Ye-haw! Greetings from Texas!! Welcome to our new home in The Woodlands :)
We came here for the wonderful public schools, the low cost of living and all of the benefits of a planned community. I can happily say that so far, everything has exceeded our expectations.
First, the schools- All of the schools in The Woodlands are very good, but we chose to buy in the elementary school zone that we understood to be the best. Test scores are through the roof and the standards are high! Grace's principal recently took a trip to Washington D.C. to accept an award for the most outstanding elementary school Principal in Texas. Grace was very nervous about starting at a new school, but her new teacher has been phenomenal and she already seems mostly adjusted and very happy. I have a happy girl, who's bringing home awesome work every day... I'm a happy mom! Another awesome thing about the school is that it's a mile down the street. I was spending 2 hours a day in the car in Mississippi driving Grace to and from the private school she was at. Now, she rides the bus! It's only a 5 minute ride for her and she likes it. I like the other Mama who sometimes wears pajamas at the bus stop with me- it's an easy morning :)
Next, the cost of living- Taxes here are hard to beat! There is no state income tax, that's right, zero! Property taxes in The Woodlands are high, but we actually found a home here comparable to our home in Hattiesburg for a good bit less than we sold our last house for. So, even with the high property taxes, our house note is about the same. Beyond that, things seem to be more affordable- even the car insurance and registration are substantially less! So, are we saving any money yet?? Well, not yet... you know our new house needed some new things right away. Oh, and the shopping here is amazing... so, no savings quite yet ;). Seriously, even the grocery shopping is fun. HEB is my new favorite place! I even brought my company there last week to enjoy it. Fabulous, yummy specialty foods with delicious samples and wine tastings while you shop. Wait, you haven't heard the best part... it's not expensive! It actually has pretty good prices. Coming from Mississippi, I had 2 choices: WalMart or an overpriced market that really didn't have anything better than what was in WalMart. Again, I'm loving the new shopping!
Now, even with all of the good The Woodlands has to offer, moving somewhere new is definitely scary- we didn't know a soul here.
It's going well though. We have quite a few neighbors with kids the same ages as ours and a few women that have gone above and beyond to make us feel welcome. We are blessed!Now, on to the tour!!
This is what is across the stress from our house. It is a fishing pond and a walking trail. The trail goes all the way to the elementary school in one direction and to a big neighborhood park in the other.
This is our foyer. Notice our Texas star front door. One thing is for sure- Texans love Texas! Grace has already learned some really cute songs about being a Texan at school. They say the Texas pledge to the Texas flag every morning. They even have a big Kindergarten Rodeo coming up soon. I ordered Grace some fabulous cow girl boots that I'm a little jealous of myself!
Another view of the foyer.
Living Room
Dining Room
Kitchen
Breakfast Nook
This is the den. It is off the foyer and has double doors. One day, I envision a piano in here (and wood floors!).
Master Bedroom
Next, we'll go upstairs...
This is the kids' hangout area. Lots of toy storage, a big comfy couch, and a big t.v.! I love that one wall of it is open banisters to the foyer, because I can hear everything going on upstairs even when I'm downstairs.
Grace's Room
Notice my crafty project, I'm totally putting this on Pinterest! I spray painted old frames and Jeremy cut some steel to size... voila, magnet boards! Grace loves them!
Grace's art desk in her room- another thing she loves!
Marion's Room- we painted it yellow, her favorite color!
Guest Room - I love company, pack your bags!!
The guest room and Grace's room both overlook the pond.
Ah, paradise! Our very own pool and hot tub!! We are so excited to have this! We have been using the hot tub lots, and can't wait to try out the pool! Maybe a Texas March will be warm enough ;) The pool already had a black child safety fence installed. It's not the prettiest pool accessory, but I sure do like having it.
That's it, our new home! At 20 years old, it is the oldest house we've ever lived in. It needs some renovation and updating here and there, and lots of landscaping love, but Jeremy and I enjoy that kind of work. We are loving the floor plan and the spaces, and also love the location. Life is good in Texas!
