Nearly 15 years ago I  walked up to this house for the first time. The long walk up the sidewalk intimidated me. I knew on the other side of the brick walls sat Sam’s entire family. Not just his grandparents (who owned the home), but everyone, because that’s what “the farm” was. Everyone was always here. The farm was everyone’s happy place.

It didn’t take long for me to realize the huge part this home has played in the life of every single one of those family members. At one point or another all of his aunts, uncles, his brother and sister in law, and cousins called this place home. Sam lived in the apartment/in-law suite during college. I spent weekend mornings having coffee on the porch with his grandparents. After graduating college his grandpa saved the classified ads for me when he saw a garage sale where a teacher was selling her teaching materials. This is the home where we got our first dog, bought our first Christmas tree, and the place Sam asked me to be his wife.

We have spent countless holidays, birthdays, summer days, fall nights, and all the days in between, loving not only Sam’s family, but also our friends who have come to hang out with us at the farm. We have ridden four-wheelers too late, swam in the pool until our fingers were shriveled, laughed in rocking chairs on the porch for hours, and cried together that June day when our worlds were rocked.  We stood on the front porch for pictures before high school dances and also the day I wore a white dress and he wore a grey tuxedo after promising forever.

When you walk inside this house built in the late 1800’s you won’t find it exploding with modern updates. You won’t find a thermostat on the wall for central air. You won’t see an open floor plan. You won’t find light switches on the walls of every room. There’s only one bathroom and you won’t even find a dishwasher.

But…

If you were to stop by you would see a porch that is perfect for sipping your favorite drink and telling stories. You would be wrapped in warmth when you walked in the door after coming up that long walk in the middle of winter. You would listen to family relive some of their favorite times and feel like you are part of their family, too. You would stop in your tracks to watch the sun set over the pond no matter how many times you have seen it. You would find a refrigerator and cabinets always full of food. You would see couches, and chairs, and tables begging you to make yourself at home.

And now..on days that are even just slightly warm, you’ll find two little boys running around caked in dirt, grinning ear to ear, welcoming you to their house. Maybe you’ll even get lucky enough to be greeted at the driveway by their friendly duck, Larry.

This old, yellow farmhouse has been so much to so many for so long. I’m not sure when or if I will ever be able to understand how we got so lucky to be given the opportunity to be here. Sam’s little boy dreams of owning the farm have come true and so have mine. We have some huge shoes to fill and 2020 seems like the perfect year to start working on filling ’em up.