Home Is Where the Heart Is

Our family moved into this home four years ago in mid May. We used to live in a home that was just around the corner, but as our four kids got bigger the house seemed to get smaller. We really love our friends in the neighborhood and our great schools, so we bought this house before it actually went on the market. The previous owners were not only our neighbors, but also our friends. We loved Roger and Sandy and watched their children grow from outstanding teenagers into amazing adults. We visited Sandy in her home (but not often enough) as she slowly died of colon cancer. While Roger tenderly cared for Sandy, the home and yard became less of a priority as her health steadily declined.

I wish I had a picture handy to show you what the house looked like before we moved in, but since I don't you just have imagine the faded yellow siding and weeds up to your knees. Before moving in we completely replaced all of the flooring and painted every room. I distinctly remember our son bringing his prom date over so that we could see them before they went off to the dance. His tuxedo and her flowing blue gown were quite a contrast to the particle wood subfloors and demolished stone fireplace.

This past year we replaced all of the single pane windows and completely remodeled the kitchen and three bathrooms. We also got a new front door that is still waiting for the temperatures to warm up enough for us to paint. When we removed the old kitchen cabinets we found a recipe card for brownies that was handwritten by Sandy. You can probably imagine the delight of her only daughter when we returned the recipe card, along with a few other treasures.

This is a picture of the backyard that was taken a couple of summers ago.

Over the past three years we've slowly, but surely, replaced the overgrown garden weeds with actual plants.

Daffodils

Bleeding Hearts

Coral Bells

Lots of hostas and a few ferns, which are still underground.

Although the house and yard look very different than they did before we moved in, I like to think that the love that was planted here while Roger and Sandy were raising their children continues to grow in our home here in Happy Valley.