I am settling in our little home, it is so cozy. We were worried the first day we moved in because the neighborhood wasn't exactly how we had remembered it being...we are in the minority and it made us feel a bit uncomfortable, but our neighbors have been so nice and welcoming. Emmett lives to our right and is an older man, he has a few grandchildren who frequently visit. Ocean has quickly taken up with the idea of kids living next door to us. On our left is an older couple, probably mid-late 60's, they are very sweet. He is often out in his backyard, tinkering with something. I see him pulling his truck to the back and unloading lots of neat, old things a lot, I bet he has a lot of stories to share.
Ocean is starting to love our home. I am so glad, I worry a lot about how all the moving may have affected her. She keeps asking "Is this really our home?" to which I respond "Yes! It is, we will be here at least until you are six!" which launches her into a talk about what kind of birthday cake she wants, which makes me feel a little better about the whole situation.
Tonight I washed our first load of clothes with this crazy contraption. I think it went fairly well, but I am so glad we are going to have a washing machine soon. The soiled diapers were just a pain trying to wash. I am excited to use it for small loads of diapers though, especially for when Luna is out of covers. I think it will help us save a little $$.
I am starting to love Tuscaloosa and I never thought I would say that but I am so glad. We went to the library today (the main one, they have three!) and I was so impressed and excited. They are very active in engaging the community and they have a huge selection of books, ebooks, dvds, books on cd, magazines...oh man. Oh and I can literally walk there. Its not even a mile from my home. I am so excited. Its actually right across from the new amphitheater that was just built. There are four thrift stores, two of which are actually pretty good ones for bargain hunting. In fact, I found two free people tops at one this week for less than $2 for both of them, which of course made their store a winner in my book.
My heart is full here, I know we are going to do great things and make so many memories. I feel very blessed tonight. I am lucky to be where I am. I am so glad to be able to share my thoughts with you all, it really helps me clear my head and really feel all I have to be thankful for, so thanks for reading. xoxo
Oh my dear, I'm so glad you're settling in <3 I drove by your house back when you guys decided on it, and I think you'll really like the location once you adjust...nice and far away from greek life and party college houses! Not to mention, you probably noticed it, but there's a cute little produce stand/market a few blocks away :)
ReplyDeletei saw that first photo on instagram already - but, man, it's adorable!!! such a precious moment to capture.
ReplyDeleteglad you are settling in well :)
so glad you are doing better! getting to know your neighborhood better and the people can do wonders on your spirit.
ReplyDeletecan't wait to hear of all you new upcoming adventures with your girls!
Little Luna looks so beautiful in this picture!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing quite like being settled in a home. YOUR home! Enjoy the next few weeks - all that lovely newness x
ReplyDeleteI am super jealous about the deals you get in thrift stores... In toronto, it's not always worth it to go thrifting. Things are only about %20 less than new in the store. For example, your tops would be $7 or 8, a Balls Jar would be like $8, and a dress $12. No $2 deals, that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you're already getting over those worries, but if it helps any I just want to say that I live in a minority neighborhood (we are one of two caucasian households on our street) in Dallas, Texas and I love it. There is very little pretension here, much less materialism than I would find in the white suburbs. At first it took some getting used to, because I grew up in mostly white neighborhoods, but I feel completely comfortable here now and I love the perspective it has given me on race. I love that my children will grow up in a truly diverse neighborhood, seeing all kinds of faces around them as a matter of course.
ReplyDeleteHere, here, to Bea! We've been in a minority neighborhood, primarily Spanish speaking, since we moved off of farms and back to the city for my husband to go to school, 3 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, it did take some getting used to at first. But I do love raising my kids in more diverse area than the suburbs (where I grew up...) Perhaps we'll even learn to speak Spanish, eventually.
Your home looks beautiful, Bekah.
"We were worried the first day we moved in because the neighborhood wasn't exactly how we had remembered it being...we are in the minority and it made us feel a bit uncomfortable, but our neighbors have been so nice and welcoming."
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to assume anything about this sentence that you didn't actually mean, so I thought I'd ask if you wouldn't mind explaining this a bit? I'm just not sure what you mean....
We are the only caucasian family here which made us a little uncomfortable, we were a bit worried about how well we would mesh with the neighborhood. We got a lot of unfriendly glares the first day we moved in, but I think it was all just initial wariness because of cultural differences. I think anyone who was in the minority would feel uncomfortable. I am happy to report though that I am excited about Ocean and Luna growing up in an area where we are in the minority, I think it will cultivate a more open mind in all of us.
DeleteI know exactly how you feel, Bekah. My husband and I are the minorities in our neighborhood(I am mixed but he is pure caucasian). However, we've lived here for a year and a half, we love it and we definitely want to raise our kids in this environment.
Deleteps. Glad you are settling in..it is always a joy to read your blog posts
Thanks for the explanation, and I'm sorry people gave you dirty looks. Having grown up in diverse areas, I just can't identify with feeling uncomfortable because the other families on the street didn't look like mine. I can, of course, understand how you would feel this way if you've never been in this position before.
Deletei'm so happy for you. looking forward to more updates!
ReplyDelete