It Begins.....

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” ~Lao Tzu

Today was a big day.  Today, I got the keys to our new house.  And I use the term “our new house” loosely. 

By “our”, I mean my family of six that is currently spread across the country.  Myself and my two boys, thirteen and nine, of whom I share joint custody with my ex-husband and only have about 60% of the time; my husband, who is a soldier in the U.S. Army and is currently stationed at Fort Hood, Texas; and my two step-sons, eight and four, who live with their mother and are only allowed to have contact with us when my husband comes home, which is usually only every two or three months for a couple weeks at a time.  So, essentially, “our” house is really “my” house for the time being, as I will be the only one living in it 100% of the time.  Well, me and our two ankle-biting fluff balls, Sammy and Sophie.

By “new”, I mean built in 1929.  And by “house”, I mean farmhouse.  Complete with a gigantic back yard, an old carriage house, and a dilapidated barn out at the end of the property.

Since my husband is 1,200 miles away, I will be doing all the renovating, decorating, packing, moving, and unpacking by myself.  (Here’s where the fact that I have incredible friends and family comes in handy.)  No big deal.  Moving and starting over is a part of life, especially for military families.  We’re not even going that far, just a few miles down the road.  It won’t be too big of a change, right?  Wrong.

I am a city girl to the core.  I grew up in the same house my father lived in during the 1950’s.  Over the years, the neighborhood surrounding the house that has been owned by our family since it was built has deteriorated badly.  By the time I was in high school, gunshots and police sirens were as much a part of my summer soundtrack as crickets and thunderstorms.  My dad kept his pistol handy at all times, because all the area crackheads seemed to think our house looked like a good place to come seeking rides, handouts, and a phone to borrow…especially at 2 am.

When I turned 18, I was ready to get as far from Lansing as possible, as fast as I could.  Unfortunately, due to the fact that I relied heavily on my parents to watch my son while I worked, I didn’t make it far.  The first house I bought was a three bedroom ranch in a quiet little neighborhood a few miles from my childhood home.  The thing about quiet little neighborhoods, I learned the hard way, is that it doesn’t matter how nice your neighbors are.  If you live in a crime-riddled city, crime will find you eventually.  After multiple vehicle break-ins, the theft of our mini-van right out of our driveway, and even a mid-day home invasion, I was beyond ready to get the heck out of dodge.

So when my husband and I decided to divorce, I was more than happy to let him keep the house.  I moved to a small town just outside the city limit, into a two bedroom townhome with my two little boys.  New friends, new school, and a sense of safety and security I’d never had growing up.  We probably would have stayed there forever if our family hadn’t doubled in size.  But over the past five years, we’ve added two dogs, a husband/step-dad, and two more little boys to the mix.  We’ve simply outgrown the place.

I spent months scouring the internet for rental homes in our area.  The final decision came down to two houses that were polar opposites.  One was a newly renovated three bedroom ranch with a big, open yard.  The other was an old farmhouse with a creepy Michigan basement, a forest in the back yard, and quirkiness oozing from the walls.  I’ve always wanted to live in an old house, so even though the ranch would have been a safer bet, my husband and I decided on the farmhouse.  We’re just renting for the time being, so it’s sort of a sneak peek at country living for us, to see if it’s something our family can adapt to. 

Less than two hours into our twelve month lease, I can tell it’s going to be a wild ride. It’s quite possible that I bit off a little more than I can chew.  But it’s also quite possible that this could be one of the greatest adventures the C Family ever embarks on.  Only time will tell….

Our new casa.  Cute, no?