Finally Some Payoff

We bought a new house about a month ago. Anyone who knows us already knows this.

In the sale of our old house and purchase of this new one, there have been some roadblocks, some disappointments and some rude awakenings. I accept that this is undoubtedly true in any such transaction, but it hit me rather hard that what we thought was our dream home has turned out to have some rather substantial flaws, requiring repairs and compromises.

We've been able to have a few people over since moving in, but finally this weekend -- some payoff. We hosted two families for Memorial Day. The weather was glorious. We grilled various meats (as one does), hung out in the yard and the kids all splashed in the pool. The menfolks played some pool and the kids played Xbox. We all had a terrific time. The other families had fun, too.

Finally, the house has paid off -- just what we thought we were buying -- a great place to hang out with friends, entertain everyone, have a relaxing and wonderful time together. This is what we wanted.

And, despite its flaws, despite the extra money we're spending -- this house is going to be wonderful after all.