Headed Home

Goshen, Sardinia, Colerain, Lynchburg, Goshen again, Milford, Gahanna.......

God is Great!

We moved a lot when I was young. I was the new kid 7 times by the time I was a sophomore in high school. Making new friends, leaving old behind, and adapting to new surroundings were all old hat to me by the time my parents moved our family to the Columbus Area in 1988, to a northeast suburb called Gahanna. And though I had never heard of the place before, it would become my hometown. In fact, I have been here ever since, minus 2 years out on Buckeye Lake.

It was in Gahanna that I grew up. Met my first real best friend. Met the first girl who would break my heart. Brought my 3 sons home from the hospital after they were born. Moved my family as many times as I moved as a kid, but never made my boys the new kids in school as we stayed close to Gahanna. Got divorced, then married my true love in the Olde Sanctuary on High Street. Then rented a house in Royal Manor and, for the last 6 1/2 years, made that house at 240 Regents Road our home.

It was there that my boys grew up. John-Michael Played football and wrestled, Ben discovered his real calling as an artist, and Tanner kept overcoming obstacles to become the young man he is today. We have had a string of visitors sign our wall. We have had more than a grumble of pugs, a few ducks, a snake, a pair of rabbits, and even a couple of pigs. I nearly ran for school board, got involved with the historical society, and we joined our awesome church. And, lest we ever forget, my rockstar  wife got her new heart. In other words, this place has been the home I always wanted to give my family.

But it has always been someone else's house. And while the owner of the house, Faith, has been the best landlord we ever could have imagined, we have always had the dream to buy our own home.

Today, we realize that dream.

Cardington, Ohio was not where we had in mind when we started house hunting a couple of months ago. We started our search in Gahanna and the surrounding area. But houses in any suburb of Columbus are selling as soon as they are listed, often at way over the list price. We expanded our search.

We really liked a house in Marysville. We bid on it and felt really good about it. But that was not God's plan for us.

We looked at a house in Newark. Nice house. But dirty. Really Dirty. Like why would you leave your recently worn underwear on the floor and not wipe off your counters if you know your house is being shown? Even more bizarre, there were dog collars scattered throughout the yard.

Then one Saturday morning we had 2 houses to look at. The first one in Mt. Gilead. It was gorgeous. Country home design. Sits on the lot so the sun comes up over the front porch and sets behind the rear pergola. Little Red really wanted to offer the house, but I wanted to see the other. As we pulled out of the driveway she said "I do not know why we are wasting our time, this is the house for us." I told her we needed to make sure we covered all the bases. Secretly, I just wanted to see the one with the pole barn.

We drove to Cardington and pulled up the 250' long driveway. I was impressed with the size of the yard, 1 acre fenced in the back and almost another acre in the front. We walked in the front door, around the double sided fireplace, and into the large kitchen. That's when I heard her say it.

"Ugh, I DID NOT want to like this house" Tiffany exclaimed. The more we explored, the more we loved it. From the bar in the basement to the pole barn with it's own bathroom to the first floor laundry, this house was everything we had been looking for and more. We sat at the kitchen table with our realtor Rene and made the offer. 24 hours later it was accepted.

The month since has been full of legwork, as anyone who has ever bought a home knows. But today is the day. Today is the realization of the dream. Today we close and, at 45 years old, I will own my own home for the very first time. And even though I am forever grateful for all the memories made at  the house on Regents for the last 6+ years,  I really cannot wait to spoil my twin Grandsons, who will be here in October, when they come to visit us in our new home.

I will put up a picture blog of the house once we are settled. And there will be an open house later this summer, hope you all can attend.

Goshen, Sardinia, Colerain, Lynchburg, Goshen again, Milford, Gahanna, Cardington.......

Day # 1916. Anyone want to help move this weekend? Could always use extra hands.

God is Great!

It is good to be me!







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