02.17.15 : HOME!

“Our” two big months have always been February and December. December because I’m a bit Christmas obsessed, and we were engaged and married that month. February because it’s the month we met, started dating, adopted Huck Finn, and now? Closed on our Florida home. <3

We really thought our Nashville home was “it.” The one we’d hopefully raise a family, play in the yard, have family meals at the kitchen table, the whole she-bang. Obviously that wasn’t the case when we realized our “roots” were in Florida, both personally and professionally, and moved back home last August. The real estate market here is so much different, of course, and I thought I’d never find a home I loved as much as our first.

We started looking into pre-existing homes and nothing jumped out at us, but then realized in Orlando, you can build a home in some areas for the same cost as buying. I loved the thought of picking my own paint colors and wall outlet spots and kitchen cabinets, so we started the neighborhood hunt! At first my priority was to be as close as possible to Disney, but when it came to envisioning our “everyday” life, I kinda liked the idea of not grocery shopping with tourists. (Nate’s always quick to joke that when we lived in Celebration, I felt like everyone in Publix was always wet and wreaked of sunscreen, like they just jumped out of a pool on 192.)

Annnnnnnd then, a friend took us to a neighborhood where I found my dream family floor plan. And my dream lot. In my dream city, Winter Garden. We happen to only be ~10 minutes from where our good friends are also building a home, and the same distance from where our best friends hope to move in a few years. We run into more friends at the Winter Garden shopping plaza on any given month than we did in our four years of Nashville life combined! Of course, the one thing we don’t have control over is our neighbors, so let’s cross our fingers for some new best friends! And if you’re reading this and looking for a home in Winter Garden, I bake cookies for our neighbors around the holidays and would love a sitcom-worthy best friend for daily coffee chats. I even drink coffee now and have a Keurig and the lot next door is still available. Just sayin’.

We are fiiiiiiiiiiiinally home, friends. And as of 3pm today, the legal papers have been signed, and our new key in hand.

This marks our 10th move in 10 years and oh man, I hope this is it for us! :)

Please be patient as we put our work and email on hold the next ~10 days to settle in! <3

We have a whole series of these which makes my heart explode and I can’t wait to make a coffee table book of them!

My favorite part of this whole process were our close friends and family members who took the time out of their lives to come see our home in progress. We know it wasn’t as exciting for them as it was for us, but I felt like a kid on parent teacher night proudly showing every closet and light switch. ;) Hopefully we’ll continue this photo tradition with any guests that visit our home and if our family ever grows! I’ll post the whole series when life calms down a bit, and hopefully, some interior photos if we manage to conquer the mountain of cardboard boxes that lie ahead.

Yay for new life chapters!!! <3