Oriole St
After a couple years of terrible landlords, we were ready to buy something of our own. It was so nice to be able to paint and make changes! This house had a huge backyard that was perfect for the kids to run around in, and they each got their own room. I remember how excited they were to choose paint colors and pick out their bedding.
Within a few months of moving in, we adopted our beloved black cat, Wednesday. She was a sweet little cat with a big personality and the kids adored her. She used to wait in the driveway for them to come home from school, rolling on the concrete. She was also a complete terror during Christmastime though- On her first Christmas Eve, we put the kids to bed and were putting wrapped presents under the tree with Jerry’s eldest daughter, Katie. Wednesday began to tear open all of the kids’ Christmas presents. She was so wild, but we loved her.
I think this house healed me in a lot of ways. Jerry and I were married, we owned a home together and we had a pet. We were raising my little ones together. It was everything my heart wanted. I let go of the idea that things had to be perfect and poured my energy into being a good mom. Wren and Sage started at a new school and made friends quickly. They were thriving. I volunteered at the kids’ school and made new friends of my own. I began to relax and embrace the little things in life that brought me joy. I didn’t have fine china or a vitamix blender anymore, but I had a cupboard full of cheerful fiesta dishes. I began to use my great, great, great grandmother’s crystal that had been in storage before, waiting for a special occasion. In this house, I found every day to be occasion enough to enjoy life fully.
We were happy in our little house on Oriole Street, but the kids were growing fast. It had 1.5 bathrooms, and that really didn’t feel like enough. After two years, we began looking for something a little bigger that we could stretch out in. We weren’t there long, but I will always look back on our time in that house with a smile.
