Our New House
I am pretty sure that if you read the post I wrote regarding the condition of the house that my family and I moved into 3 years ago you'll remember it. It's funny because I used the phrase "warning, graphic images" in my title and still today my google analytics show lots of searches for "nancys daily dish warning". haha We worked so, so hard just making the place inhabitable, and as much as we worked and tried to make it work, it never really felt like 'our' home. In fact, I can say no place has really felt like home to me since we lost our home to foreclosure 10 or so years ago and have been renting and moving every year or two. There are many things wrong with this house that, as renters, we are not able to fix and our landlord has let the place deteriorate so. For several months we have been looking for another place to live. Just when Shawn and I had decided to put off a move because of other major events that happened in our family and with our children, the perfect place came up on a random search I did. I can't even remember what lead me to do an online search the day I did, because it was mid-week and most houses seem to come up on weekends which is when I did my searches. I'd looked every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for sometime, starting last Fall, for something that would accommodate both our family and business. Since we work at home, it was important to find a place that would adequately house my transfer ware collection for sale. We looked and looked for a place with a three car garage as the two car garage we presently have is literally beyond capacity and much of the business has overflowed into the house. Nothing came up, at least not in our price range…until recently, suddenly and unexpectedly.
When I read the online description to this particular house and noted its location I was almost certain that it was a home I used to drive by daily on my way home from work, nearly 27 years ago, shortly after Shawn and I were first married. The house stood out in the neighborhood it was in, and at the time was undergoing a big addition and renovation. I looked forward to passing by each day, admiring it and watching the progress of the addition.
Shawn called, set up an appointment to see it for the next afternoon. As Shawn, Ashton, Jonah and I approached the house on a very cold and snowy day, I knew it was the same one I'd driven by daily, all those years ago. We met the owner, a very nice gentleman. He and his wife are Dr.'s and had lived in the home for the past 6 years with their two teenage children. As we walked through the house, the spousal ability to communicate telepathically came in quite handy. We had ESP going on big time. When the homeowner wasn't looking we'd glance at one another with eyes of approval, Shawn and I having a full blown conversation without uttering a single word. Silently we were saying things to each other like, "this house is soooooo US", "Oh my gosh, I love the crown molding everywhere". "Can you believe there are three fireplaces???????, and this English style study with tartan paper and richly paneled walls. I cannot WAIT to decorate" and "can you believe this garage is not three car, but FOUR…with a full length work bench area?????….it's EXACTLY what we've wanted for a packing and receiving station". "Nancy, the kitchen is huge. I can't wait to cook here. Did you see that there are two ovens? And the stove has five burners?…and all new appliances?" We went on and on with our telepathic convo's during our walk through. I loved the house, Shawn loved the house and Ashton loved the house. But there was one problem. I wasn't entirely sure about the location. The garage side of the house faces a very busy street with lots of foot traffic, it is the largest and most expensive home in the neighborhood, and there is some major construction going on a few blocks away. I saw a couple of people walk by that looked a little sketchy and it made me feel a little unsure or insecure or both. That's how I am though. I hate to say it, but sometimes I see the worst first so it takes me time to mull things over, weigh the pros and the cons and to make a decision. Part of being OCD. So we left and talked about the house on the way home, expressing our likes and concerns. Ashton and Shawn were sold on it and so was I, almost. Again, I was just a little nervous about the location. Over the next couple of days we drove by the house at various times of day and night, spoke with some of the neighbors and just observed the area around the house (there is a park up the street that lots of people walk to and pass the house along the way). The more I looked and talked to others, the more comfortable I became. The other kids went by to see the house with us and they too fell in love. Shawn said to me, "no other house is going to compare" and "everything we look at will be a disappointment after seeing this one". I knew he was right. So after a couple of days of hesitation, I said YES to making the move. I knew, and felt it was the right choice to make as well. I just get to that point slower than the rest of my family. =) We called the owner, met again, signed a lease (and may be able to purchase it at some point in the future) and since then have done a lot of painting, packing and moving.
With exception of some cosmetic issues, this house is just about everything, and much more, than we have been hoping for. Kalyn and I were talking a few nights ago, and she said to me, "Mom, this house feels like 'our house'. It feels like home already and we haven't even moved in yet".
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