Not just bricks and mortar

Early next month marks a very special time for Chris and I.  This time two years ago we were living in a two bedroom, one bath apartment that was partially underground and exploding to the brim with boxes.  We had just moved to Cincinnati to be closer to family and Chris was in the middle of his first busy season as an accountant with one of the “big four.”  It was also during this time that we were in negotiations on our first house.

As excited as we were to become homeowners, the process was stressful, as I’m sure most of you can probably attest to.  Chris worked 80 hours a week and we discussed counter offers, finances, and life in general during the 30 minutes in the morning where we were getting ready for work.  It was hectic, it was fun, I probably could have pulled my hair out on a few occasions, but life moves on, as it always does.
We closed on the house in early February of 2011.  That night I  bought paint supplies and gathered as many paint chips as I could scrounge into my eager fists.  Chris would be busy for at least another month, this meant no moving (we still had our apartment for another two months whether we liked it or not) and I got to paint play in an empty house.  Little did I know where the love would take me.
So much has changed!  The house went from this, to this.  It’s still a huge work in progress, but homeownership feels natural now.  We’re no longer scared that our house is going to kill us…yes, we are the ones who got out of bed on our first night in the house and ran to Wal-Mart for a fire extinguisher and numerous detectors of sorts.  These four walls haven’t killed us yet.
Although, nearly getting us committed is another story.  A roof leak and water damage 3 months out from our wedding…that’s one for the records people.  Sad to say, that also lead to a little drought on the blog front.  No worries though, house is fixed, we are hitched, and I’m here writing to you fine folks.

To be honest, I’m questioning the importance of anything I just told you.  Maybe its only there to prove that the passage of time and tangible treasures means nothing if not shared.  I love the home I’ve built with my husband but I love him more (duh).  I love that buying this house somehow managed to situate us steps away from two families that I hope our lives are never without.  I love that I find myself smiling and singing about getting to see my dog when I take the right, at the last stop light before our neighborhood everyday on my way home from work.
I love that I am home.