I was in the bank one day when I spotted a flyer on their bulletin board. There, tacked up on the wall, was a picture of a modest 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1 car garage home with a large yard and white picket fence. I didn’t even know if we could even afford the house or what the payment might be, but by the time the HH had come home from work, the campaign for that little house had begun.
We hadn’t even really talked about buying a house, let alone look for one. But here was this flyer in my hand, with a cute little *new* home for sale… and well, the next day we did a drive by.
It’s funny, in our past 25 years together we’ve lived in 10 different places {9 really, as one of them was a sort of vacation home} and looking back {and with more experience under our belts} I can see things now that I couldn’t see then. Some of the homes we’ve bought over the years were a really good decision at the particular stage of life, and others, well, they weren’t kidding when they said hindsight is 20/20, that’s for sure. 😉
{My parents with Monkey Boy}
When the HH and I got married, my parents told us that when it came time for us to buy our first house, they’d help us with the down payment. Which was a very generous thing to do {and something we plan to do for our kids as well}. This was of course before {most of us had} computers and since my parents were living out of state at the time, when I told them we had found a house and wanted to buy it, they assumed we had enough common sense not to buy the *best* house in the neighborhood and one that wasn’t across the street from drug dealers.
But ya know, we were young and all we saw was shiny and new and HEY, wall to wall carpet, fresh paint, real wood cabinets and a GARAGE. The fact that the home was built by an Irish builder and so his wife had selected green carpet, green counter tops and vinyl with green accents for the kitchen was besides the point. The house was NEW. And Pretty. And Clean. And we saw what we wanted to see.
{Mom making jam in our kitchen}
I think we lived there about 18 months. The HH’s job was transferred to a different location and the commute was really a pain for him so we didn’t end up living there as long as we had planned to.
During that 18 month period though, we planted a big garden, finished the back fence {so the neighborhood dogs would stop roaming through our yard} and settled into family life.
To the left of us lived a man I named naked Frank. There was a window at the top of our stairs that looked out on to his property and into his living room. I swear, every time I walked by that window, there he was, naked. Nothing says hey, come buy this house when it’s time to resell, like a pervy old man sitting naked in his chair watching the telly and smoking his ciggies.
Also, that house in the picture behind The Girl and the HH? In the entire time we lived at that property we never once saw the people who lived there. The car would come and go, but we seriously had no clue about the neighbor/s. And we were outside A LOT.
Our first home was everything it was supposed to be. Filled with adventure and love. And although if I could go back in time I probably wouldn’t buy it again, it really was the prefect house for our little family at the time.
Love, it grows wherever you plant seeds. 😉
~Mavis
More stories in this series:
- The First Apartment
- The First Mobile Home
- The First House
- The First Home in a Suburban Development
- The House with the Hardwood Floors
- The First House We Built
- The House Where This All Started
- The HOA House
Wendy Clark says
I love getting to know you and your family better through the picture (hope that doesn’t sound stalkish-totally mean it in a neighborly, I’m really a nice person sort-of-way). Loving this series.
Carol B.- Lake Tapps says
I totally agree with you, Wendy!! Mavis is like a friend… even though we’ve never even met. It’s so fun getting to know her and see pictures of her family. (And I, too, mean it in a non-stalking, nice person way)
Linda says
Lol!!! Your comments made me literally laugh out loud. My daughter teases me about stalking Mavis’ blog to see what she’s up to all the time!!!! I say “she writes a blog…she wants me to stalk the blog!!!” Ha!!!
Btw- loving the stories….we’ve been married 30 years as of December 19….& been walking down memory lane too. Crazy how time passes so quickly. We too have learned some valuable lessons along the way but I wouldn’t take anything for those lessons or lean years. Made us stronger and allowed us to be creative, resourceful and work hard together.
Christina says
So enjoying your story! Our first 27 years ago was a double wide, our second was in a neighborhood that the first night we stayed there someone stole the stereo out of the car. Good times. Now we laugh but at the time it wasn’t as funny. Keep them coming.
Lindsey says
What area was this house in ? PNW?
RebekahU says
This series is inspiring me to write our story out for my kids. I think they would enjoy it as much as I’m enjoying yours!!
Lissa says
Loving this! Look forward to it each day. On pins and needles about HOA house stories you’ve saved to tell us. Great job Mavis! (still missing your greenhouse from the last house….)
Brianna says
I just completed move #18 since moving out of my childhood home in 2000. I kind of wish now I would have taken more pictures of all of the places I lived. Nothing is worse than having to list the ‘past 10 years’ worth of addresses on something. My 8 year old has had 5 houses and 5 moves. I feel bad, but it is just the way the job goes and some things are unexpected and beyond our control at times. I seriously don’t decorate or even bother to hang anything up anymore. I do like the fact that I constantly am forced to purge before a move and I’m always amazed at how bigger our move has gotten.
It all started off with 3 suitcases of stuff….then a trunk full….then the smallest uhaul trailer….then a bigger uhaul trailer….then 2 overseas crates….then a budget truck…..we stopped diy moves then 1/8 of a moving truck…..then 1/5 of a moving truck…..then 1/4 of a moving truck…..and this last move was 1/3 of a moving truck…..and the movers packed the boxes terribly with little packing material. The square feet of our living places has always increased too.
I’m really enjoying this series. I can’t wait until tomorrow’s post.
Paula says
You Mom looks live a Diva holding Monkey Boy!
Cindi says
This series is really fun — so great to see pictures of your family growing. This has prompted me to look back on our home homes. Let’s see — there was the first trailer — which we lived in in two different places. Our first house, which was five miles down a caliche road and always dusty, on apartment we lived in when we first relocated to Colorado, our first Colorado house — and this place, where we hope to stay until we’re too old to live here. So, not that many!
Alison says
You are a good storyteller, Mavis. I’m really enjoying this series!
suzanne says
Mrs. Mavis’s mom, You do grama’s & nana’s proud! HOT!!!! Just sayin …as one gram to another.
Martine Hamilton says
Brilliant series Mavis, loving your ‘old’ pictures. I’ve only moved four times in my whole life! One of those was when I was 5 years old, a looooooooong time ago, so I don’t even remember that house, one was the house I was married from which we moved to when I was 9 years old and my hubby and I have moved just once since we married 41 years ago. Great fun seeing your progress through the years. Happy New Year when it comes. x
Linda says
Ditto to all the above (also in a nice, non-stalking way)