Moving is always a whirlwind—boxes, packing, unpacking, and trying to make a space feel like home. For the past few years, this whirlwind has been our reality. To sum it up: we’ve been trying to build our forever home, but along the way, we’ve encountered more than a few detours.
In 2021, we sold our house, bought land, and were excited to start building. But that was just before everything went haywire, and lumber prices skyrocketed. A 2×4 became more expensive than gold. Naturally, we put our building plans on hold, waiting for material costs to come back down.
While we were in building limbo, life took an unimaginable turn. Our daughter, Blair, was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just a few months later. The next few years were a blur as my husband, son, and I tried to figure out what life was supposed to look like after losing Blair. We’ve been slowly emerging from the fog of grief, though it never fully lifts. Instead, we’re learning how to navigate within it.
In the midst of all this, I found a simple sign at Target’s dollar spot that says, “Happy Place.” Maybe I bought it because I longed for my ‘happy place’ again. Wherever we are—whether in a rented house, an apartment, or even an RV—this sign hangs to encourage us to pause, breathe, and appreciate the present. It’s not a fix for everything, but it helps us remember that this moment matters and that happiness is still possible. It serves as an affirmation, reminding us that home isn’t about the walls or the address, but about the people we share it with. It’s about the love we continue to hold and the memories we have—and the memories we have yet to make.
We’re still waiting for our forever home, but we are striving to make the here and now special, too.
