Our Next Adventure: Building a Home

I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally share this news with you all. The process has been a LONG one…almost three years in the making, in fact, so it feels so great to being able to talk about it with you.

Let me start at the beginning. Approximately three years ago, David and I decided to look into building a forever home for our family. We knew the specific area where we wanted to build and timing became clear when Loyd Builders opened up several lots for sale in that area. A bit of background, Tripp Loyd and my dad are business partners within the custom home building company so we (obviously) wanted to build with them so these lots provided the perfect opportunity.

A couple of months prior, my brother and sister-in-law purchased one of the lots in this exact development. As David and I analyzed all of the available lots, it became clear to us that the perfect one just so happened to be directly next to their lot. I do mean literally next door. The four of us adults sat down to discuss the pro’s and cons of living right next door to one another. My family is extremely close and we are together constantly, however, we all agreed that it was a massive decision that should not be taken lightly. Living next door sounded great in theory but we also needed to open the lines of communication about the reality that there were negatives as well. For one, privacy…or really the lack thereof. Also, the fact that the kids need to understand that they couldn’t see each other ALL THE TIME. As they grow older, they will all have responsibilities like homework and chores. Us parents would have to learn to navigate those tricky moments when they want to play with one another but it simply isn’t an option.

Ultimately, we all agreed that it would be a pretty special experience for us all. Especially because the kids are becoming busier and busier so having the option to just pop over and say hi or simply check-in sounds amazing. Having the four cousins live next to each other will hopefully be a memory that they all cherish forever.

As for the practicality of it all, for us adults, the convenience of it all can’t be ignored. During those times of unexpected trips to the doctor or ER late at night, we have each other covered. In a pinch and one kiddo needs a ride somewhere, we can work it out. Another bonus? My parents are just five minutes up the road from this new neighborhood so the support network close by is pretty phenomenal.

On a personal level, I also can’t wait to live next to my sister-in-law. She is one of my closest friends and the thought of being able to sit on the porch with her on slow days and have coffee sounds pretty amazing. Our schedules have been so hectic lately that grabbing lunch together isn’t as easy as it used to be so living next door will allow for more quality time (also known as “no kid-time”).

I will go into further detail as to why the entire process took three years in a separate post. I want to have the time to sit and detail it as thoroughly as possible. It has not been filled solely with joy and excitement. It’s a scary decision and the process has definitely had its’ ups and downs.

Okay, now that I have filled you in on our new adventure, I cannot wait to start sharing the design selections. We are due to break ground this month (holy moly) so selections are starting SOON.