We Have Moved

The past few weeks, I have been getting the same question from people who are a bit more removed from my life than my closest friends. It's not that I mind, but I struggle more with deciding whether to list all my actual answers to the question or finding just the right one answer to appease my interviewer at that moment.The question being, "Why would you move from your beautifully redone house to another one? How could you leave your brand new, custom kitchen? your pool?" Ok, that's more than one question, but it's all rolled in there when asked. So this is the list that runs through my head. This is the same list Sammy and I so carefully discussed from its conception in late August, after Crystal's leaving and before Hurricane Ike, beside the fact that we had to find an alternate way of investing our money somewhere else other than our stock market.

1. location, location, location.... we left the "burbs" ....this one has sub-reasons

a.) Isabela goes to the Dr. so much, it makes it easier in my heart to get to her pediatrician in 10 minutes, rather than 45-60 minutes in traffic.

b.) Sammy's new "dream job" is also close to the Med Center/West University area. Moving has shaved about 1.5 hours total in one day! I am not a single mom so much in the evenings now. While we don't live by the Med Center (too expensive for our pocketbook), Sammy is now 6 miles from work.

c.) More choices in good private schools for Isabela. Although, I am uncertain on which one is the best for her, in our new location, I have more options to look into.

d.) All of our social life is inner loop. We hardly ever hung out near our home for family or adult activities. (crystal pointed this one out to me this week)

e.) Sammy and I grew up inner-city. I am home. I need to hear and feel the hustle and bustle.

f.) My mother is soooo close now! 15 min. drive away, rather than 45-60 minutes. I can't trust just anyone to help me watch Isabela. My mother is a wonderful babysitter and grandma to visit. Plus, Isabela gets to see her cousins more often this way.

g.) Now that Crystal is gone, I needed that space for more closet space :-). We have the same square footage of our old house, just spread more smartly, into closets and bathrooms!

h.) Fuel. We will cut our cost drastically, especially as we see it climb back up.

i.) We pay a monthly maintenance fee on our 3 story house, and the HOA takes care of our landscaping! Sammy is free to take a break now! Plus the fees cover our gated courtyard and surveillance cameras....ahh..peace of mind when Sammy has those late or over-night news days at the station, leaving us home alone.

j.) Family Health. Memorial Park is where we live now. It is The park for runners. It has been a big part of my life for 13 years now. We spend many weekend mornings there as a family. Great people watching and we always run into someone we know. Now , it's a minute drive and we have the flexibility of going any time, morning or night. We should have healthier hearts around here now. Plus, it's free, no gym fees!

Quite frankly, since the beginning of my relationship with Memorial Park, I have dreamed about living nearby. It is a huge part of my heart. It was more of a thought, a wish, nothing I really thought I would pursue. Even when thinking about it the last few months, that was never really a factor, making a wish come true. Isabela has been the driving force in all this. Access to her medical care, access to more time with Sammy and freeing ourselves from the limitations that come from working our day around weekday traffic. I get so much more done now by not dealing with that loss of time and even crystal told me last week that even with all the chaos of moving/unpacking, she has never seen me so unstressed..so calm. I agree. We get to do enjoy more time with one another now, at home.

But, I will add, I love our new brand new construction. We got most everything we wanted in the house, Mediterranean stucco exterior style, ample back yard, balconies, fireplace, knotted wood floors, European stones and from what we have found, great neighbors. However, there is so much to say about older homes. I still do have a greater appreciation for aged beauty. I will certainly enjoy and look forward to visiting friends' older, charming homes. We still own our other French-style house I adore so much, but I will so miss looking at it. We can always call that "home" one day if we have to.

I prayed a lot on this one. It felt as if we were led here quite easily. I only hope Isabela feels the benefits of this big move. As her pediatrician so bluntly told me a few weeks ago " I was wondering when you were finally going to think about doing it." I want you to know, this move has come with great sacrifices, but ...It was all for you Izzy B.