As we move forward towards selling and buying a new home I am left to think about the fact that the next home we buy may in fact be the home we live in for the rest of our lives. Ok, that’s being dramatic, but our next home truly could be the one that we raise our child/children in till they grow up and leave us (OMG will that really happen someday?). As we get closer and closer to reaching the point where we actually choose a house, I am finding myself more scared about the choices I make. How do you make such a large decision?  How do you think ahead?

I have been looking for a house for a long time. I find myself to be a rather knowledgeable home buyer at this point, and I am ready to move forward and make a decision. As we get closer, I am realizing that it isn’t about a “dream home”…It’s more about finding a home that I think will fit my day to day life. It’s about a home I can picture raising my family in, and it’s about a home that I can make my memories in.

I saw a TV show the other day where the kid opened a closet door to find the growth chart for when they were a kid. It made me smile because I know Christian will have that same chart. I want that spot on the wall that shows how big my little man is getting each year. It’s not just about the actual chart, it’s about the years that go along with it. Thus far my life has been measured in 4-5 year increments. I went to 4 years of college…lived in my next apartment for 4 years (yes there was one year in between that one and college), then we moved here, and have been here 5 years. Each place I looked at as a “for now” home. But now that is no longer the case. I can’t look at my next home as “for now”. This one could be it.

Wow…that is so weird. It’s weird because I visit my Grandma and Grandpa’s house and think…wow…this is the home her and my Grandpa bought in cash they worked so hard for, and raised their family and lived their life. That home represents so much about them. They were so proud of that home and I love to visit because not only did they raise their family there….they got to watch their own daughter raise her family and bring them/us there.

Will I someday have my grandchildren visit us at our next home? Will they get to see that chart on the wall that shows how much their daddy grew over the years?? I am sure you think I am crazy for thinking about all this, but I do. I think it gives me more anxiety really. A home that will mean so much to you and your family over the years is a big responsibility, and it’s one that The Captain and I must bear together.

So as we move towards making a choice I am forced to think beyond the next few years. I want to love this home with all my heart not for the actual walls and foundation that make it great….but for the years and wonderful memories it will bring me and my family.

Here’s to making the right decision….