From Home to House

April 8, 2013

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“Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home.”
-Phillip Phillips, HOME

One week until we move from our first home into our new house. I’m so happy we found a place to live before the babe is born and will hopefully have some time to get settled before she makes her appearance. While I LOVE the new place, I can’t help but feel sad about leaving this house behind. Change is not something I’m particularly good at. It signifies the passage of time and memories gone by which only remind me how short life truly is.

Sidenote: Does anyone remember the final episode of Growing Pains when the Seavers moved out of their home? I remember watching that and seeing Kirk/Mike go back in the house one last time to remove a family picture and behind it, it said “Mike Seaver was here.” That was the first time I ever cried watching a TV show. I was 9-years-old (go figure) and it has stuck with me ever since.

Anyway, we moved into this house in May of 2008 when Howie was just a puppy. He’s been through about 3 lives here, one of which was getting attacked by the neighbor dog just a couple months after we moved in. Rob and I have been through a lot here too. Bringing Faith home for the first time comes to mind. Hosting her first birthday. Watching her take her first steps. (Bring on the tears!) Planting a tree, planting a garden. Laying laminate flooring. Decorating for Christmas, Halloween, Easter. Dancing in the living room. Bringing in the New Year with friends. Laughing at family meals around the kitchen table. Potty training in the bathroom (thank God for that laminate flooring). Baking muffins on Saturday mornings. Sleeping in on Sunday mornings (at least before Faith was born — what was that like again?) Coloring with sidewalk chalk out front. Blowing bubbles in the yard out back. We’ve done it all.

I feel like we’ve really left our mark on this house and even though I’m excited for what’s to come, I will probably be looking in the review mirror on our way out of the driveway. To help me with the transition, I thought I’d make a list of things I will and won’t miss about the 3rd house on the left side of 18th Street.

Things I won’t miss:

the TRAINS. We knew we’d be close to the tracks when we moved here, and we’ve gotten used to it so that we don’t hear them at night, but dammit if the conductor’s timing hasn’t been awful these last five years.

the lack of SPACE. We just need more room to spread out Faith’s toys, Rob’s guitar equipment and my Target purchases.

the BUSY STREET. It’s nice and flat for running on, but there are always a ton of cars driving by on our walks/bike rides. It’s like the hockey game in Wayne’s World. Caaaaarrrr!

the ONE FULL BATHROOM. Sharing a bathroom with a toddler has its advantages, mainly that she never wants in there to brush her hair or her teeth, but I’m looking forward to not stepping on bath toys all the time.

Things I will miss:

the YARD. It’s so big! And flat. I envisioned our kids playing kickball here and even imagined the tree we planted as second base. (This was before I realized how much space kids actually take up inside the house). Our new yard is not as flat or as big, which is disappointing, yet I’m sure where there’s a will to play kickball, there’s a way. I just hope the new yard is big/flat enough for a princess bouncy castle come June 24!

the DOOR. I know this is silly, but our door is probably my favorite purchase from this house. If it wasn’t considered tacky to request to take a door with you when you move, I may have done it.

the COMMUTE to work. Who wants to spend more time in the car when there are baby cheeks to be squeezed and a two-year-old’s solo acts to take in? On a good day, I could reach Faith’s daycare in 13 minutes. Now it will be more like 23, though it will be much less when she starts preschool in a year or so. I’ll miss the time we’re losing by moving further away from our jobs, but I know it’s the right, long-term decision for our family.

the RUNNING TRAIL. So many miles of thinking on this narrow path. I trained for my 2009 half marathon and last year’s Dam to Dam. It was so nice to run down the street and then be on the trail. The trail by our new house is short, and worse, hilly!

The truth is, a house is just a bunch of walls but a home is what you create inside. I’m excited to make new memories in our second home, but I will never forget this one and all that happened in it.

And because I started with a song, I’ll end with one. It’s the Growing Pains theme song and quite fitting for how I’m feeling. (See below for pics of the new place and our new address!)

Show me that smile again
Oh, show me that smile
Don’t waste another minute on your cryin’
We’re nowhere near the end
We’re nowhere near
The best is ready to begin

As long as we got each other
We got the world spinnin’ right in our hands
Baby, you and me
We gotta be
The luckiest dreamers who never quit dreamin’

As long as we keep on givin’
We can take anything that comes our way
Baby, rain or shine
All the time
We got each other
Sharin’ the laughter and love

Enjoy the pictures of the new place we will call home as of this Friday.