I knew this house would be better than our first home in Hawaii but when we did our walk-through before signing the lease I felt this calm pour over me; this was home.
Besides the obvious –no bugs, central AC, 2.5 bathrooms- there are little things that I missed and I didn’t noticed I missed. Like:
Drywall. This house has drywall which helps it not feel like a prison cell like our last house.
Unobstructed windows. No AC units overtaking these windows, light can actually get in.
Openness. I can cook in my kitchen and still keep an eye on the kids!
Home, Sweet New-Home
Square footage. I am a bit spoiled from growing up in Florida where houses have good sized rooms. Here in Hawaii, you’re living large if you can fit a queen bed and a dresser in the same room.
A garage. I like parking Cookie where I know she is safe from the elements and assholes.
Grass. We have a fenced in backyard and I have already let Reece go outside and play by himself (I was watching him through the window though). I like that the outside is so easily accessible to us; we are an outdoorsy-type family.
Bathroom. In this house the kids have their own bathroom and Kyle and I have one. Plus, our bathroom has TWO SINKS! Sometimes it is the little things that make me happy!
Yesterday the movers packed our old house and moved everything here. We had them set up the furniture in the rooms and leave everything else out in the garage so that we can go through it all piece by piece for a few different reasons. One, bugs. Kyle saw eight can spiders and countless bugs and geckos. We want to be sure we aren’t bringing any unauthorized houseguests into our clean home. Two, to get rid of stuff we no longer need. I am done hanging onto shit we aren’t using.
I like this fresh new start. All of the bedrooms are empty except for furniture and the walls are bare. Kyle and I have a design scheme we have agreed on and have been shopping for items that fit our plan. We figured if we are going to be in the house for a while we might as well make it a home, not just the place we sleep for the next few years. It has been great bring on the same page about so much of this house. Just a before sitting down to write I called Kyle over to the big wall by the stairs and asked him what he thought about blank, he liked my idea so now I must hunt for that particular item!
This is a house I am excited to invite people over to. I know –and I knew that others knew- the last house was not a direct reflection on the people we are but I was still embarrassed for someone to walk through my front door. Here, I want to throw parties and host friends and family who visit. I want to give people a tour and show them every inch, not hide or cover blemishes. I want it to feel like an established household not some temporary dwelling. I want it all to fit together and look like a family lives here.
As the hours pass and more boxes are unloaded it is comforting to see this house come together. I have felt so much happier being in this house than I did on my best day in the last place. For five months I was tense, but here I feel relaxed. Kyle and I are creating a home for the first time in our lives, not just a livable space. This is where we’ll be for the next little while. This is home.
What a Novel Thought 