As some of you might know, Sean and I have been going back and forth on whether or not to put our house up for sale. There are no real issues with where we live now - we love our home, we have fantastic neighbors, the payments are bearable, etc. We just live far from everything. That said, we started entertaining the idea of moving. This process included meeting with realtors and discussing all the steps. With every realtor meeting, I kept hearing the same thing: "Tell people about your home." I know that they want us to describe the typical stuff. "When was your roof put on? How old is the hot water tank? How much are the taxes?" But this is what I really want to say...
You see this stain right here on the sunroom carpet? That is fruit punch. It got there the day my sweet little boy was so sick, he could barely hold his own head up and he didnt make it to the bathroom in time when he had to throw up. Right after, he immediately apologized and said, "Mommy, I messed up your carpet." This stain reminds me how sweet his heart is.
You see this railing? It used to have a gate on it. That kept our son from falling down the stairs when he learned to walk and wasnt very steady on his feet yet. When we finally removed it because he was big enough to manuever safely, I cried.
This jewelry case was my mother's day gift after Quinn was born. I had seen one in someone's house and loved how it fit right into the wall, had so many slots for necklaces, earrings and bracelets and even had a mirror and locked. I came home one day to find that my husband had searched for hours to find me one and installed it as a surprise. I was so excited, I tackled him and spilled all the jewelry that he had painstakingly laid delicately on my bed. We spent the next two hours finding earrings on the floor and laughed the whole time.
You see this gap in our bathroom tile? This happened because I wanted to surprise my husband and lay the floor for him. I had never done it, but he works so many hours and his free time is so limited - I desperately wanted to relieve him of the burden. I read the instructions and thought I could do it, and it looked good at first. But I didnt know not to leave ANY space at the wall, or the tiles would 'walk' as they were used. Within 3 days, this gap appeared and I cried and Sean told me you "couldnt really tell" just to make me feel better.
Ah yes. The floor in front of our fridge. This is where Quinn has spilled hundreds of gallons of everything. Milk, juice, punch, pudding... you name it. He has dropped it here. I have mopped this area easily over 1000 times.
I have always wanted a red kitchen. So, one day, on a whim, I painted it. I didnt realize how hard the area above my cupboards would be, and by the time Sean got off work, I was using Q-Tips to gently get the corners. Labor.of.love.
When our stove went out, we went shopping for a new one and were supremely bummed that we had to get a gas one. We liked the look of the electric better and the prices were beter too. But since we had a gas hookup, we got a gas stove. Only, when they delivered it and Sean went to hook it up, he discovered that we had a hookup for both gas AND electric behind the old stove. We contemplated sending it back, but ultimately decided it was to much work and just laughed at ourselves for not checking beforehand.
I begged Sean to buy me this spice rack from IKEA. He claimed I didnt need it and wouldnt use it, but when we got to checkout, there it was in the cart. He lives to make me happy.
This garden stone was made for me by Q when he was 4. It was a mother's day gift. He was so proud of it and he couldnt WAIT for me to open it. When I did, one of the gems had fallen off and he was just devastated that it wasnt perfect. I marched it straight to the front yard and told him it was the most beautiful handstone I had ever seen and my flowers were ALREADY growing better just because of it. He was very happy at that and every time we came home, he would say, "Mommy, you see your stone?" so I could "ooh" and "ahh" all over again.
When we moved into this house 9 years ago, tulips were planted along the side of the house. Although tulips are my FAVORITE flower, I pulled them all up b/c they dont last long enough and I wanted the area to be pretty for the whole summer. However, every year, without fail, this ONE single tulip grows. It is red and gorgeous and big and tall and strong. I dont ever pull it. It's kind of a reminder that it was here first. It doesnt last long. But I love that tulip.
This sign hangs above our front door. I bought it at a craft show (which my husband calls a "crap" show) and every time I leave this place, I see it. I believe we can tell the universe what to bring to us, and I kind of feel like by proclaiming this every day, we are writing our final chapter ahead of time. I love this sign.
I love this home.
Those are the things I want new owners to know. Screw the roof.
TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR: a place so filled with love and memories that we dont really WANT to leave it!
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