making a house a home

bykatie hagler

Wconnexions28 When we moved into our home, the first few weeks were exciting, new, and a roller coaster of emotions I didn’t exactly see coming. The buildup of anticipation had been brewing for this moment for over two and a half years. To understand our story, you would need to back track to the beginning of exactly two years and nine months earlier when life had turned upside down for our family. My husband unexpectedly parted ways with his employer he had been with for almost nine years. Everything we had known, every challenge he had overcome to make it from fry cook to the General Manager of a five-million-dollar Chickfil-A storefront, all went up in theoretical smoke one afternoon. We were left empty handed with pain, confusion, and so many questions. We had already been living with my parents because our rental mill home had been put up for sale by the owner. Our search for a home came to an abrupt stop once we found ourselves with no foreseeable income. It was reassuring financially to be with my parents, but at the same time, incredibly disruptive to what our normal used to be. I was a recently decided stay-at-home mom to our toddler aged son, after teaching for several years in a second grade classroom. We both felt in our hearts that I did not need to rush back to work. We knew the unforeseeable future would be tough, but with minimal bills and a carefully planned savings, we knew we’d be okay for a while. The next year was full of emotional, mental, and spiritual growth. Our marriage was stretched, as my husband searched for the right career. There were a lot of disappointments, commutes that were too far and didn’t add up for the compensation. There were great interviews with companies that didn’t have the full package to offer for a growing family that relied on one income. It takes a huge toll on your psyche to see your husband struggle to start new again. The unknown is scary and it’s so important to talk to people for support and encouragement to help you navigate uncharted waters. During this time period, we welcomed a baby girl, our second born. She brought us joy and hope, restoring a part of our soul after having experienced a miscarriage earlier in the year. Like new babies often do, her arrival brought sleepless nights, more financial responsibility, and a little less room in my parent’s ranch. A few months after her birth, my husband began volunteering with the local football team; it was a career he had always been interested in, but had never had the opportunity to put his foot in the door. With his bachelor’s degree in business and the nine years’ experience he had worked in running a business, he was an ideal candidate for teaching. He was soon offered a job to teach high school CTE classes and have a permanent assistant football coach position. As he settled into his new role, we immediately began having conversations about buying a house. We had one specific house in mind. A 1940’s built, completely gutted house that sat on the street my husband grew up on, just five minutes away from the school he now taught at. This house was

built by his great grandparents and had been lived in by many family members over the years. It was the perfect size for us and had so much potential. Our buying and closing process was complicated and lasted many months longer than the normal process. After nearly four months and 6 pushed back closing dates, we finally closed on our home on June 10, 2019. It’s no coincidence that we closed on that day; it was June 10, 2017 that my husband left the parking lot of his previous job for the last time. I believe God was rewriting the significance of that date for our family. It was no longer a date that brought back hard memories, it was a date that marked the beginning of a new life in a home that would bring our family redemption. Renovation was supposed to take 3 months; but like most construction, it took double the time. My friends were always encouraging and praising me for Thanksgiving. Life runs on its own time. I’m still learning to focus on the journey, not just the end goal. We grow in the moments and transitions of our lives. We finally moved into our home in December, just in time for Christmas. It took a while for our four-year-old to stop asking when we were going back “home.” It took time to realize my mother wasn’t going to be helping me grocery shop, meal plan, and cook for the family. She was such an integral part to our days before we moved. She was another person to shower hugs and kisses on my children. She could hold and comfort a crying baby while I cooked or cleaned or attended to my preschooler. She was my teammate when my husband was working long days. Living together as a family unit was a blessing and unfortunately, it often takes removing yourself from the situation to realize how much you are affected by the village that supports you. we get to do it with and who we put our faith in. My pastor once said, “God isn’t just building the pieces of my picture, he’s building His purpose.” Without our story, we wouldn’t be the people we are today. It takes challenges to instill empathy, humbleness, and true gratefulness. Learn the art of growing where you are planted. The little people you’ve been entrusted with will grow up right under your nose if you aren’t paying attention. Making a house a home is not about what earthly treasures you can fill it with; it’s about the tangible love you can feel in the walls, the laughter and the tears that make life real, and the people who live within it.

it marked the beginning of a new life in a home that would bring our family redemption

how patient I seemed; our friends don’t see the pity party we have for ourselves behind closed doors. After so much unknown in our life, we were finally on a new path, with so much to look forward to; but each month that passed during that renovation period was like a bad dream when you are trying to run but your legs have become jello. We watched dates pass by like the start of football/school season, our son’s fourth birthday in October, and Transition isn’t always easy. With each new day comes a little bit more confidence and a feeling of where “home” really is. It has taken me all this time to finally realize that “home” is my family. It’s wherever my people are. We were so grateful to be ending the year in our new little house and starting the new year with a deep appreciation of how the seasons of our life have been woven. There are still valleys to navigate and hilltops to rejoice on, but what’s important is who