First Homes

Michael and Bernadette are looking for their first home. We went last night to look at one they liked when they saw it last week. It made me think back to purchasing our first and only house! We have lived here for 36 years now. :)

We had been renting a little apartment that was the upper level of Irv's sister-in-laws mom's house. It was tiny, but cute and we were thrilled. We were twenty years old and felt pretty grown up being married and having our own place. We had both lived at home prior to getting married.

Irv's dad had been looking for small houses to fix up and sell and came across one that wasn't what he was looking for but thought it would be great for us. We had no intention of buying a house at that time, but we went to look. The house had been a summer home for an older couple from Chicago. It was cute. The price tag was a whopping $17,500! It was a whole 660 square feet.

In order to get our mortgage, the bank made me sign a paper saying that I did not intend to get pregnant any time soon!!! HAHA!!! Can you believe that? What would they do if I had? Force me to have an abortion or take my kid so I could keep working? I still laugh every time I think about that one!

In the fall of 1981, when our first two kids were 7 and 1, we added on another 300 square feet to the back of the house.We added our third child two years later and raised our three kids and at least a couple dozen pets of varying sizes and shapes in this little place we call home.

It has served us well over the years. The house was built in the 50's and craftsmen took a lot of pride in their work back then. The photos are of the front and back of our house in 1972 when we bought it, starting the addition we put on, and the front and back of the house today.

I will cry uncontrollably when we leave here one day....the cool thing is that even though the house will stay....all of my wonderful memories will come with me wherever I go.