Our First Home

I knew as soon as we put out the For Sale sign at our old ouse that I wanted to do a sentimental post about our life there for the past 5 years.  Not only did we move to a bigger house, but we also changed neighborhoods in a major way!  Our address now says "Germantown" instead of "Memphis."

I had mixed feelings about moving away from East Memphis (not the house!)  I loved the vibe there, most of our friends lived nearby, I worked right across the street (literally), and I loved living in the middle of the city (most of the time.)  We went round and round about it and, after careful thought and consideration, decided this was what will be best for our family.

 I want to always remember our old house and the memories that we had there.  I want to always remember our old neighborhood, our favorite eating and social spots, and remember what our life was like there.  Not that we can't come eat or hang out at our favorite places anymore, but those times will be few, I'm sure.  We will have a new neighborhood now!  And let's be honest, we really don't get out as much anymore since we had Anniston.

Brandon bought this house on December 17th, 2004.  It was the first house he bought.  We had been dating less than a month, and I remember him telling me about all the houses he was looking at.  After he bought it, I remember coming to look at it for the first time.  I never dreamed at the time that 3 years later I would be moving in with him as his wife!

Seeing the house for the first time required some imagination and creativity on what could be done with it.  It was a very nice size for a single guy (2100 sq ft) but it needed A LOT of updates.  The kitchen had ugly white tile floor, green ceramic counter tops, and green and white striped wall paper.  The dining room was pink, as was the tile in the bathroom.  Gotta love that "retro" decor!

Brandon made a few updates himself while we were dating, but when we got married is when we really set out to make the major changes.  I can remember stripping the wallpaper in the kitchen using my garmet steamer.  I got an ugly burn on the side of my face as a result.  Tip:  Never put up wallpaper unless you want it to be there awhile.  As in, like, FOREVER.  We installed granite countertops and travertine floors.

Here is B "hard at work" trying to pull up the old kitchen tile floor.  

This house holds so many memories for us.  We started dating while B was living in this house.  I would come over on Sunday afternoons during study breaks to watch football with B. 

Brandon also proposed to me in this house, right on the living room floor, with boxes of pizza and rose petals spread out around us.

We had our Engagement Party at this house.

We brought Ruby home for the first time shortly after we were married.  She loved cuddling with us:

And loved to sunbathe in the the flower bed!

We held some awesome New Year's Eve parties at this house.

Ruby experienced her first big snow fall in the house and we all had a blast running around the back yard playing in it.

We had my sister's (surprise) wedding in the backyard.

We brought baby Anniston home for the first time to this house.

I am so glad we have a bigger house because now because we were outgrowing the old one fast.  I will always love that house, though.  There is a sense of pride you feel when you look around and remember all the time, effort, and labor we put into that house.  So no matter how awesome our new house might be, our first home will always hold a special place in both our hearts.

Our house in 2008:

Our house 2013:
I think our improvements paid off!  It looks way more updated and fresh!