Our First Home: 45 Little Things We’ll Always Remember

“I’ll never let go.” That line from Titanic keeps ringing true as we say goodbye to our first home. We decided to make a list of the small details and everyday moments that made this house feel like ours so we wouldn’t forget a single one.

1. The gorgeous cherry tree in the front yard that bloomed every spring and framed the house beautifully.
2. The new kitchen — a complete lifesaver even if it came after 113 chaotic days of eating out and living without a sink.
3. Our private, lush backyard view — a major reason we bought this place back in 2006 and a peaceful spot we’ll miss.
4. The sweet front porch where we’d sit and greet the neighbors and watch the neighborhood drift by.
5. The layers of paint and slivers of wallpaper we uncovered during renovations — tiny historical clues about the house’s past lives.
6. The surprising and delightful story about the house’s first owners, which we shared here.
7. The narrow front and back doors that forced us to remove the doors from our new fridge to get it inside — one of those memorable moving-day hurdles.
8. Waking up each morning and looking out at the spot where we got married — such a sentimental view to start the day.
9. The quirky cow weather vane perched on top of the garage, a small, charming detail that always made us smile.
10. The cute red shed in the backyard that we barely used but loved seeing every time we stepped outside.
11. The mostly centered windows throughout the house — a rare architectural touch we appreciated more once we saw other houses.
12. The surprising lack of bathroom outlets for the first few years (one bathroom still doesn’t have one) — a reminder that even cozy houses have quirks.
13. The two fireplaces, a lucky feature that added warmth and character to the living spaces.
14. How the front yard looked the day we first visited the house — we made an offer that night because it felt right.
15. The way we’d rush home from vacations simply because we missed the house and missed being there.
16. The sleepless nights spent painting, planning, demoing, sledge-hammering, and daydreaming — all part of making it ours.
17. The charming neighborhood where we took walks with Burger, and later with Clara, and where small routines became meaningful.
18. The brilliant fall leaves that put on a spectacular show every year — beautiful, if occasionally exhausting to rake.
19. Those rare snowstorms that transformed the property into a cozy winter scene we’ll always remember.
20. The cluster of white and pink azalea bushes — there must have been at least fifty of them, and they were stunning in bloom.
21. The modest room sizes that encouraged us to spend time together rather than apart, creating a cozy, connected home life.
22. The wide interior doorways that opened up the den, kitchen, and living/dining room and made the layout feel airy.
23. The crisp white trim, trim molding, and breezy curtains that gave the house a beach-house feeling in summer.
24. The patio that developed a soft patina of moss over a few years, lending it quiet charm and character.
25. Making s’mores on the patio after we added a fire pit — simple evenings that felt special and slow.
26. The sunroom on a lazy Sunday morning — our favorite peaceful spot to read, sip coffee, and linger.
27. The subway tile that goes all the way to the ceiling in the shower — a small thing that still makes us marvel at John’s work every day.
28. The fact that our tiny house managed to hold 23 storage baskets and 10 storage ottomans — organization became an art form.
29. The built-in bedroom nooks that made our sleeping space feel tucked-in and cozy each night.
30. Bringing our pup and our baby girl home to this house — it will always be their first home too, and that makes it priceless.
31. The big picture window in the living room where Burger loved to bark at his dog friends and watch the world outside.
32. The seeded-glass pendant over the kitchen sink — such a simple fixture but one we still haven’t seen duplicated elsewhere.
33. Painting nearly every room at least twice to get the color and finish just right — a testament to stubbornness and attention to detail.
34. The reassuring sound of the sunroom screen sliding, which used to signal John’s arrival home and always made us happy.
35. The challenge of removing the scallops from the front porch — my hardest solo project and one I’m oddly proud of.
36. The excitement I felt listening to every crash during the bathroom demo, even though I couldn’t help out physically at the time.
37. The tiny panic before every trip, wondering whether we’d unplugged the toaster or locked the door — John would humor me and we’d double back to check.
38. “Camping” in the sunroom on warm spring nights and being woken by sunrise streaming in at 6 a.m. — worth it for the adventure, at least once.
39. Plugging in the Christmas tree and sitting by the fire with hot chocolate — those winter nights felt exceptionally cozy here.
40. The phantom doorbell rings when the battery was dying that startled us all and became a household joke.
41. The garage door that swings out when opened, always a warning to parked cars and a quirky mechanical habit of the house.
42. How everything looked in that first year before we understood how much time, effort, and emotion we’d pour into making this house ours.
43. Burger sprawled near the vent under the side table, warming himself in winter — a small, familiar sight of home comfort.
44. The absurd moment of screaming “don’t look, I’m peeing” when the half-bath pocket door was broken — one of those chaotic, laughable memories.
45. Our wedding night snapshot from the photo booth in the corner of the driveway — a sweet, final image before the truck came to collect it and the night settled.

We’re so excited about our new house, but saying goodbye to this first place fills us with gratitude for every small, ordinary thing that made it extraordinary. Someone get a tissue — it’s been a beautiful chapter.