A Grain Of Salt: One Year Ago...

One year ago today, at 1:45 pm, Blair and I walked through the door of the closing office to seal the deal on the purchase of our new home. I had spent the days ahead planning our move as if it were a special ops mission. We would be married in 2.5 days, and time was of the essence to get this thing done! We were greeted by the closing agent who told us that she wasn't going to give us the keys because they hadn't received the funds from our lender. What?!?! I frantically called the lender who assured me the funds were wired and had the confirmation number to prove it. I had furniture deliveries coming from all ends of the earth and two moving vans full of our stuff (and I thought we didn't have anything!). This HAD to happen on schedule. We started signing papers, but the closing agent insisted that she would not give us the keys until the funds actually cleared their account...grr..... As Blair and I signed the last signature on the last page, the receptionist ran in and said the funds just cleared. Phew!

Hours later, all of the deliveries had been made, and we were for the first time, alone in our brand new home. We slept in the loft on the mattress from Blair's condo, which was laying on the floor. Boxes were everywhere, and with no blinds to hide our stash, we were both a little nervous.
At one point, Blair jumped out of bed and ran downstairs in his underwear with a golf club to fend off the invisible intruder. Underwear and a golf club are the clear uniform of choice for any man fending off an late-night perp. I am pretty sure I had a curling iron and was wearing the clothes Blair had left behind.

It's funny to think back on that first night. We were so overwhelmed by the amount of unpacking and chores to complete, but we were home and we were happy.

Reality of home ownership quickly set in when I got the phone call the next day:
Blair: "Hey, you know where you left the washing machine..."
Me: "Yes...."
Blair: "Well it's not there anymore and there is water everywhere!"
Outstanding

Looking back on the year, we survived that first leak, 4 months without cable, the foundation crack, the leaking master bedroom shower, the family of devil kittens, and a partridge in a pear tree. It hasn't been the easiest year of home ownership, but this house is ours.

It is where we spent our first year of marriage. The once empty rooms are now filled with happy pictures and treasured family antiques; and the chairs we loved, hated, and then loved again. Our kitchen has fed family and friends, and our bedrooms have provided both a place for friends and family to stay. It is where we will (hopefully) raise our children. It is a crazy place sometimes, but it is our home.