Seeds of Change: The Rest of the Story
We certainly didn't plan to move this year. Last fall I got busy prepping my little garden spot, amending the soil, and installing edging. It's funny how blessings just come out of nowhere.
I told you that we are moving, but what I didn't tell you was why. As many such situations tend to do, this new journey has a back story.
Six years ago my mother-in-law remarried a very nice man who made her extremely happy. During that time, they sold his home and moved to Florida where they intended to spend the rest of their days in the warm and peace near the ocean. Last year he passed away rather suddenly, leaving her alone and heartbroken in the place she loved. Through no fault of her own (which involves a story of selfishness and greed, but a story that isn't mine to tell) she was forced to move out of her beloved home within a month of his passing. While we encouraged her to move in with us to find a place she liked, she didn't want to impose and decided instead to rent a little apartment. Going from a beautiful home near the beach to a tiny apartment, sharing walls, under a staircase would be a difficult adjustment for anyone. Of course, she hates it there. She's miserable. Who wouldn't be?
For the last month we've been talking and, again,asked her to move in with us. Then we started talking about buying a house. If we were going to buy, now's the time. There are a lot of foreclosures selling at a fraction of their value...that won't last forever. With interest rates as low as they are, well, this could be our only chance to own a home and certainly it's the best opportunity to get a great deal. So, we looked into our options and discovered that, yes, we could buy a house together! No more renting for us, James can look after his mom, and Lane has the benefit of having extended family so close!
Now, I don't know about your relationship with your mom-in-law but mine has always been great. We've never had a conflict during my 11 year marriage to her son, even when I worked for her. While we aren't worried about conflict, we are both very cautious not to step on each other's toes. We're all independent people who need a proper amount of space. Keeping this in mind, we set out to find the perfect house.
We've driven by A LOT of houses. Finding something in our price range, with a multi-family set up and room for a garden has been a challenge. On one trip driving around town I found James had scribbled an address on a piece of paper, we hadn't talked about the home but we decided to drive by it while we were out.
This was it. It was perfect.
The previous owners had built in the large garage to create an apartment-like space with a large bathroom and lots of closet space. The area has it's own door so Kay and come and go without worrying about disturbing a sleeping Lane. That space links to the main house via the kitchen, which will be the main shared space. We are both looking forward to preserving and cooking in that space.
The home also has a very large back yard, which is difficult and expensive to find in town. Our garden area is already laid out and ready for tilling. I think Kay is as excited as I am about gardening this year, and I'm excited about her love of flowers. I don't spendmuch any time on ornamentals because I'm so focused on learned to grow great veggies. It will be wonderful to have fresh flowers inside and outside the house.
In starting this journey, we decided early on that we all have to agree on something before it gets done. Thus far we have agreed on the house, appliances, and paint colors without a hiccup. I continue to be amazed that this process has been so easy! For now, we are all waiting patiently for the necessary paperwork to be completed and the inspection to be done. In the meantime, we are de-cluttering, packing, and dreaming of the future.
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I told you that we are moving, but what I didn't tell you was why. As many such situations tend to do, this new journey has a back story.
Six years ago my mother-in-law remarried a very nice man who made her extremely happy. During that time, they sold his home and moved to Florida where they intended to spend the rest of their days in the warm and peace near the ocean. Last year he passed away rather suddenly, leaving her alone and heartbroken in the place she loved. Through no fault of her own (which involves a story of selfishness and greed, but a story that isn't mine to tell) she was forced to move out of her beloved home within a month of his passing. While we encouraged her to move in with us to find a place she liked, she didn't want to impose and decided instead to rent a little apartment. Going from a beautiful home near the beach to a tiny apartment, sharing walls, under a staircase would be a difficult adjustment for anyone. Of course, she hates it there. She's miserable. Who wouldn't be?
For the last month we've been talking and, again,asked her to move in with us. Then we started talking about buying a house. If we were going to buy, now's the time. There are a lot of foreclosures selling at a fraction of their value...that won't last forever. With interest rates as low as they are, well, this could be our only chance to own a home and certainly it's the best opportunity to get a great deal. So, we looked into our options and discovered that, yes, we could buy a house together! No more renting for us, James can look after his mom, and Lane has the benefit of having extended family so close!
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| Kay, Lane, James, and Buddy at the Farmer's Market |
We've driven by A LOT of houses. Finding something in our price range, with a multi-family set up and room for a garden has been a challenge. On one trip driving around town I found James had scribbled an address on a piece of paper, we hadn't talked about the home but we decided to drive by it while we were out.
This was it. It was perfect.
The previous owners had built in the large garage to create an apartment-like space with a large bathroom and lots of closet space. The area has it's own door so Kay and come and go without worrying about disturbing a sleeping Lane. That space links to the main house via the kitchen, which will be the main shared space. We are both looking forward to preserving and cooking in that space.
The home also has a very large back yard, which is difficult and expensive to find in town. Our garden area is already laid out and ready for tilling. I think Kay is as excited as I am about gardening this year, and I'm excited about her love of flowers. I don't spend
In starting this journey, we decided early on that we all have to agree on something before it gets done. Thus far we have agreed on the house, appliances, and paint colors without a hiccup. I continue to be amazed that this process has been so easy! For now, we are all waiting patiently for the necessary paperwork to be completed and the inspection to be done. In the meantime, we are de-cluttering, packing, and dreaming of the future.
