Seven Year Itch.

I've lived in this little rambler for seven years. After returning home from living a life on the road, I was excited to unpack my suitcase and find a home. I had about three months before law school started in the fall and there was no time to waste. 

I had toured a dozen tiny, smelly, questionable studio and one bedroom apartments when my folks approached me with another option. They were looking to invest in another property in town and they'd make the rent affordable. 

Our goal was to find a flip, work on it for the next three years, and hopefully make a profit once law school was over.

After viewing a few undesirable properties (you haven't really lived until you tour a house that has been condemned due to animal feces inside - pretty sure there was also a rather large animal living upstairs), a cute little house popped up on the MLS. Abandoned for 10 months, it needed work but the potential was huge. We quickly made an offer to the bank and before too long, the house was ours.

I still remember the first night I actually slept there. It was a hot summer night and with the windows open, I could hear the train rumble past. I knew immediately my days of watching Criminal Minds had come to an end.

But I survived. And began turning the house into a home. But truthfully, it only really felt like home when K moved in after graduation. Before him, the house was just a stepping stone, a place to live while finishing school. With him, we began to imagine a life together, our future. 

During the past four years, we've done a lot of living in this house. We've hosted holidays (Easter, Friendsgiving, birthdays, Mother's Day, and graduation brunch), dinner club, game nights, and board meetings.

We've overhauled the house. From our first small project together to a full blown renovation, there isn't one inch of this place that we haven't poured our blood, sweat, and tears into. 

We planned our wedding and celebrated the day to day of marriage here. We brought our baby home here.

And now, we're moving on. A new stage in our lives as parents calls for a new house. Our house. One that we can make a home, for the three of us. For now.

If it doesn't sell, that's okay too. We've turned this house into our home. And it's a beautiful one at that. A part of our hearts will always be here.

xoxo,

Alex

P.S. To celebrate, I'll be sharing an updated home tour all week on the blog. Check back tomorrow for the first reveal!