When we moved into our house about 3 and a half years ago, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as we’d have liked. Our air conditioner broke and stayed broken for a month (in JUNE) while we fought with (and lost to) the home warranty company. We also found out that our backyard was riddled with fleas, as evidenced by the small army that attacked our poor dog and made her reluctant to go out into her new, huge playground. I was downright discouraged by this sequence of events and struggled to remain grateful during those first few weeks of living in a new-to-us house that wasn’t living up to my idea of the American dream.

Fortunately, the air conditioner FINALLY got fixed, and we eliminated all the fleas. We were able to start enjoying our home and making it ours, and I am so thankful for it. It’s not very big (in fact some days it feels entirely too small), and it’s in need of some updates, but when I walk in the door, I feel at home. That’s enough for me.

Our backyard this summer. It’s awesome.