30 before 30: we own a home

This afternoon I loaded the girls up in the wagon and we went to the park. I put the girls in the swing and within minutes I had a fan club. A group of four girls, aged 7-9, were asking me questions about my babies. When I took Grace and Ana out of the swings, the playground girls asked if they could play with my babies. It was adorable.

Swinging at the park this afternoon

A little over two years ago we started looking for a home. Since Brandon and I worked more than 30 miles apart, we had a lot of choices of towns to live in. We finally decided on a county and went to work looking at different homes in several different cities.

In the end it came down to two different homes. I wanted a small, rundown, 1970s ranch style home in a pretty posh town within walking distance to the lake. I loved the huge backyard, the established trees and the proximity to outdoor activities. I loved the charm and the idea that we could make it whatever we wanted since it needed a significant amount of work. Brandon wanted the early 90s suburban home near a school and parks in the town that I grew up in. It was move-in ready (except a necessary coat of paint inside), was on wide streets and was much bigger and nicer. In the end, we went with the house Brandon loved.

This house has had more than its fair share of issues. Let me tell you, homeownership can be a bitch when things are leaking, falling over or overflowing. I don't know how many times I have cursed being a homeowner and wishing I had a landlord to call. But this is our home. This is the home we bought so we would have a safe place to raise our children. This is the home that together we have decorated and filled with furniture and joy and laughter.

And today when my babies were surrounded by neighborhood children who wanted to talk to me and play with my babies, I remembered how blessed I am that we are able to own a home in this great town and how happy I am to be in this house. Our house. Our home.