WOW! Lots can happen within a house in 10 years. From births, to first steps, ministry, friends made, laughter around the table, tears in the shower, and meals oh so many meals. As we prepare to move I have been reminiscing on the adventures that have taken place in our home. Join along as we take a walk down memory lane.
Welcome to the first home Darren and I have ever owned. We bought our home in 2011, just one year after we got married (almost exactly one year to the date). When we first move into our 1600 square foot home it was just the two of us and our dog Fender. In fact we got keys to the house the first week of July. I was asking to sing the National Anthem for the Freedom Celebration up on Whidbey Island on the 3rd of July that year, so Darren and some amazing friends moved ALL of our things into our house while I traveled 5 hours north to see at the celebration. Not only was everything moved in while I was gone but I have picked paint colors and they had painted the majority of the house. I totally got the best end of the deal! After we got settled into our home we had an open house where we invited friends and family to come and walk through while praying for our home and the legacy we hope to have within it.
Music has always been a part of our home, we received a free piano which lived in the family room. Together we would stay up late Darren playing the piano as I would sing to the top of my lungs and boy were the acoustics in the family room lovely. Through out the years in our home we had worship practice, Christmas carol sing along, musical rehearsals and piano lessons.
Food has always been a theme in our house as well, not only did we produce a ginormous amount of food for our own family, but hospitality is not only a passion of ours but a family value as well and we took full advantage of having as many people as we could feed at our house. Darren built us a 12 person table and we continued to add chairs as we continued to invite more and more in.
But most of the prayer of our hearts from the very beginning of having our home was that it would be a place of ministry, where we could Christ like love to others, serve those around us, and build the family of faith together. There has been many seasons within the walls of our house and each season has brought us closer and closer to both Jesus and the Legacy we have worked hard to develop.
During our first 2 years in the house we had 3 different roommates (not all at the same time). It was such a blessing to help others while it was just the 2 of us. Then in December 2012 we found out we were expecting! The nesting began and the preparations took place. Our roommate and friend Evan moved out and we quickly painted that room a lavender purple. We had chosen in to a home birth and brought our sweet little Madeline into the world downstairs in our family room. As she took her first breath in this house our family began in the same moment.
We learned lots about what things would change in this home as we had a toddler living in it. From baby gates, to discovering that light colored carpet under the dinning room table is not the best idea haha! Madeline also learned a lot here in our home, from how to say mama and dada, to taking her first steps, to finding out she would be a big sister to a loving brother. Noah also was brought into the world here in our house. He was born in our bedroom at midnight, and his big sister got to meet him right when she woke up in the morning. Noah also learn lots in this home as well, same as sissy he learned to crawl, walk and run in this house. Both Madeline and Noah got to witness the tie breaking sibling: a baby brother Jonah. Jonah was born in our bedroom as well in the middle of the day with brother and sister playing with Papa downstairs. They got to see him minutes after he was born and fell in love as we all did. The three kids grew in relationships in this house and Madeline started preschool in our family room turned homeschool room. All three kids got to learn that they would be having another baby brother in this house. Baby Jesse was born in our bedroom while the kids were at Nana and Papa’s (who live only minutes away), but they were quickly loaded in the car to hurry over to meet him. Jesse was born in the summer and that Fall we started homeschooling for PreK for Madeline and Preschool for Noah. As life continued so did our family and we were all blessed to discover we would be expecting another child. A girl this time named Felicity who was also born at home in our bathroom. We feel so blessed to have all all our babies take their first breaths in this house, first steps in this house but most importantly to learn about Jesus in this house!
As we prepare to move out we realize that the family room that had been the center of music, is now the center of homeschooling and music for the kids, the laundry room had been turned into a dual washer dryer production for our family. Rooms that used to be extra or filled with other adults who needed a home are now full of two girls and three boys. Furniture has moved, rooms have been re-purposed and so much has changed in our lives since we moved in 10 years ago.
We have experienced 10 Christmas, 10 Thanksgivings, 10 Easters, 10 anniversaries, 45 Birthdays, 520 Sabbaths, and 3655 days of memories in this house. But one thing stands out above all, God’s goodness, we have learned that he is faithful, we have learned to trust him through anything, we have learned that we must put him first in everything, we have learned that our whole purpose in life is to Glorify Him in all that we do. So as we take the next steps in our life, many of which we don’t even know where they will fall, we know one thing, That for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
The memories will live on, and the most important thing goes with us from this house. Our Family 🙂
To the house on 10th street, you will be our first home, one we will always remember and treasure, you will not be forgotten. I pray the next family that comes in with be blessed as we were!
