Tuesday, March 17, 2009



Happy St. Patty's Day!

Let me tell you about what "luck" came to me 3 years ago on this day. Rewind to 2005, newlyweds of 8 months were we and on the pursuit for a home. And as the story goes, we looked at SO many homes and somehow they were all just above our price range. Like in the range where there are no longer Panera dinners on a whim, Target trips, weekends up north, popcorn at the movie theater (or even a movie in that budget). We just couldn't see setting ourselves up for the tension and conflict having a big house payment would create.
And so we looked...and we looked...and we looked. And I was officially "DONE LOOKING!!". I am not sure how I thought we would find a house if I didn't want to look anymore but it was an irrational thought that made sense in my own brain.
One fateful Saturday morning, Ryan set out with our realtor and friend, Steve and was open to looking at older homes, something that I wasn't interested in because they didn't have the open layout, and the Pottery Barn feeling, and everything else. And there I was, sitting at Jackie's Place enjoying breakfast with a friend when I got "the call". Ryan wanted me to come see this house and he just had a feeling I might like it. And I did. A lot. Sure, there were a lot of aesthetic updates to make with the salmon color paint and the gold fixtures, not to mention the futuristic light fixtures in the kitchen and the magenta floral mural in the main bedroom. But it wasn't in spite of those things that we choose to see the beauty. We just loved the house.
And here is where I think more than luck, there was a fateful or serendipitous connection with the home. I don't want to spiritualize this story but all I know is what I am about to tell you has been a beautiful blessing for us. Upon deciding to write an offer on the home, I called my mom. And I think she about dropped the phone when I told her the address. Our house was the very house that my grandparents lived in when they were first married for about 4 years. It didn't stay in the family, there wasn't any mention of it at the time, no one even told us it was for sale. My mom said that she had pointed it out to me a few times growing up but when you are 11 years old headed to the Westshore mall with your mom, you are too busy wondering what she will buy you at LTD Too to think about an old white house. I was in shock and had no recollection of ever seeing that specific house before in my life.
We slept in our house for the first time on St. Patrick's Day 2006 and 3 years later, I still feel pretty darn lucky. I don't know how long God has us in this house, we have made it our own and although others may have used the words, we have never felt like it was a starter home. It just feels like our home.
The best part is that my grandpa and grandma are both in wonderful health, retired school teachers who LOVE God & each other through over 60 years of marriage. Once we got the house, they spent many a morning paint brush in hand and painted all of the trim & windows in the home a crisp and clean white. And as the oldest granddaughter, it has been such a privilege to live in these rooms, serve dinner in the same dinning room that my grandmother did over 50 years ago, and know that these walls heard my mom cry as a newborn baby.

2 comments:

  1. What a fun story! I remember you mentioning this about your house many blogs ago but... what you said about your mom as a baby crying... so sweet! Congrats on owning a home for three years! All we've been able to do is rent rent rent!

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  2. Your house is beautiful, but YOU truly make it a warm, cozy home.

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