HOME

Rob and I are approaching our one year wedding anniversary and topped the year off with new jobs, a return to our favorite town, and the purchase of our first home.

It feels so good to say home.

Our search for a home started mid-April when a promotion for Rob and new position for me revealed themselves in Iowa City. We were thrilled for the opportunity to return to the city where we met and the place we always had plans to return to. Things moved very quickly and before we knew it, we were packed. With very mixed emotions, we put Cedar Falls in our rear view mirror.

We were so fortunate to be able to stay with Rob's parents in Cedar Rapids while adjusting to our new positions and searching for a place to call ours.  We found it in a quiet neighborhood in North Liberty, just north of Iowa City.  It was the place we walked in and said, "wow" as we entered the great room. Since then, it was pretty smooth sailing. Our offer was accepted and we began plans to move just a few weeks later.

We're starting to make this house our home.  We've painted rooms and added pictures of our families; the washer and dryer have seen our clothes and the furniture is making its print in the carpet.  We've heard incredibly strong winds and rain hit our windows in the middle of the night, and have even fallen asleep in the basement waiting for a storm to pass.  In the future, I hope the floors of our home echo the little footsteps of our children, and that the walls bare scuffs from being lived in for many years.  

As we covered a lime green wall with monkeys with our own fresh coat of paint, I looked over at Rob and said, "this is the room of the previous owners' little girl, and we are erasing it."  We took a moment to realize that we are not the only people who have called this home, there was one family here before us. They called our house their home for ten years, raised their babies and mowed the yard.  Now it is our turn, but I will always make note, that this is our first home and will not always be mine.  The memories I make here I will take with me when I go, to make room for a new young family to call their own.

I'm grateful to the seller who I've never met.  They left us a beautiful (and impeccably clean!) home, I'm sure a process that doesn't occur without some tears shed. I can tell that the man here before us was a handyman and his wife detailed.  There are a few marks on the carpet from their son's spilled juice, and a nook in the corner of the basement for princess dresses and pretend-play.  They made their mark on this place and I'm excited to do the same. Some time down the line I'll close the door to this home for the last time, and I hope that I will have rubbed off on it as well.

But today and for the next many years, it is our home. It will hold our traditions, our family, gatherings with our friends, and chats with neighbors on the driveway. For the first time since I was 18, every box can be unpacked and I won't have a new place every 12 months. I'm finally home.

Special thanks to my fabulous sister-in-law, Katie, for spending an evening with us to capture photos before the moving truck arrived.  I will treasure pictures of this day we put down roots in Iowa for years to come. 

Cheers!

30 Before 30

My name is Jillian Miller and I am a compulsive list maker. I’m serious, I graduated with a degree in Psychology….and diagnosed myself here. J

There is something about striking a line through a task that is so rewarding – sometimes more satisfying than completing the task itself.  The Notes app on my phone is filled with lists for groceries, items to buy on my next trip to the craft store, books to read – things that I think of when a pen and paper aren’t handy. At work, my desk and the perimeter of my computer screen are full of Post-it notes. It isn’t unusual to catch me writing a list of what to accomplish over the weekend (including lines to eat lunch and shower), or adding something to my list that I have already done just to cross it off.

I am not the only one with this obsession and know many female friends who have the same urge (must not be a "man" thing). Now, although my lists keep me organized, what I am drawing my pen over is generally pretty menial and doesn’t hold many accomplishments or memories.

So, I am jumping on the bandwagon that many writers in the blogosphere are already on, putting these skills to good use, and making my 30 Before 30 goals. I’m a twenty-something gal who is ready to tackle goals that take years rather than a week.

Looking to make the next few years an adventure, here is my 30 Before 30 (in no particular order):

To stay updated on my progress, check out the 30 Before 30 tab at the top of this blog!