Baby Steps: Empty nest

Our modest three bedroom home can fit more people than you might think with some level of comfort. Between my husband and I, plus three medium-sized dogs, we’ve already got a full house. And since the summertime, it’s been just about busting at the seams!

We bought our home in 2007 and we’ve shared it with others about half of the time in the past three years. From helping out a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend, or just some college kids – I like to think our home has made life a little easier for a few people who needed a helping hand. This year, we opened our spare rooms to three girls who needed a place to stay. And this past weekend the last one moved on to her own place.

It feels good to know we have the ability to help young people. In some cases, I’m not much older. The bottom line is, we have extra space and my husband and I are both suckers for saying “yes” when asked for help. It’s a choice I can say with certainty that we never regret.

In most cases, the living arrangements were open-ended. And never once have we had to ask anyone to leave. Each person took the chance to pick up and move on of their own accord. It makes it all worthwhile to see each and every one of a half dozen house guests take control of their lives. I really enjoy just knowing that we could be a part of it!

While we thoroughly enjoy sharing what little we have, it feels good to have our home back …with a guest room and an office. We even have an appropriate place to put the crate for the puppy! Now, we also have the option to one day turn one of those rooms into a nursery.