Making a House our Home

Despite holding the house key in my hand, as my realtor stepped inside his car to drive away, I felt nervous and uncertain. Could I really be in the house without him there?? With a giddy smile, I waved good-bye and then walked into the house and closed the door. My door.

Wow, this is really our home, I thought. Holding Aiyana in the quietness, I looked around at the emptiness and wondered, What makes a house a home? My immediate answer to myself was one word: Memories. Happy ones.

As a child who moved every 2-4 years of my life, it was amazing how quickly each new house felt like home, simply because I was with my family. Family is what makes a house a home, and families make memories together. With Aiyana still in my arms, I sang a silly song comprised of one line repeated over again, "This is our HOUSE! This is our HOUSE!" I spun in a fast circle before lifting Aiyana high in the air, the surest way to be rewarded with giggles. Sure enough, she let out that beautiful sound, encouraging me to keep singing, and spinning, and dancing, and dipping. . . . We skipped from room to room, filling each room with Aiyana's biggest laughs and my ridiculous, redundant song, until the whole house had been introduced to the happiness that will continue to grow as we live here.

That night, Dan, his always-dependable brothers, good friend Scot, and a handful of men from the ward moved our belongings from the storage unit into our home. It only took an hour! Lest you forget, recent college-grads like ourselves only had enough to fill a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment so there was not a whole lot of heavy lifting going on. We have a lot of shopping to do to fill this space! But in due time. Dan and I made a priority list from now until July of the big items we'd like to purchase when we can afford to get them. It's going to be a fun process!

In the meantime, I love moving in and finding a space for everything! Last night was our first evening sleeping in our home, so I made some progress while staying home today.  One of our first purchases was a new mattress and bedding.

Yep, it's going to stay on the floor for a while. Master bedroom won't be furnished anytime soon!

But it's super soft and cozy! Good ol' R.C. Willey Outlet.

I can't celebrate our new home without feeling some guilt for my mom. Thailand's experiencing the worst flooding in its history. The persistent floods have devastated much of the country, including my mom's neighborhood. She fought long and hard to keep the water out, but in the end, she had to abandon her cute two-story townhouse to escape to a province about an hour away. My mom might only be five feet (maybe 5'1" on a good hair day!) but she's tough and she's a fighter. She knows how to make do with what she has, and still finds ways to recognize and help those who are less-well off than she is. She's amazing and I love her!

Here's a picture of her neighborhood, where the water was chest-high at one point.

Her home is right in the middle, with her entrance next to the neighbor's car. Those hanging plants are her cherished orchids. My mom has such a loving heart. When I first spoke with her about the flood waters entering her home, her first tears were in regards to her plants and especially her fish in her little pond. They didn't make it in that nasty sewage water. My mom treats her plants and fish as lovingly as she treats family, which is probably why everyone raves about her green-thumb in her neighborhood. They absorb that extra loving energy! Unfortunately, there will be worse water damage inside her home to the whole first floor. I'm sad for her, but she is doing well renting an apartment and doing the best she can. Not sure what the future will bring but she's hoping to salvage the house enough to sell it before she moves her next summer. Please pray for Thailand and for it's recovery!