We've officially owned our home for one year.
One of the things I've enjoyed most about this summer, besides having Caleb of course, is the fact that I haven't had to move. Two years ago, I was preparing for my wedding in the midst of getting ready to move to PA. I was trying to figure out what to pack and bring to PA ahead of time, and also what to still leave with me for my last couple of weeks in NJ. It was a flurry of boxes and living out of suitcases. It was rather crazy.
Last year, on August 4th to be exact, I found myself moving again. We said goodbye to Brian's bachelor pad, which I tried my best to make a cozy home for our first year of marriage. There was only so much I could do with the place. While I was more than ready to leave, it was a bit sad to leave the first home we had together.
So for the first time in two years, I did not have anywhere to traipse to this summer, and it was a blessed relief.
Homeownership is no easy role. There is always something to be done, and we are still working on the same to do list that we made when we moved in. Some new things popped up along the way that pushed other things down on that list. I keep reminding myself that it is a marathon and not a sprint. We don't know how long we'll be here, whether it is for the long haul, or a few years. Still, we keep plugging away, trying to make our home an even better place.
I keep looking back to that move we made one year ago (and two days). We had Brian's family helping us move, and also a couple from our church. This friend of mine, Cheryl, and I, found ourselves a few moments to talk as she helped me put my bed together in my new bedroom. I was telling her of my desire to get pregnant, and she was encouraging me. She also revealed that she was also wanting to get pregnant with her third child, and she and her husband were hoping for a boy after having two daughters. I look back on that conversation and marvel, for within a couple of weeks, I did get pregnant, and she did, too. Her baby boy was born ten days after Caleb. What a strange kind of miracle for that to happen to the two of us, just after we both voiced our earnest desires.
If I could have had a glimpse then of what awaited me, this beautiful, blue-eyed boy, what a burst of ecstatic joy would have rippled through me. Our home now feels much more complete with this baby of ours.
Even though we have a million things that still need doing, I remind myself to be content. We have each other and our precious son. There are some windows that still need blinds and rooms still need to be painted, but those are not the most important things in life. Our family is, and I am so blessed that God has fulfilled the deepest desire of my heart.
So here's to many more happy years here, for as long as God should have us!
