09/24/2026
This is a late farewell to our home on Verano.
We actually moved in June of this year, after 15 years in our beloved Casa Linda Estates neighborhood in a picturesque red brick home that was built in 1942.
The blessing here is that we moved less than a mile away, staying in the exact same neighborhood we have grown to love and call home over the years. The curse here is that our new home is so close to our old one, it has taken me some time to get used to driving here instead of there. At first, I would turn on Hermosa (the wrong way) and then, when I realized it, start bawling.
Yes, it was an emotional move because I loved this home with all my heart. It was really supposed to be our forever home with my "dragonfly pool" and the view of the gate and fountain from the backyard. And the magical Live Oaks that drew us to look at this home in the first place. It was priced at the high end of our budget and seemed crazy with so much work to do, but reason went out the window when Austin and Greyson climbed up into that special tree where one of the branches dipped down onto the ground and served as the perfect backdrop for all our photos as the kids grew up. I remember lying on the trampoline looking up at the trees in the backyard I was now responsible for and declaring myself an adult.
This home was where Ryder came home from NICU. Where my mother-in-law was married and where we lived when her husband passed, and my husband lost his brother. So much history lies here for our family. So many first days and last days of school, birthdays, and Christmas holidays celebrated here. There were moments when I felt like I had just sold my kids' childhood and not just a house. And all the work we had done to get things renovated to what we dreamt of-was it all for naught? I had to remind myself that though some of this is true, so much lies ahead in our new home. And no matter where we live, I am not getting those days back. In fact, the best thing to do is soak it all up because before long it will be just the two of us here.
We love a good project, and we are dreaming again. And our kids are not quite done being raised! So we are on to new adventures and making many more memories on Bella Vista!
But first, goodbye, sweet home. Thank you for being exactly what we needed on tough days and good ones, for 15 wonderful years!
