Our dream house

When we were in MN we made a list if we ever didn't live in a parsonage what we would want our house to have. Part of our dreaming was for the house we would have in retirement, never dreaming it would be in 2012. I wanted to blog about what our wish list was and what our new house has. It's funny what your wish list is after living in a parsonage!

Wish List-our new house                                  
Close to church (whether Ram is the pastor or retired)-4 minutes from church
3 bedrooms necessary, 4 would be better-5 bedrooms
2 car garage-3 car garage
kitchen cupboards have space above them for Ewe's cute things-yes
open kitchen into eating area-yes and also open into living room
2 bathrooms-2 1/2 bathrooms
big kitchen-well sort of but it is laid out well and has a pantry so I think this qualifies
dishwasher-yes, built in, brand new with warranty
medium size yard with a fence-has small backyard which will be better for less yardwork, also has 1/2 fence and we have to put the rest of the fence in
gas stove-yes
refrigerator-no, but we bought one used when we got here
hardwood floors in main areas-looks like hardwood but is really laminate which should be easier to take care of in most of downstairs
no carpeting in bathrooms-yes
china cupboard built in-no, but there is space for one and eventually we would like to build one in
built in bookshelves-no, but we plan to do this in one of the bedrooms
laundry on the main floor-no, it's upstairs by the bedrooms which makes more sense!
fireplace-yes, gas
fruit trees-no, but we plan to eventually plant a few
not on a busy street-yes
near a park-yes, near 2, and one is the coolest park in the city
has an actual entryway, front door doesn't open into the living room-yes
decorated with neutral colors not wild paint or carpet or wallpaper-yes, all neutral, both inside and outside
big closets-master closet is huge and other closets in bedrooms are a decent size, 2 big closets downstairs and a linen closet upstairs

There are a few more things that we like about our new house, but this is what our wish list was when we were in MN. Isn't it cool how God provided even with some things we didn't pray for specifically? I would highly recommend if you are in a parsonage making a list like this. Even if you will probably be in a parsonage for many more years, it's fun to look back and see how God provided what you dreamed about.