We bought our house as a stepping stone. It was part of the bigger plan. Buy and sell houses until we had enough equity all together to live mortgage free. That was the plan. A good 10-12 year plan of moving every 3 years or so.

We like change.

I have moved over 30 times in my life. And I’m pretty sure over 35, but I haven’t stopped to count lately. So, you know. Give or take.

We’ve done lots of work to this house and recently refinanced into a better rate mortgage and all that good planning ahead, adult stuff. I still want to move. I do. Really bad sometimes. But this week as I was playing outside with the kids I decided to love my house.

Who’s scared with the direction of this post? Ha!

But really, instead of counting the days and minutes to the next move. The next project. The next. NEXT! NEXT!!!!!!!!!! I stopped and listened to my kids laughing. I looked around and didn’t see the brown grass that doesn’t have underground sprinkling, or the landscaping that is nonexistent. I didn’t see the windows that need replacing and the deck that is not built. I didn’t see the cracked patio and sinking pavement.

I saw my garden, bursting with color and life and food. Over growing from the boxes I built with my hands, with my dad. I saw the swing set my brother helped us rebuild and the hill where we first pulled Jessica on a sled. I saw the sprinklers and remembered all the summer days taking photos of Jessica playing.

I saw my new plants, maybe not landscaping, but the beginning of an orchard. The beginning of a blueberry patch. The beginning. Not the end.

I saw the swing that Aaron hung from a tree for Jessica, and watched as she now pushed Oliver in it. I saw growth. Memories. A past and a present and a future.

I saw my home. And I decided to love it.

If we’re here for 20 years or 2 more months, I’m here 100%. Loving the cracks and filling the space with smells of cooking, our bellies with homegrown veggies and lots of laughter.

This will be the first address I’ve ever lived at for 5 consecutive years and come September 1, that marker will be officially made. I have one month to celebrate the lasts of a pattern and open up the path for the new adventure of being here. Right here. And I love it.