No really, who said that? I want to talk to him and find out more about this claim. I mean, what kind of research is it based on? Because we are very much going home. As in, we have moved into Kevin's family home.
I guess it all started almost a year ago. Kevin and I had quietly joked together that if his dad got a new job in a new city--or even if he didn't--we would slowly start to move our stuff in to his house without him noticing. Then maybe we'd stay for a night, then a weekend, then a week, until we had fully moved in. Really, it wasn't a very well thought out plan, and obviously we weren't serious. It was just that our house was starting to feel awfully small, especially when we found out I was pregnant with #3. And like many others, we owed (owe) more on the house than it was (is) worth, so selling wasn't really an option.
And then. Just a few weeks after we learned about the baby and before we'd told anyone, John called up to say he'd gotten a job in the U.P., and to ask--did we want to move in as a long-term house sitting/rental arrangement. I still remember what I was doing when he called--trying to wrestle Nellie and Annie out of the car in our driveway. All of a sudden, what had been a completely crazy idea thrown out in jest became a serious option.
But it was actually a hard decision. We loved our neighborhood (and still miss it. We left a diverse, quiet area in Lansing with friendly neighbors and a playground just down the street) and our little house that we'd fixed up just the way we wanted it. It seemed like so much work to get the house ready to rent and move when I was several months pregnant. And there were interpersonal issues to think about, like entering into financial arrangements with family, sharing space, making sense of what's ours and what's not, and just the general idea of moving into a place filled with memories--good, bad, and everyday. It was weird to think about living in Grand Ledge again, even after living in Lansing for several years. We weren't sure how to come up with the money to fix up the house and pay the fees associated with converting to a rental property (think over a thousand dollars.)
In the end, though, I think we knew all along it was an offer we couldn't refuse. We could have made a two-bedroom house work for us, but honestly I'm not really sure how. And I had a great talk with my friend Jerilynn, who had heard me worrying about space and money issues ever since I found out I was pregnant. I'm pretty sure her exact words were, "are you crazy? This is exactly what you need. This is an answer to prayers. This solves all your problems."
I wouldn't go so far as to say it's solved all our problems, but now that we're more or less settled, with the move long behind us and renters who (usually) pay rent in the Holly Way house, I am happy and at peace with the decision and very grateful that John offered the possibility. We have lots of room--probably more than we need (though we've managed to fill it with ease!) We're further from school and work, but not too far. It's nice to be even closer to my mom and dad and to Sarah and Alex and their family. We've been able to spend far more time with John than we did before, even though now he lives 5 hours away! He comes home every few weekends for work or to visit. While I feel bad that he has to deal with our noise and mess and craziness (which I try to make up for by feeding him well!), it's been nice for us and for the girls to grow closer to him.
Also, there are three bathrooms. And a walk-in closet. And a whirlpool tub. And a garage. And little bonuses that John left behind, like a toaster oven and all of Genny's old toys. So all in all, it was a great move. And it turns out, you can go home. All the way home.
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