Home Is Where the Heart Is

I have a hard time with change.  Much like children with autism, change really messes with my routines and throws me for a loop.  Even good change.

Like buying a home.

Our family is in the process of buying a house.   We’ll be moving into it very soon.  So many possibilities.  Everyone keeps congratulating us on our “first home” but where we are now is what I consider our first home…

Yes, we rent where we currently live.  But this is what I consider our first home.

Colin and I searched together for quite some time before finding this place and instantly falling in love with it.  This is where all four of us lived together for the first time.

This is where we were living when Corbin overcame so much of his social anxiety.  He had his first successful sleepover thanks to the fact that his best friends lived right across the street.

This is the home where he also started to taste independence.  Thanks to it’s great centralized location he was able to have the freedom to go to the public library, his friend’s houses, and the rec center all by himself, without me having too much of a heart attack.

This is where Brian’s language really started to take off.  I can picture him in so many different parts of the house, when he said a new script or held a two-way conversation for more than four rounds for the first time.

This is where Brian learned how fun it was to slide down the stairway’s railings.

This is where we lived when Brian received his buddy bike!

My sisters and I had the most fun slumber party here just months after moving in.  We watched scary movies and then became convinced the house was haunted.

Colin and I invited some ghost hunters here.  We had a blast trying to find some evidence. We didn’t find much.

This is where Corbin had the most epic 10th birthday party complete with Halloween costumes and a dance off.

This is where we hosted our first Thanksgiving.

This is where Colin threw me an amazing 80s-themed 30th birthday party.

This home has hosted a bridal shower and numerous baby showers for members of our family.

I was standing right in this dining room when I received the call that I had won the Distinguished Alumni award.

This is where we parked our RV after it was handed down to us.

This is where we took off from to go on our RV adventure to DC.  And where we were so happy to come home to exhausted after the vacation.

This is where Colin turned our dining room into a workshop and built me so many beautiful pieces of furniture.

christmastreeRight here in our home, is where we did our first family photo shoot as we decorated a Christmas tree taller than Colin.

This home is where Colin proposed to me.  Right in our living room, in the middle of us dancing to Christmas music.  This is where I said, “YES!!”.

It’s also where he asked the boys if it would be okay if he married me and if they would be part of our wedding party. They said “yes” as well.

This home is where we lived when we “officially” became a family by tying the knot.

This home will forever hold a special place in my heart.  I dragged my feet a bit when Colin wanted to start the process of house hunting.  But I’m glad he is persistent and knows I just need a push when it comes to change.  I’m looking forward to making  many more amazing memories in our new home.

Heather Nelson

About Heather Nelson

Heather resides in Rockland where she is busy juggling life as a newlywed, a mom to two boys (one of which who has autism), a part time job in direct sales, and a full-time job as a pediatric occupational therapy assistant. She has a love for live music, karaoke, and cheering on the underdogs.