Well, as most of you know it has
been a whirlwind for The Crawford Clan since our departure from Chicago. We
arrived in Vermont on Aug 15th and began looking at houses on the 17th.
We were spending half the week at my parent’s house in Vermont and the other
half of the week in a hotel in Connecticut. We nearly put an offer on a house
we found on the first go. We decided to see a few more properties and decided
to put an offer on a house that was on the market for 360 days. The day we
put an offer in, so did another couple. I know it doesn’t seem plausible … but
it happened lol! As fate would have it the house we bought was put on the
market 3 hours before our final offer was to be submitted on the other house.
We were the first and we believe only couple to see our house. We closed within
one month and it still all seems so surreal.
Sue, Shannon’s mom arrived from
Australia at 11 pm October 1 and Shannon and I went for our final walk through
at 730 am the next morning. We signed papers by 915 am and then we were off to
Vermont that evening. The next morning, Shannon and I rented a 14’ van (which I
drove) with all the stuff we accumulated and bought in Vermont, dropped it off
at our house, went to our CT storage unit and dropped that all off before
heading back to Vermont that night. The next morning we were on the road to
start unpacking the house and hosted our first dinner party the next evening.
It was the last night of my twenties and I couldn’t have imagined a better way
to spend it than with family and friends.
Throughout the week we finished
purchasing furniture and other odds and ends. On Saturday my mom came down and
she and my dad bought us Jack’s nursery furniture. We put that all together
that evening. Mom and dad also bought us Dr. Seuss prints from a special
gallery in Chicago that mom and I went to the day after we told them I was
pregnant along with a beautiful Dr. Seuss bedding. It is so beautiful and
unique, I couldn’t imagine anything better for Jack! And we have a fully
furnished home and it feel wonderful!
On October 12, we had Jack’s
baptism at our new church, St. Mary’s. We could not have asked for a more
beautiful day, ceremony or time spent with family and friends! It was so
wonderful to have everyone here (minus a few important people we missed) and to
have our first party. It is pretty wild that we did that 1 week after moving
into our house. It was a day and a memory for Jack that we will always hold
near and dear to us.
And … SHANNON GOT HIS ADULT
LEARNER’S PERMIT!! He had an Australian license but in order to obtain his
license he needs the permit first. He also has taken the required safety course
so now we just needs to take his driving test. It takes a while to schedule because
it books quickly.
I am convinced that the old adage, what
doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, is the slogan for our lives the past few
months. Shannon and I have had a beautiful baby, moved 5 weeks later, moved in
with my parents for half the week and living out of a hotel the other half,
bought a house, had Shannon’s mom here for the first 3 weeks while moving into
our new home, had a baptism within days of moving in, finally bought a car (a
Subaru Legacy) and Shannon got his permit. That is it. Simply put, I told
Shannon no more major life decisions until Jack’s first birthday. I think we
have earned just existing and truly living in our new home. I love saying that,
home. I have always felt at home when I have been with Shannon but there is
something beautiful for us to be in one place that is ours. We have been around
the world together and have had an amazing time doing so but now we blissfully
enter this next chapter of our lives and have a home for our Jack and Tilly to
grow up in. Simsbury has always been on our radar. It is about 30 minutes from
Shannon’s job in downtown Hartford and the schools are amazing … we truly couldn’t
ask for more!
We also just needed to recognize our parents! They helped in so many ways ... we are so grateful to them! We are truly blessed!
That is all here for now. Next,
we look to Thanksgiving. We are hosting it this year and we are so excited. We
are supposed to be getting a snowstorm … come on now you know the Crawford
Family doesn’t do anything unmemorable hahaha. These are the memories that we
will forever look back and think, this is what made our house a home.
Best
Wishes,
Katie, Shannon, Jack and Tilly
