One Year Ago Today

We got the keys to our house a year ago today.  This is the first house we have ever owned, and it might possibly the last.  We like our home.  It has a lot of space.  It has a lot of storage room.  We own it.  Well, my husband owns it.  I wasn't here when he signed the deed to the house, and we haven't gotten around to adding me to it.  It is something we keep saying we have to do, but just haven't.

I was on my way to Buffalo to catch a flight back here with my baby and my youngest son.  I was still not sure if the underwriting was going to be done or not.  I didn't know if I would be coming back to live in a house or in a hotel.  We had given our apartment complex notice that we would be out on July 31. 

I finally got the call saying that the mortgage had been approved and that my husband would be signing the title and getting the keys.  I was relieved, mostly.  I didn't want to think about coming back to Utah and not have a place to call home.  That was the last thing I would ever want.

My husband, my sister, and my two older children, picked us up at the airport. It was late at night.  They brought me HOME, to our home.  It was basically empty.  There were air mattresses to sleep on.  We would not have any furniture in our house until Saturday.  That is the first day we could get help getting it from storage to the house. 

Members of our church ward were more than willing to help us, virtual strangers, get things from the storage unit, to the U-Haul, to the house.  It was very much appreciated. 

I have grown to like our home, more and more each day.  It has had a few quirks.  During the winter, the downstairs is warmer than the upstairs.  I thought heat was supposed to rise, right?!?  The first real rainstorm, the playroom started to leak.  It hasn't leaked since then.  It was a torrential rain.  To run the AC, it is expensive.  I am not sure this is a quirk, but it isn't wanted :)  My sister moved out of the house, not really a quirk of the house, but I miss her all the time.   The sprinkler system was placed only 2 inches underground (at the deepest) so my husband cut through it when tilling the space for the garden.

The biggest thing is IT DOESN'T CLEAN ITSELF!  This is much to my children's dismay.  Every day, when it is time for chores, I hear "We just did it yesterday."  I quickly reply, "Yes, but this is today."

We now have a garden that we have harvested peppers, tomatoes, onions, zucchini and crookneck squash.  We have a little peach tree that is still trying to grow its peaches, only 3 survived the windstorms, the torrential rainstorm mentioned previously, and the late frost.  We are going to have to cut those in half so we can all enjoy it.   The plums didn't get much bigger than their pit this year, so they weren't very enjoyable.  Hopefully next year!

We have a wonderful house.  We will make many memories here, beyond the ones we already have.  I have enjoyed getting to know my neighbors and the members of my ward.  I have made some wonderful friends.  I didn't get out and try to meet people until my sister left.  I was happy thrilled to have her live with me.  I didn't really feel the need to go out and find someone to hang out with since I had her here.