Homeowners!

Below is a famous family picture of Marcus's great-grandfather, William Helstrom and his wife Marie and three of their eight children, one of whom would be Marcus's grandmother (not pictured). His great-grandfather built this house in 1914 (though other family records indicate it was earlier). His great-aunt, one of the kids in this picture, lived in it until this past summer when she and her husband moved into a nursing home.

...and here we are in front of it after yesterday's closing! We are very excited and it was very hard to lock the door and leave. :( I absolutely love my life up here in Deerfield, but being in our new home certainly made me want to stay.


Marcus's sister Missy and I started peeling the wallpaper. Just a bit, to see how easy or difficult it would be. Our nieces joined in and we got pretty far in a short amount of time! Who'd have thought it would be MORE pink underneath!!? Our niece Maddy was very confused as to why we would ever want to change it. ;) She kept saying, "This is going to my room!"


Thanks, Missy! Anytime you want to come over and keep peeling...your parents have keys! :)