August 18th 2008:

A mountain of paper work, legalese we pretend to understand, butterflies in our stomachs, and autograph practice that seemed to last for days. We left the First American Title Company with keys in hand, now finished with a nerve-racking and God-trusting experience of searching, offering, and closing on a house--our very first. With three moves behind us after less than one year of marriage, a place to finally call home is a dream come true!

Immediately, we rushed to grab some lunch with the keys to our new abode burning a hole in our pockets. 'Rosie' our Jeep screeched to a halt in the driveway as we tumbled out of her and into our very own "American Foursquare," giddy with excitement. We flopped down on the dining room floor in front of the [welcoming] argyle walls, unwrapped Arby's under the crystal chandelier and thanked God for what he has given us!!

"There are only a few life events that deserve a champagne toast.... a wedding, a new baby, and a first home... we'll be there at six with champagne." Our cousins Brian and Lisa joined us that night for a toast in our empty house. We snapped pictures, clinked glasses, and re-toured the new house with the fresh perspective of ownership.

Built in 1907, she's no spring chicken and has seen many families--a century-long storyboard pleading for the 'Kleven' frame. Her structure, thanks to a little www research, is commonly referred to as an "American Foursquare," or a "Prairie Box." To be quite frank, Joel actually makes his sweet wife slap him in the face each time they pull into the driveway... he can't believe it's really their OWN.

Well, we skidded in just at the end of a summer long street construction project--ending in a brand new street, curb, and gutter, with poured cement driveway only a week after we closed-- compliments of our new village. Welcome home, Klevens!

Above is the Klevens' new American Foursquare in all it's pre-beautification glory. Despite her [neglected] classiness, there's quite a road ahead in bringing her to potential. Granted, potential is what we saw in her from the beginning (not to mention we felt like Bonnie and Clyde when we got her, a foreclosed treasure/steal) . Yep, the girl's got good bones. We are thrilled to roll up our sleeves and highlight the great (and not-so-great) things we are finding with each bit of elbow grease we apply. That's the purpose of our blog--to let you in on the updates and makeovers on this charming/cranky/rambunctious old maid of a house, to enjoy the feedback/advice from all of you folk, as well as to keep y'all in the loop with adventures of the Kleven world.

If we have entertained you even a little, we have succeeded...