A few months ago, we decided to sell our first home. I thought we were crazy then, making this decision with a six-month-old and an almost three-year-old, and now that we’re up to our ears with boxes in the new house, I know we were crazy. But the market was good; so we went for it, and it’s actually the best decision we’ve made in a long time.
We bought our first home in the time I like to refer to as “Before Children” or “B.C.,” but we had our future children in mind while we were shopping. The truth is that there is nothing wrong with our first house, and we would still be happy there today if only it was about 20 minutes east of where it is. That’s the funny thing about shopping for homes before you have children, but with children in mind you think … with the right space, good enough schools, a neighborhood with a pool and a playground, you’ll be set. For the most part, that’s true until you find yourself getting into the best daycare in town which happens to be 20 minutes east of where you live. We didn’t plan for that, but it has definitely made our commute a little more time consuming than necessary, and living in Houston, everyone knows that’s just not acceptable. We also didn’t expect to find friendship “so far” on the other side of town, but some of my best friends are now only a few blocks away, which in the few short days that we’ve been in the house has already been such a blessing.
We’ve actually known for a couple of years that although we had a big enough house in a family-friendly neighborhood, positioned right on a cul-de-sac, and near a beautiful lake and water feature, we needed to make the move closer to the girls’ school and closer to where we live our everyday life.
We got the house ready to show pretty quickly, and it was only on the market for two days. Thankfully, we had understanding buyers as our new home wasn’t going to be finished for a couple months, and they allowed us to lease it back from them until our new home was ready. We hit a few bumps along the way throughout the process, but we knew it was all going to work out.
And we were right. Miraculously, our builder told us our home would be ready on July 28th, and it was, which was quite impressive considering all the horror stories you hear about the new construction process. Our lease ended at the old house a few days later, and now we’re moved in and trying to get settled.
We did it. We said goodbye to the home where we brought home our babies. The move happened so quickly that I never even took the time to walk through the house one last time. I will probably always have a little tinge of regret about that, but luckily right now I can still vividly remember each detail and memory made inside those four walls. I remember taking pregnancy tests and praying for a positive. I remember clearing what would be Amelia’s and then Evelyn’s nursery and watching my husband paint the walls. I remember sitting in the rocking chair in their room before each of them were born and praying for them and our family when I had a few quiet moments to myself. I remember sharing small group time with friends and welcoming so many people in our home for holidays and get-togethers. I remember our running route that we ran hundreds of times before and after the girls were born. I remember their first swing at the little park down the street. I remember sitting on the lawn listening to the water, taking in the breeze, and soaking in the sunshine while the girls played on the driveway. I remember how the floor creaked in the upstairs hallway by the thermostat. I remember bath time and looking forward to all the laughs that it would bring every night. I remember watching my husband pop fireworks in the middle of the cul-de-sac and laughing each time he ran from the fuse. I remember every picture we posed for in front of the bushes, and I will cherish every single one of them {yes, even the ones where no one is looking} and use them to help the girls remember their first home.
Now it’s time for our first home to help create memories for a new family. I pray that it brings them as much joy as it brought us over the past five years. And while they’re restarting at our first home, we’ll be doing the same in our new one. We’ve already had some pretty memorable moments, and we’ve only been here a few days. My favorite so far was the first morning the girls woke up and realized they were in the same room. I’ll never forget their giant smiles and silly giggles. Things like that definitely make the transition much easier for this emotional mama. In the end, although we’ll miss our first home, we are definitely where we’re meant to be for this season of our life. I can’t even explain what a relief it was to drive the girls to school yesterday, and it only took a few minutes versus the twenty it used to take. It’s life-changing! Amelia will also be able to start kindergarten in a few years with some friends she already knows, and the same will be true for Evelyn when it’s her turn. It’s all so good that I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.
I’m so thankful for our first home and that my parents pushed us to buy it five years ago when we didn’t think we were even close to being able to make such a huge decision. I’m thankful because all of that led us here, and here is a pretty great place to be.
What’s your favorite memory from your first home? I’d love to reminisce with you all in the comments below!
