Belated Thursday Thirteen - Things I Love About My House

I promised a Thursday Thirteen post on my house, and I try to keep my promises. Although I never promised that the Thursday Thirteen post would happen on Thursday! So here we go - some pics to give you an idea, and I might post some more another time.

1. The Floor Plan. We looked at many many homes out here (there's a lot to choose from) and the biggest reason why we chose this house in the end was that we LOVED the way it uses the space. That's hard to tell from pictures, so I'm posting the floor plan :)
2. The backyard. Another big reason we chose this house. We have a larger lot and a covered porch. It makes us happy. We hope to put in a playset for the kids soon and work on a garden plot. DH would have loved an acre or two, but I would rather have something a little more manageable in terms of yard work. But there's still room for fun. Plus, we also like the view. Our house backs up to nothing. Well, somebody's land, but no other houses and no other development. We have a great view. Eventually, there could be homes there, but right now, it's just us and the trees.
3. The front of the house. This actually looks a little like our house in Utah - we love the covered porch and the reddish brick and the shutters. I like how cozy it seems. It is a decent size, but the front (to me) looks like a cozy family cottage.
4. The kitchen cabinets, countertops and appliances. Many of the upgrades we made were in the kitchen. DH got an office/study for all of his computer needs, and I got a kitchen for all of my mommy needs. I love the granite countertops, the stainless steel and the ceramic top range. We have lots of counter space and cabinet space. Love my kitchen!
5. Oh, and the island! I love the island in the kitchen! I use it for cutting, chopping, mixing, rolling, kneading, blending, serving, and well, pretty much everything! It has an outlet, so I can pull out the blender or food processor (located conveniently below) and mix away.
6. Another kitchen item - the food-storage-sized pantry! We actually have two pantries (one is technically a linen-closet for the downstairs bathroom) and we use one for everyday pantry items and are starting to use the walk-in one for food storage. It is great (especially since we are basement-less in Texas).
7. DH's office. One of the biggest necessities in getting a new house. DH works mostly from home, so we needed an office for him that wasn't located near the hub of play, cooking, etc. It is located right off the front door and most of the action is upstairs or in the kitchen/family room, so it works out great! (DH is a little burned out in this pic. And silly. And he will eventually organize his office. But it's HIS space and so I can be patient. And I can always shut the doors :)
8. The family room. We have made this a nice family oasis. We try to keep it mostly devoid of toys (doesn't always work). We love our new comfy couches, fireplace, and flat-screen TV (that the Simster already wrote on in pen - gotta love two-year-olds!). The bar of the kitchen looks out into the family room, so if the kids are doing an activity, I can interact easily with them.
9. The master bedroom & bath. The master is rather large, so it fits bedroom furniture plus extra needs. I am keeping my computer & desk in the master. We like the open feel and the slanted ceilings. Of course, I love the jetted tub in the master bath. It is great for relaxation!
10. The master closet. This is a big closet, people. And I don't have enough clothes to fit it. Maybe I need to go shopping. But what we really like is that we can use some of it for storage and other needs. Right now, it is being used as the nursery. This is because it is big enough to hold PJ's pack-n-play and because the other two kids have to open THREE doors to get to her while she's napping. Love the closet/nursery :)
11. The kids rooms. They are separated by the loft/toy room so they can't bug each other a ton and they both have large closets (good for storing stuff). We are still deciding how to decorate/furnish them, but they are enjoying them as is right now. (Please forgive S for having no pants on.)
12. The media room. This is where we watch TV and play the Wii. Eventually we'd like to have a big-screen TV and surround sound, but right now, it's still great for family movie watching. We have our old couches in there and it has lots of room for seating/playing.
13. The loft/toy closet/book niche. I had to lump all of these together because we hit #13. There's a large open area we call the loft, but it's the toy room. When the kids get older, DH wants to put a pool table in this area, which would be fun. We have a closet off of the loft that holds toys and games. And right off the stairs there's a little decorating niche that I am currently decorating as a book niche. The kids love to grab books and read right there on the stairs. I think I am going to get a few little bean bags and put them there so they can have a reading corner.

Whew! That's our Thursday Thirteen, but I didn't have space to include the guest room oasis, formal living/music room, extended tile entry, zoned AC, attic with built-in ladder, surround sound that includes the formal living and the covered porch, and more. I'll just throw in some pictures anyway. As I was typing this, I am again realizing how much we love this house! Other people with different needs might easily have chosen something else from all the homes we saw, but for our family, it really is perfect! We are so blessed to have a house at all, and especially one we enjoy so much! And it will be even better as we get more organized! Happy Thursday (well, Monday) Thirteen!