I really love summers in Madison! I took a lot of photos this summer so I could remember what it is like. Our house is really great for families with younger, school aged children. One of the best features of our property is the GIGANTIC, fenced in back yard. The front yard is a nice size, too. We also have an open floor plan which is different from most of the homes in this neighborhood. The kitchen opens up to the great room which has hardwood floors, a wood burning fireplace and a vaulted ceiling up to the roof line. It is very open and spacious and you can keep an eye on the kids while you are busy in the kitchen. Downstairs also has a bonus room that can be closed off with two sets of curtained french doors. It makes a great office or a media room when you block out the light by closing all the curtains. A half bathroom, hall closet and a small mud-room type area complete the main floor.Upstairs, we have an extra large sized master bedroom with a walk in closet and bathroom en suite. There is also a hallway bathroom and two generously sized bedrooms with windows overlooking the front yard. The large finished basement has a fourth legal bedroom, large dry bar, a crafting counter top, a 3/4 bathroom and a separate utility room with extra storage. The utility room is where you'll find the gas hot water heater, gas furnace, water softener, and a front loading washer and dryer.
I think the kids are really going to miss the backyard and their Rainbow play structure. They have spent a lot of time here, even in the winter time, exploring, swinging, climbing, sliding and having fun. Our total property size is over 17,000 square feet - almost half an acre. Our backyard is flat and mostly open with a big willow tree in one corner, some tall evergreens for privacy and a couple other trees along the outside perimeter. It is a lot of nice space for running and playing sports like baseball, soccer and football. The backyard is entirely fenced in which is unusual for this neighborhood. Generally speaking, you are not allowed to have a fence here unless you have a pool. I have let my kids play in the backyard without direct supervision while I keep an eye and ear on them from the sliding deck door or the kitchen window. In 2008 we also built our own raised garden beds for growing our own vegetables. I will post some other pictures later since the blog did not let me put up very many pictures at one time.Don't forget that you can click on pictures here to see them in a larger size.
