1. No swimming pool
2. Nice windows–double paned at least
3. A big bathtub (not necessarily jetted since I've found it hard to clean the jets in our tub here, but big enough to have the water cover me)
4. Relatively flat lot/yard.  I still haven't figured out how to deal with our hill here.
5. Somewhere in the yard to put a garden.  It doesn't have to be segmented out already, but there has to be play space and gardening space.
6. I love our carpet here because it hides everything.  It would be nice to duplicate.
7. Gas stove.  I love cooking with a gas stove.
8. Air conditioning and heating.  I've lived without A/C and don't want to again if I can possibly help it.  Colin said he'd like to have an air purifier in the mix.
9. High ceilings.  I love high ceilings.
10. Ideally, three or four bedrooms (enough for a guest room and an office) and 2 1/2 bathrooms. 
11. Easy-to-clean floors.  I like my hardwood in the dining room and entry and the linoleum in the bathrooms and kitchen are fine.
12. I don't care whether I have a fireplace.
13. I'm pretty attached to having a garage.  Especially in a place where it gets cold enough to have to scrape your car windows if you park outside.
14. In a location where there are other families with little kids. 
15. I'd like to be closer to a park if possible.
16. I like trees and so does Colin.  So, somewhere with trees.
17. Wouldn't it be cool to have those gutter covers that keep leaves out?
18. I like having lots of counter space and stools that Degen can sit at while I cook.
19. And a big refrigerator.  With an ice maker.
20. I like being able to stand in the kitchen and look into the family room where Degen is playing.
21. Lots of storage space.
22. A walk-in closet.

So, this season, now that I'm not pregnant, not sick, and have learned how to juggle other tasks while taking care of a new baby, I'm gardening.  This week I pruned roses (sorry to my neighbors for leaving the pruning remains on my lawn–I'm still trying to figure out how to get rid of the trash) and got some proud scratches in the process.  I also started hacking away at the ivy that's taken over the rose beds.  And, best of all, I planted flowers and vegetables!

I planted snapdragons (the flower assigned to me by my parents the year each sister got to plant and care for a flower, and the plant that I pulled out of the ground that time I was in time out and mad at my mom when I was 5ish) and allysum.  They will be beautiful in my front planter.  I only planted some of my snapdragon seeds, since my friendly gardening neighbor and friend, Jalanne, told me not to plant them till danger of freezing is gone.  I just couldn't wait that long, but I only planted a few so that if they die I'll have more to plant later. 

I planted carrots, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, green beans, and onions.  Jalanne also taught me to wait on the zucchini, summer squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, and peppers until around Mother's Day.  I bought seeds to plant peas, but I haven't got the space cleared out for them yet…maybe I'll get to that this afternoon when the kids wake up from their naps. 

There is a TON more weeding to do, I need to finish clearing out those rose beds and prune one more rose bush, and I need to prune some trees.  And, possibly most importantly, we need to fix our sprinkler system and put in grass seed.  We have lettuce from last year growing in the lawn (I pulled out the dead lettuce plants and left them on the lawn for a while, so the seeds sprouted plants there where there was only dead grass) along with the dandilions that have gone crazy there.  But I've made a good start, and it was fun!  So, get outside and enjoy the Springy sunshine!