11 years, 2 months, 1 day...3 dogs, 1 cockatoo, 1 cat, 3 cockatiels, 1 parakeet, and many chickens. If memories are measured in numbers, the preceding numbers tell the story of our time in Santa Rosa. The animal numbers listed, are those pets that passed away during that time. So many memories. An entire lifetime of them for Apollo and Orion. Apollo has a only a few fleeting memories from living in Oregon, but he and Orion have really known no other home. We can also add 3 weddings, one grand baby, 2 nieces and one nephew within that time line to sugarcoat it with some major family events and much, much more. Interestingly enough, at the end of 2019, I had the distinct impression or prompting that we would be moving. I discussed this with Melanie and noted the need to downsize in preparation. She had been feeling the same type of impressions even though we had no clue as to when, where, or why we would be moving.
And so begins a new chapter in our story.
To close out 2020, all I can say is, what a ride. While COVID-19 sent the world into a tailspin, it also created a prime opportunity for us to buy a home. We really weren't looking to buy as home prices outpaced our savings year after year. With interest rates plummeting in light of C-19, a window opened up for us and we seized it.
I think we would have liked to stay in Santa Rosa. We could have, just to clarify, but we had our choice of pretty much anywhere within a 2 to 3 hour drive from the Bay Area. When comparing how far our dollar went in Sonoma county vs how far in other areas, we began to look for great places to live with lots of outdoor activities, great schools, and a little breathing room. The quality of schools was a big factor. If we had to give up the school that the boys are currently attending, a school and educational program that we love, then we really needed to be in a district where the boys would have the best opportunity to get a better than average education.
We pained over the decision to leave Sonoma county. We have great friends there. A great community. Melanie had jobs that she loved. The boys have friends that they have known their entire lives. I loved the country roads and the beauty of the area which provides some the most scenic places to ride. Even with all that, we were ready for a change.
Our summer became consumed with purging old belongings, searching new areas, viewing homes, excitement followed by disappointment, packing and more packing, and more purging and and endless amount of driving. Then the pieces all fell into place. We found a home in an area that we liked, made an offer, had it accepted. 30 days later, we loaded the first of 3 large loads into a moving truck and slipped quietly out of town. We decided against a small fixer-upper on a small lot in Sonoma County and opted for a larger "updater" home on a larger lot in El Dorado County.
A house is just a house. Its a material possession. Its not the things that you fill it up with that make it a home. Nor the trinkets and pictures. It's the love, interactions, and memories that you make there, which turn it into a home. That said, we really love our new house. New to us but having some history behind it. Our house has good bones, lots of space, and it is well built (if a little dated). It suits us and our lifestyle and although we have big plans to update and improve our living space, we are taking the slow path to this. While I cant help but to begin planning out and tearing into something to make it new and give it our personal touch, Melanie has convinced me to wait until after the holidays and then start small. Honestly, fresh paint and floor coverings would go a long way to revitalizing this house, but ultimately we will go a bit deeper as I always tend to do. I have a great contractor that works for free: me!Cameron Park is our new town. It has a rural feel. Deer, raccoon, skunk, turkeys, rabbit, skunk, fox, possum, and squirrel have all made a regular appearance in our yard. There is an amazing variety of birds here too. Shredder, our murderous cat loves it here and decided that he likes us again too. (Read: he has forgiven us for bringing home two puppies 1 1/2 years earlier). We have views from the front of our house. Nothing too spectacular but we do have a valley that spreads out before us and the sun rises to face the front of our home every morning. and the moon does the same. I cant help but awake early nearly everyday to watch the sun rise. Our yard is full of flowering plants and trees and is nicely landscaped. We have room for family and friends to visit and not feel crowded.
In the end, we have a larger home, on a bigger lot, in a beautiful area. Nearly every day Melanie proclaims her love for this home. The boys love it as well. That is all the reassurance that I need to know we made the right choice. I don't know how long we will live here. Years I suspect. Another 11 or more possibly, or just a few. We would like to stay long enough to allow the boys to finish high school here, which means at least seven years. Melanie, thus far would stay until we were too old to climb the stairs. Career opportunities could change all of that if it made sense financially, however, for the mean time, we will continue to turn this house into our home.
