Our New House

So, here is our adventure with our home, here. When we arrived the house wasn't ready yet. The last tenants couldn't leave as early as they had wanted to, so the embassy was in a scramble to get things ready for us. We began our journey here in an apartment in a busy area of Rabat called Agdal. The apartment was as big if not bigger than our place in California had been. It really wasn't bad. But I was still relieved when we were able to get the go ahead to move into a house on that Friday.

My first impressions of the house was the size of it. This place is enormous! Our house in Kansas was 3,000 sq. ft., and that has nothing on this place. It is 2 floors with a basement. The main floor has a large entry way, living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, play room and office, as well as 2 half-baths. The 2nd floor has 5 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and another 1/2 bath. In the master, there is a walk in closet that has its own hallway. Even on my best day I don't have enough clothes to require that much room. The basement has a 2nd full size kitchen, but is not equiped with a stove. That is where the washer and dryer and deep freeze have been put. There is a room that resembles the dining room and another room we don't really know the purpose of. I may put my quilting frame down there later. In the back is an old steam room that doesn't work any more. The woman showing us the place said its not good for anything other than a bug trap now (and oh, how right she is). There is also another 1/2 bath down there. Like I said, this place is huge.

So, here are the long awaited pictures of the house. Let me know what you think.






The first photo is of what our house looks like from the street. This is what it looks like from inside the gate.






This is the front yard. The yard actually encircles the entire house. There is plenty of room for the kids to play. And, yes, that is a badminton net and basketball hoop you see.











Once you come in the front door the sitting room is on your right.












The dinding room is the most beautiful room in the house. It is done in tiny pieces of hand crafted and hand laid tiles. Above the tiles begins the inticut carvings and paintings. The windows are stain-glass and the floor, of course, is marble tile. It is just awesome (in the real, not slang, use of the word).

















The wood working in the house is amazing. Here is the hand rail for the stairs leading up to the 2nd floor.












This is the upstairs kitchen. The only thing it is missing is the dishwasher. But we have put in a request for one and they said as soon as a plumber can come hook it up it is ours. Yeah.











At the top of the stairs, this is your view. Behind the doors are the older boys' room on the left and Rachel's room on the right (which has its own entryway).










I'll add more pictures later, but mom duties are calling.