Hello, Friends,

I guess that’s how I think of you, friends, not the impersonal signatures on the line, other party to a transaction that this process lends itself to. But I want you to know that I consider you friends, because I have been praying for you, for the family that will make what’s been our home, truly yours. And it’s so hard to not consider you friends when I picture all of the joy and heartache, struggles and triumphs that are to be shared among us, not in the same moment in time, but within the same walls and under the same roof.

As you know, it is an old house, and she comes with her own unique charms and challenges, but we just want you to know that overall this house has been such a good home to us, and we worked so hard to make sure that at hand off, it becomes a good home for you as well. And in the process we learned not just about houses, but so much more about ourselves, and about each other.

Love flourishes most when you are steadfast to one another, but open to growth and flexible yourself, and there is no greater test for these qualities than when you decide to fix up an old house! (You haven’t truly lived and loved until date night involves painting while listening to a mystery novel on tape. Trust us…)

But there came a point when we realized that we were being prepared for something new, called to something else. And when that call comes, we must all decide whether we’re going to cling to our current ideal of home, comfortable and warm and oh-so known, or trust and follow. Because I’m learning, and it’s such a painful lesson at times, when I cling tightly to the known and things of the past, my hands aren’t open for the blessing to come.

And though it’s bittersweet, we leave you with this house, this home, where babies and a marriage grew up. Where life happened, and nearly ten years worth of laughter and love soaked into each and every room, turning this house into a home. Where we leaned into and held tightly to each other, because there is nothing else in this world worth holding on to.

We hope you enjoy bonfires in the backyard, coffee on the front porch, and delighting in the wildness of the world right out the windows. We hope the hummingbirds return to the rhododendron this year and the garden continues to produce a ridiculous amount of tomatoes. We hope you love walking into downtown for ice cream or dinner or to catch sunset at the beach.

May you find a welcoming space to continue this legacy of love and happiness, turning this house into a home for your family. Make it your own, for there is always room for change and growth. Memories and life await.

We wish you all the best!