We bought a house ten years ago.
We've been building a home ever since.
We were babies back in 2005--newly married (almost a year), without child nor pet, but with lots of ideas and hopes for the future.
In the ten years we've been in this house we've had good and hard times; firsts and lasts; big events and little moments.
This is the house we landscaped for the first time. From the planning stages to making our thoughts a reality, it was our first big project together (you know, besides planning that whole wedding thing). It also served as the baptism of our home--the sweat and tears that we covered our yard with should grant us years of blessings.
It's only fitting that the most current picture of our house includes blue tape--evidence of our next project, coming soon.
This is the house in which I found out I was pregnant. This house saw tears of joy at learning I was pregnant with E after a year of trying and tears of joyous terror when 12 weeks after her birth I discovered I was pregnant with B.
This is the house that saw me become a mom and Marc become a dad. We went from thinking the world revolved around us to sometimes forgetting we exist. Once we even put the kids to bed and spent some time watching TV before we realized that we forgot to eat dinner. True story.
This is the house Marc and I discovered just what our breaking points were with babies...but somehow not breaking. First, with E and her non-stop crying for three months. Then, with B and his not sleeping for more than 2-4 hour chunks for four months.
This is the house that has seen so many pointless arguments and disagreements but then witnesses unfaltering love and devotion.
This is the house where we've said good-bye to many neighbors over the years--some that we were happy to see go, others that we still miss. Our original neighbor, Ethel, was like a grandmother to both of us, but she had a special soft spot for Marc (and he for her). We still miss her...she was an avid Twins fan and would listen to every game on the radio while sitting in her front yard. I still think I'm going to see her out in her chair in the middle of July with the monotone buzzing of the baseball broadcast surrounding her.
This is the house that has seen big parties full of friends and beer of years past turn into big parties full of friends and their kids and juice boxes. Still fun, just different. (Ok, fine, full disclosure: there's still beer.)
This is the house where we had a cherished pear tree in our yard...and then lost it during a bad storm a couple years ago. I still miss that tree, especially in the spring when it would flower. Not so much in the fall when the rotted pears from the top of the tree would drop to the ground and the bees would hover.
This is the house we brought all our children home to. Copper in 2005, E in 2010, B in 2011.
This is the house that the kids have had all their firsts in. First steps, first words, first bumps (including first ambulance call), first days of school.
This is the house that has seen countless tears. Tears of a newlywed couple still figuring out married life, tears of new babies intermixed with the tears of a new mom and dad, tears of anger, tears of frustration, tears of sadness. But more than that there have been tears of joy, tears of laughter, tears of happiness.
This house. The house that I went from loving to tolerating and then back to complete adoration. I loved it initially and all the projects we did to improve it. Then I started thinking we needed more space. More places to put things and to grow. But then a crazy thing happened over the past year. I have fallen in love, all over again, with my little house. I don't need more space, I need less stuff. And ever since I've had that realization my house has returned to being the perfect size.
All these things happened in this house: the physical space in which we live.
But living in this house and the memories we've made is how we've built a home.
Our first picture of us in front of our new home.
Not to get all corny, but home really is where the heart is. And all five of our hearts make this the best home ever.
Five hearts, in our backyard, a few seasons ago.
xo Sara