A Love Letter to Our First Home

We officially handed over the keys to our first home to another young couple today and I have had so many emotions about leaving our sweet house behind in the months since we purchased our new-to-us home.  

It was that first home that inspired this blog. It will always hold such an immensely special place in our hearts as it was the place we became the homebodies we are today. Many of our greatest moments and memories occurred right there. So much growth as adults went down within those walls. And most of all, that was the home where two roomies (in love) transformed into two married people and now two parents-to-be. We thrived there and will always treasure our time on Ovid Ave.

I was the first one in our family to live there starting in February 2017. A tiny little Penny soon followed. And shortly after she arrived, the roomie officially brought over the last of his things and started having his mail sent there. ❤️ 

It was there that we built the foundation of our relationship and family.

In that home, we laughed, cried, compromised, talked in puppy voices, ate and drank to excess, binged allllll the shows, fell deeply in love, invited in friends and family, worked long hours followed by relaxing nights on the patio, discovered our love of hosting, planned our wedding, settled into newlywed life, and where we found out our family was growing.

It was there that we welcomed family and friends as they scrubbed down the house from top to bottom, painted nearly every wall, and moved us in three years ago. We fed homemade meals to loved ones who helped us update and fix up our home when we lacked the know-how (and $$).

It was within those walls that my roomie-turned-husband honed his culinary skills and fell in love with smoking and grilling meat, while I worked well into the night frosting sugar cookies too many times to count.

It was there that we reeled from the unexpected financial hits that come along with home ownership and reveled in the glory of home insurance when a hail storm charged toward our (then) entirely metal-sided home.

We celebrated all kinds of birthdays there—more than just our own, but friends and family’s big days, too. Even baby showers, harvests, holidays, and monthly dinners with friends were hosted on Ovid Ave.  

It was there that we became puppy parents—a job we take extremely seriously. We filled our home with all the dog accessories and sipped our drinks under the patio lights as our Penny played in her yard.

It was in that backyard that we spent hours throwing a frisbee back and forth in the backyard after long days of work—discussing where we’d go next professionally. My sister and I would craft nearly 30 wedding films in that home while Ryan pushed himself after-hours to earn a great position at a company he loves.

The roomie became a little carpenter there—building harvest tables, nightstands, storage shelves, a fence, and a number of little inventions in the house and garage. He discovered an entirely new skill set within months of my purchasing this home. All of my visions were brought to life with his patience (and talent), as he became a regular at the local hardware store.

In our first home, we grew up and we grew together—both things we’ll continue to do in our new home. Although we will miss our old home, it served us so well for three years and we will forever be grateful for that time.

So, cheers to the new owners making memories as sweet as ours! 🍾

Before taking down our personal photos for the realty photos and tours, I spent a snowy afternoon with Penny (our corgi) shooting some footage of our first home the way we actually lived in it—so we would always remember. Our home was imperfect, but it was ours and we loved it. Enjoy!