This morning as I sit in our home, I am so grateful. We bought this house in 1998 and immediately it became a home. Layla turned 4 on the day we moved in. We brought Anna home a little over a year later. We have had the happiest and saddest memories in this home. We have entertained friends and family hundreds of times. We have woken up to a house full of teenagers many mornings. We have celebrated many birthdays, Thanksgivings, Halloweens, Christmases, and other holidays. Like all families, we have gone through times of happiness, rough patches, and everything in between. We have also mourned our loved ones – parents, friends, and pets and then Richard. Through it all, our home has been our safe place; our haven – a place where we come together.

Right after Richard died, I did not know how I would feel about living here without him. But over the past year, our home has provided me with a safe place to be; to return to. I am the happiest when I’m here. I feel the closest to him when I’m here.

I’m not sure what the future holds for me but for now I’m grateful that we bought this house and made it into a home for our family.