Space is Relative

Let me set the stage for you. To some people 3200 square feet isn't all that big and to others it is huge. For the last 11 1/2 years, we have lived in a 3 bedroom 1 bath brick ranch on a slab that is about 1026 square feet. John grew up living in a house about the same size. I also lived in a house that was pretty much the same until I was 6. As a teenager with my parents, I lived in the biggest house I've ever lived in and it was about 2100 square feet. My parents current home is about 1800 square feet and my in-laws current rental is about 1400 square feet. So as you can imagine, 3200 square feet is big to us.

Now, it may be big to us, but that space is tempered by who all will be living in it. Because of my in-laws health and financial situation, It is inevitable that at the point one of them passes away, the other will need to live with someone in the family. We are the only ones who can afford a house large enough to accomodate. Knowing that, we decided it would be best to plan ahead and buy or build a house that could work for such arrangements. As we thought it through, we began to think it would be easiset for everyone if we just moved them in with us as we made this move - whether it was this year or next. That way, we'd avoid the stress of moving someone who had just lost their spouse and dealing with getting rid of things to make space in the midst of all that. It would also mean we could expand our search area, because we would not be factoring in drive time to pick up and drop off Busy B each day.

My in-laws will be living with us, and just weeks ago we extended that offer to our oldest niece to live with us too while she finishes the next 3 years of college. So already we'll have 5 adults and a pre-schooler living under one roof. I hope that number will grow by a baby too, of course. There won't be tons of space to spare when is said and done, but there will be room for everyone to be comfortable and have their own space. There will be room to put things away. There will be room to play and rest and live. That is what I've been longing for.