# 1!!!!!!

And the # 1 reason I'm thankful for this new house is.........

A safer place to raise my kids!!!

Our previous neighborhood was a nice neighborhood, but we had a drug dealer across the street.  By the time my eldest was 6, she could tell you what a drug deal looked like.  =(  They weren't discrete.  Drama of course also comes with kind of activity.  Including the beating of a girl, people running across the lawns with guns, fights, and damage to personal property.  Not to mention threats.  Love our house, Hated our neighbor!  The HOA also tried to help us get them OUT, but it was a bunch of legal red tape.  =( 

Then we moved here to this rental.   We knew this would be temporary (2-3 years we hoped), so I think that helped us weather it all.   In this place we had a house down the street shut down for being a meth lab AND making bombs.  Yeah...I wasn't allowed to go home!  The whole street was on lock down.

Then there was the beating of the grown man on my corner at Christmas, in broad daylight, with children outside playing.  It was several men in their upper 20's beating just one man.  One of the assailants even had a pipe.  Yes, the man was beaten with a pipe.   One of the perps took off through MY backyard!  I think everyone calling the cops scared them all away and saved this man's life.  He was taken to the hospital with broken bones and head injuries.  Needless to say as soon as he came home, he moved.  What kind effect does seeing something like that have on young kids?

The house behind us in the cul-de-sac had a suicide attempt.  And again, we were all on lock down with cops and swat around.  Apparently he was trying to off himself with his dad's revolver (a cop).  That was scary for the kids.

Then there is the total lack of actual parenting by the people in this neighborhood.  We have one little girl that runs around all summer from sun up to dusk in a bathing suit.  Pretty girl.  Neighbors fed her all last summer and cared for her.  I don't think her parents ever knew where she was.  (She was 6 last summer, and 7 this summer).  Yeah.  Then she started stealing from all of us.  And now no one wants her around.  It's sad.

Then the boys in these parts get away with starting fights, pushing, hitting, and cursing out the little girls.  Needless to say I threatened one of them.  I was tired of it.  And if their parents weren't going to do something about it, I was.  After witnessing them bullying another little girl, I stepped outside and laid into them.  And told them pretty much if they EVER did anything like that again, they'd have to deal with me.

Then the kids in these parts just walk up on YOUR property whenever they want.  Throw their trash in your yard, go through your cars, hang out, whatever.  Yeah.

We've had a string of thefts too.  People getting into unlocked cars and stealing out of them.

And with all this information, I haven't even gone into the crazy drama I had been sucked into with some neighbors.  And I mean CRAZY!!!  If I wrote about it all, it wouldn't even seem real.  I don't think anyone would believe me.

So needless to say, I am OVER THE  MOON HAPPY to be leaving this dump!!!  The house isn't bad, but the people here make it a dump.  I can't stand to live around this mess anymore.

My kids deserve a good life!  My husband works hard to give us that.  It shouldn't be in vain.  They deserve to not have to worry about being bullied!!  We all deserve not to have to worry about our personal property due to unruly kids.  (seriously parents...teach your kids to respect other people's property).  And we all deserve to live some place safe.  Where all the crime and craziness is not an issue.

Our neighborhood is up and coming, true.  And yes...anything could happen.  But from the people I have met, we have a great group of people!  And the price points of the houses are good, but high enough to keep out some of the caliber of people in the place I'm living now.  I know that sounds terrible, but there is truth in it.  And if the price isn't enough, the $200 quarterly that will soon be our HOA Fees will be.  As a general rule of thumb, people who like to start trouble, usually don't want to pay that (or can't)....usually.

This neighborhood is set to be the next "nice" neighborhood in the area.  And if they keep to the original plans enough, in a few years, it's going to be awesome!!!  With shops, a grocery store, walking trails, ect.

We just wanted a nice house in a decent neighborhood to raise our children.  We ended up with a gorgeous house in an amazing neighborhood instead.  Nice trade up I think.  =D     And now we will have this wonderful place to call home.  A real home.  Even as I type that...A real home.... I start crying.  A place we can call our own.  A place to raise our children properly for the next 20+ years.

Home.  We're finally going home.  *wipes tears*  I wish everyone could be this lucky, this blessed, this happy.  ♥