Where we've lived the longest! — Freckle Eye Fancy

The cover picture for this is funny, because people always joke about living at Disneyland. I wish!!

You guys today is kind of a big deal!! As of today, Brandon and I have officially been in our house longer than we've ever lived in any other place!! We have lived in our house for 19 months and 1 week. The previous record was 19 months and 6 days haha.

We mentioned it in the vlog that went out last night, but we have moved almost every single year that we have been married. Not necessarily to a different city, but we've at least moved to a different apartment/house every year! We were in our first apartment in Logan for just under a year before moving to a different apartment about a mile away. Our first apartment was fine (it was a first apartment, you know), but the second apartment was seriously so good. It had a half bath on the main floor (two toilets is a big deal!), and just seemed so much cozier and homier than our first. We stayed in our second apartment for 19 months and 6 days before moving to Boise. In Boise, we lived with my parents for three months, then in an apartment for ten months, then in our first house for nine months, then moved to Salt Lake! And now, today, we have been here the longest!

I also mentioned this in the vlog, but it's almost weird that we have been in one place for longer than a year. Even before we were married, I was moving almost every semester. Freshman year I switched dorms halfway through, moved for the summer, was in the sorority house for sophomore year, then moved again for summer before getting married. It's so weird to feel "settled." And I don't mean that in a bad way. There are some things about our town home that I wish were different, and I really do miss our cute little Boise house, but this is home now. We have finished all the rooms in the house, have worked hard to decorate it, and have built a life here.

A few things have helped it to really feel like home. Three days after we moved in, Brandon had to go to California for training for ten days. Literally, three days after we moved in. I spent a lot of time unpacking and trying to make the place feel like home. He had to leave again for ten days in June, and I think having him gone both of those times forced me to be comfortable where I was at, and really learn to relax in our new space. Decorating Carter's room helped it feel more like home too. We prepared to bring him home, and could see ourselves making memories with him in different parts of the house. He, even without being there, made it feel like home. After we lost him, I didn't work for three months. Staying home and thinking about Carter was nice. We weren't able to make those memories that we had anticipated, but somehow he still managed to fill each room. I had some good quality time with him, and myself during that time.

Brandon and I have grown a lot in this house, both as individuals and as a couple. We have been forced to grow in ways that I wish we hadn't, but it has all taken place in our house. Every tear, every laugh, every ounce of sadness and gratitude that we have felt have all made our house a home.

I used to get antsy without a lot of rapid change, but I'm happy we've been in one place for this long. I love our home, and I love the people and memories that fill it.