Real estate shell game.

The first roses from the garden.

The house Michael and I own used to belong to my parents. I officially became owner of the house July 25th 2007 though I didn't start living there until February of 2009 when we did a real-estate shell game. I had been living in an old house my parents owned and split up into rental units 5 minutes away. Yes, five minutes away from the parents through college and my first year and a half of professional work; was I nuts? I, seeking independence from my parents (as well as going through a crisis of faith and coming out as queer), moved out on my own and all the way across town in October of 2008. Fairly quickly my parents stopped renting out the house and moved themselves in leaving the house I actually owned vacant.  Did I dare move into the house and once again be within a short walk of my parents? At first I said no. I was sorting out my life and was still closeted to my mother and had started a relationship with Michael. I certainly didn't want my parents hovering over all that!

Then over the next few months my grandmother passed away, my car got broken into and the loaner-car from my parents got stolen (but found by the police before completely stripped), and I found myself teaching students who set stuff on fire...

I think I got 3 gray hairs from that job.

I did a lot of growing up during that winter. It was time to move in. I started moving my stuff in February, had Valentines there, and Michael followed in March. Since then it's been a giant project making it our own. Three and a half years later it still feels like we've just started!