I did say I was going to post about Greece (and I will) but breaking news (at least in our household) is we put an offer in on a house. We went to see four houses last week. One was the original we’d put an offer on in Gables by the Sea (where I grew up). I held my breath as we went to see it. I liked it more than the first time we’d seen it, Zeke liked it less, so we were back to square one and I was very discouraged. My realtor suggested we take a detox from looking for houses until August and I agreed.

A couple days later, we got a text from our realtor that another offer had come in on the house in Gables by the Sea.

“Should we put an offer in?” I asked Zeke. “Sure,” he said, which wasn’t convincing. “Are you sure, sure?” I asked. “I’m sure sure,” he said. Emma happened to be over with Celine and encouraged her Dad to do it. “Happy wife, happy life,” she said. After we made the offer, she said “Whoo hoo! Let’s pop the champagne!”, as Emma would do.

It was a little premature, as they hadn’t accepted our offer yet. They did late that night. I found out the next morning, so we have a house! It isn’t much smaller, square-footage wise than this house, but it feels much smaller. One story, smaller lot, very small yard, impact glass windows, solar panels. The backyard is all pool. However, it has a separate dining room, two ovens and a bath in the master. These things, for some reason, are very hard to find in houses for sale and were things that I wanted. There’s also a park close by where I can take the kids to play, it’s a nice neighborhood to walk in and my Mom lives down the street. So I am happy and Zeke says he’s happy, because I’m happy.

We spent the weekend packing up the Keys condo, which was damaged in the great toilet flood of ’26. I have been without a kitchen there for six months and it’s getting old. They start demo next week, so we had to get everything packed away. It will be lovely when it’s done. Our worst case scenario was to store our stuff and live there if we didn’t have a house to move into by October. Now, we don’t have to go to Plan B.

I started packing this house too- the fine china we only use on occasion. As I went into the guest bathroom, I came across Johnson and Johnson Nighttime Bath Bubbles. It’s dyed purple and lavender-scented; I bought it before I knew all that stuff was bad for babies and you should only buy organic, Honest products. At any rate, I bought it for Wyatt and remember giving him a bath when he was two or three. I told him it was a sleepy-time formula, meant to calm him down for bed and he splashed gleefully and said “It’s not working!” and we both laughed. And now I cried at that memory.

He’s ten now, I don’t give him baths and time marches on. And there are emotional minefields all over this house like that. I thought about when we moved in, shortly after we were married. Lauren hated this house and so did Zeke. He told her we’d be here two years tops, and then we’d move. Twenty-one years later and I’m having to drag him, kicking and screaming, out of this house.

The girls were little when we moved in- 10, 7 and 6. I had a Spa party for 7th Emma’s birthday, a Chocolate party for Rachel when she was in fourth grade and an epic Halloween party for both of them, that A.J. and Kelley helped with. We had Dance Party by the pool for Rachel’s 13th, A.J.’s college graduation party from FIU, Wyatt’s baby shower, Chris and Courtney’s party after their honeymoon, Emma and Guillermo’s Engagement party. And, of course, countless (I guess I could count them) Thanksgivings, Christmases, Easters and Birthdays. Not to mention our Valentine Day Supper Clubs where we played the Newlywed Game, Kentucky Derby Parties and a couple Coral Gables Community Foundation Galas during Covid.

And we hunkered down here during Covid, took many walks, made many meals and celebrated Emma and Lauren’s graduations (UM Law and F.S.U.) with a small family dinner. During Covid, Emma and Lauren played Beer pong (with rose wine) in the back yard, we did many puzzles and watched Tiger King together. We bonded in a scary time. Book Club meetings, Bunko games, Villager Meetings, Vision Board Workshops, New Year’s Day dinners of black eye peas and collard greens, were all held at this house. The list of memories goes on and on. But, it’s time for a new chapter and, even though this house will be gone, the memories will remain.