Our neighbors here are a diverse group. To our left we’ve got the entrepreneurs that own all the Dairy Queens in the valley. Around the corner is a fellow homeschooling family. He’s a pilot and flies humanitarian missions. The family a few doors down runs a machine rental company. A smattering of people work for HP. One guy owns a big hardward and farm supply business. Some are retired and spend most of their time gardening. Some are young with very young kids. They are all different but they all have one thing in common…

They’ve all been through our house.

Yes, they belong to the group I like to call OOH-There’s-A-New-House-Going-Up-Let’s-Walk-Through-It club. You’ve met them, or maybe you’re a member yourself. As long as there aren’t locks on the doors or glass in the windows, there’s no keeping them out. They like to glean new ideas for their own dream homes and see if they can guess which room is which. “I wonder what they’re gonna use this room for”. Or, “Wow, I never would have done that”.

How do I know so much about this club? Because I am a loyal, unrepentant, fully engaged member myself. I like to convince my husband to go on Sunday morning walks with the intention of getting out and enjoying nature… only to conveniently find ourselves in front of the new subdivision under construction slated to be included in this year’s home show. My attempt at being nonchalant has been overshadowed by my predictability. I think he’s caught on by now.

So this post goes out to all my fellow members of the OTANHGULWTI club and those who may be considering joining. I’ve had some friends wanting pictures of our new house. It’s still in mid-chaos but organized enough to get the idea. Pictures, wall clutter, and nick knacks are still in boxes in the garage, which is where they may stay at this point until motivation resurfaces.

The House