going to do for the three days of homelessness between when we move out of here and into our new place...duh, duh, duh!