The Slanted Barn
It's hard to think about not being surrounded by this lovely house we have made home for the last three years that we have lovingly deemed "The Slanted Barn" during our time here.
Ara and I spent several months apart before we moved to Tacoma--he in Oklahoma learning to fly the C-17, me back in Hawaii living the craft chocolate making dream. We spent countless discussions chatting about our "wants and needs" of a future house when we finally arrived to Tacoma. We needed a kitchen big enough for two people to be in it and not feel cramped. We wanted a guest room for hosting family/friends. We wanted a space that was large enough and allowed for a good flow in order to have fellowship in our home. We wanted an outdoor space to allow for relaxing. We got all that and more in this lovely space of The Slanted Barn.
How can it be that three years has passed since we moved into this great old house? I still remember getting in the car and driving to the airport to pick up Ara. It was Memorial Day weekend 2014 and we had sprung for a ticket for him to visit for that weekend since he was still finishing up a training in Oklahoma. I couldn't wait to show him the house I had picked out to be our home. We opened up a bottle of sparkling rosé, made a cheers to our Tacoma house and made our way to the front porch to enjoy the day. I'll never forget the excitement that filled me up that day and that version of me didn't even know about all the amazing memories that were yet to come in that home.
When I think of our lovely home I see the beautiful Heather Brown artwork that we purchased in Hawaii, sitting above the original 1900 fireplace in our current home. I see the place where so many friends and family have stopped to take their shoes off at the front door. I see the dining room and can picture the table pushed up against the wall as we hosted an epic New Year's Eve party and danced (drank) the night away. I see the game nights that happened in our front room. The world map that sits above our couch to note all the places that we've traveled. The guest room that hosted so many family and friends over the past three years. Our bedroom that had the most amazing hue of light green that coordinated so well with our Hawaiian monstera leaf quilt. The sunroom was our sanctuary during those dark and gray Pacific Northwest winter days. Even the grayest days, it offered a relaxing space for us and the kitties. I can picture all the patches of light that came in from the windows where the cats would curl up so sweetly. I see Ara juggling potatoes or clementines in the kitchen. I picture in my mind all the sweet, unique details of the house that gave it all it's character--the antique vents, the largest bolt system I've ever seen on the swinging door in the dining room to the kitchen. I see our backyard where I had this crazy idea and told Ara that I wanted to get some planters and large rods to string twinkle lights across to attach to the house. I can't even try to count the amount of roasted marshmallows that were made around our fire pit during the long summer nights we had.
We finished cleaning out the house this weekend before checking into a hotel to finish out our time in Tacoma. As we finished up the final details with the house I told Ara that I wanted one last dance in the dining room. He set up his phone and queued up, "Poetry" by Wrabel for our dance. The lyrics are so fitting for this delightful journey we have been on together and our time here--"oh my, my, it's a big, big, big world out there. Been looking for something and I finally found it right here." I enjoyed my time that we spent in Hawaii and the first home that we had together there on Olina Street but this home here in Tacoma, took the cake in all senses. From the moment I walked into the house, I knew it was meant to be our home during our time here. I grew so much here in this home, in this space and in this community. I learned so much about myself in these past three years. Ara and I grew in our marriage here, we spent years 4 through 6 learning more about our communication with each other (for the good and the bad), high-fiving and loving on each other. The cats loved their surroundings, from the sun room to the guest room--they ruled it all.
The memories we made in this sweet, old house on North 21st Street will forever be a part of me. It's hard to leave such a beautiful home that has helped shape the last three years of your life. I know in my heart that the Lord has already picked out an amazing home for us in Germany and that a new set of memories awaits us there.
