About 24 years ago, my husband and I purchased our first house. We were young and so in love, just like we are now.
Ha, ha to the young part, but we really are still in love. Those were my skinny days, before babies, LOL
We had skimped and saved for several years so we could purchase a home to fix up and ultimately raise our family in.We had a neighborhood picked out, loaded with gorgeous trees and lush lawns.
We would drive around the neighborhood on Sunday afternoons. I remember pulling up to a two story home on a corner lot that had a "for sale by owner" sign in the yard. I felt myself starting to sweat with excitement because it was exactly what I had dreamed about. Dan turned to me and said "don't even think about it, it's way out of our price range" and I said "it may be but I want to look at it and at least see if we can maybe get it for a lower price." We set an appointment with the homeowner for later that day!
We were able to negotiate with her, since she was desperate to sell. The house was in terrible shape and the first day we were there, I ripped down all the old draperies and we pulled out the RED SHAG carpet.
We totally transformed that home and put a lot of sweat, tears and money into it. We decided to give the house a name since there were so many trees and constant falling leaves. We had a plaque made and named the house FALLING LEAVES and hung it on the front of the house. That started the tradition of each of our houses having a name.
DOES YOUR HOUSE HAVE A NAME?
If so, comment and tell me what it is and why!
I became a mother in that home and raised both our girls there, until they were about 5.
This photo was taken the day we bought it.
We had Christmas day celebrations with family, long work days with Dan's brothers and dad, days with my best friend painting, wallpapering and doing tile work, dinners around our table with friends, barbecues and birthday parties on the deck, baby dedications and also hosted many guests for the night.
We also had extremely hard times there as well. A miscarriage, 3 surgeries with our first born baby and the real struggle with postpartum depression. We followed the firetrucks to find our house on fire, due to a candle that re-ignited the mantel into flames. We walked family members through cancer, got word that grandparents had passed away and moved my mom in with us for 4 months while she recovered from a major car accident. It is also where we took the risk and I quit my full time job that I LOVED to stay home and raise our girls. It was a scary decision and a huge sacrifice to live on one salary, however, it definitely taught me the most about myself.
All MEMORIES that will be with us forever and have made me who I am today. Wow, the time flies!
It was also the start of my interest in Interior Design, little did I know I would start my own design firm years later.
I found a poem when we first moved into that house, I can't remember where I found it. I had it framed and it now goes with us from house to house because I just love how it floods memories back from the homes we have owned.
The cool thing is that we ended up selling this house to some friends that happened to be driving through the neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon drive. They didn't know we were selling our home and saw the "for sale by owner" sign in the yard. We were elated that we got to pass it on to another couple that has now raised their 3 kids in it! The 'FALLING LEAVES' plaque is still there!
Hope you enjoy the poem and remember to spend time in your home so you can make lasting memories.