On this day 14 years ago -- July 31, 2007 -- I signed approximately 1,000 papers to close on buying my first home! I remember feeling overwhelmed by the amount of paperwork and anxious about whether I was making the right choice to stay in the Tulsa area. This was less than two months after receiving the letter that cut me off from my original Tulsa friend group of ORU students. But I had already made an offer on this home, and I had also joined a Tulsa LifeGroup and made a few new friends there, so that made me feel a little safer in staying.
That summer was one of the most broken periods of my life, and I'm still so thankful for God's grace in that season when I look back... for setting things in motion with me making an offer on this house well before I received the letter, for leading me to a wonderful home in a great part of town that I've really enjoyed for 14 years, for giving me the courage to stay in Tulsa when part of me wanted to run, for the encompassing loneliness that led me to really make an effort and press into the new LifeGroup friendships, for the personal growth that happened naturally being a bit further from the home where I grew up, and for surrounding me with good people who helped build me back up and kept me close to Him!! ❤
We didn't actually move any of my stuff in until August 4th... but we spent 3 days cleaning + prepping + painting every inch of the empty house (highly recommend doing it that way if you have the time), then we celebrated Dad's birthday on the 3rd, then it was official "moving day!" Here are a few pictures from the first couple days in my brand new home:
I love that Mom and Dad, Grandad, JoBug, and Emily were all there helping with painting, yard work, installing the new doors, etc. I remember deeply wishing Josh and co. were there that week, and I also remember feeling loved and supported and so grateful for my family's help. Like I said yesterday, grief deepens your gratitude for what remains. I also love that my first few meals in my living room here were with the fam using TV trays and sitting on lawn chairs.
And here they are loading up Grandad's pickup on August 4th... in the driveway at 9121 - such a great house! I feel thankful that my parents didn't move until after I did... 9121 was the last house where I lived with them before transitioning to Tulsa and living on my own. ❤ *Note the brown chair and ottoman that came from 9121 and are still in my living room corner today! =)
The living room once we got everything painted and the furniture all moved in!! I still remember going with Mom in December of 2006 to Tulsa Mathis Brothers and picking out that burgundy couch and chair and the glass coffee tables for my apartment at The Mansions when I first moved to Tulsa (in January of 2007). After my big furniture purchase that made me feel like a real adult, we went to dinner at Chili's on 71st where Josh waited on us and we talked about how exciting it was that I'd be moving here soon... ahh, the irony. lol
In time, I painted the rose archway and the magnolias with the Donna Dewberry flowers I was practicing... Grandad cut boards that went across the bathtub so I could stand and paint more easily. ❤
These top two pics are just to remind me how long ago 2007 was... me babysitting Brooklyn (who's now headed off to college) while Alan and Bryan worked on my sprinkler system, then me and Rach and some random guy at a bar later that week. lol The bottom pic and the collage below = one of the first get-togethers I hosted in my new home... and when I gave them the tour, one of the girls was impressed with the size of the bathtub and talking about how we could all fit in there, so we crowded in for a picture (because that's just who I am, both then and now - any opportunity for cute photos!).
My first Christmas in Tulsa... I decided it would be more unique and fun to go with the lime green, hot pink, turquoise blue, and purple colors. And it was fun - I'm still a fan of that look! Clearly, we were just in the process of decorating in this top pic - we would never leave it with two snowflakes on one side and only one on the other. lol Makes me happy that I was watching Cool Runnings and I have The Office DVDs (sooo many Thursday night hangouts with Mark and Natalie watching that show) and Beth Moore's Daniel study (which I led a women's small group through) on my shelf there - I always love the random details like that in old photos!
A few pics from the first Christmas party I hosted with LifeGroup friends (the Changie group was rapidly coupling off -- Chad & Angie, Mark & Natalie, Scott & Kim -- so I think me, Bobbi, and Kristin were in talks and just gearing up to possibly start a singles LifeGroup called Diving Deeper at that point)! And the bottom left photo is from our Bourne trilogy movie night during the ice storm in December 2007 when I was one of few homes with power and others came to stay and hang out!
And my first time hosting a New Year's Eve party, also 2007! Why I chose to wear crazy big earrings and a club volleyball shirt from 2000 is beyond me, but whatever. lol
That covers the highlights of events that took place in my home in 2007. So much about my home interior and my friendship circle has changed over time, but there are a few things and people that have remained constant. I really love where I am now, but I feel nostalgic for that season of life where most of our friend group was in a similar life stage and there was a strong sense of community and constant get-togethers! I feel exceptionally thankful for those early days here, these photos and memories, and God's faithfulness through it all! ❤
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