I don't miss the close proximity that we had to the neighbors (something that we might end up with up here too), but I do miss the house. Especially after over five months of living in a 650 sq. ft. rental, I miss the space that we had in our home--space enough to distance ourselves from playing children, television shows, and video games (to play, watch our own shows, or enjoy our own video games).
We lived in that house for nine years. Until that house, Janelle and I (as well as Alex) had lived in ten different locations in thirteen years (Katrina had 8 homes in eleven years). Trevor had known only one other home. Connor and Rowen only knew that house.
During that time, we replaced the roof, deck, and all major appliances. Only the heater, which was only a few years old when we purchased the house, stayed the same. We added a bedroom in the basement that never had the chance to be converted into my den, as had been my original plan. We had several wonderful years with a pool, an item that was necessary at that time since the air conditioner was absolutely busted (we finally replaced the air conditioner with a heat pump).
We never really fulfilled the potential that the house's basement offered us. The wide differences between our children's ages (as well as the ages of our nieces and nephews) made our basement the main supply closet of their clothes as some grew out of them and others were waiting to grow into them. Toys and books lined bookcases and walls. Ideally, they would be available once for children who became old enough to use them, but the younger ones always got into them anyway.
I look forward to handing the custody of that house over to another deserving family. I hope that our next home is at least as good to our family as this one has been.
http://heatherherndon.howardhanna.com/Property/Detail/3623-SASSAFRAS-Jackson-MI-49201/JacksonMI/201600188