Today we loaded the moving truck and said goodbye to our first home. We made so many memories in that little house, and I was surprised at how sad I really was to leave.
This little home was a blessing to us from the start. We learned it would be coming on the market for rent a few days early, so we were able to jump on the opportunity fairly quickly. As soon-to-be-newlyweds, we were more than giddy about our first home together. I instantly fell in love with the cute little blue house with the red door. We were even able to take our engagement pictures in the empty space, and I just LOVE having that as a memory.
We also fell in love with the neighborhood and set out to get to know our neighbors. We became close with several of them over the next 4 years, and we are so thankful for the relationships and gospel opportunities we have had. We grew to love the neighborhood kids who would hang out and play in our front yard...even the mischievous ones ;)
This home was far from perfect. The foundation shifted constantly and our maintenance guy's go-to remedy was to shave the doors {imagine uneven, gaping doors all over the house}. The floors creaked and moved, so you could never move around quietly, no matter how hard you tried. Our water pressure was quirky, so you couldn't run the dishwasher/washing machine if you wanted to take a shower or vice versa.
Remember when the lightening struck in the empty lot next door? Or when the mice took over our laundry room? Or worse, the opossums invaded? The neighborhood kitties and bunnies didn't seem so bad then. Or how about the time we had that spewing poop hole in our backyard, and we had to move out for several days because they unearthed our backyard? Or the time that we had a gas leak and our front yard and driveway were ripped up in the middle of the torrential month-long downpour, and the naughty neighborhood kids rode their bikes through the fresh cement? Good times :)
But despite all of its "charm," this home holds great memories. In this home we...
- Celebrated our first Christmas and our first anniversary together
- Started, grew, deepened, and strengthened the foundation of our marriage
- Started a church
- Hosted countless Bible studies, Pinterest parties, Pumpkin Carving events, neighborhood Christmas parties, Driveway BBQs, and dinners
- Counseled, discipled, encouraged, prayed for, and {hopefully} loved many people well
- Learned to lean on and trust the Lord through difficult circumstances related to Crohn's, infertility, closing our church, and other related transitions
Leland Avenue was home to us for 4 years, and we are so thankful that this is where the Lord placed us. It was not our plan to leave so soon, but we will forever be grateful for the opportunity we had to live, love, and serve in this place. We pray that He uses us that much more in our next home.
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