The house

One of the reasons we've talked about moving over the years is lack of space. When we go to other peoples' homes in the 'burbs (or anyplace other than the inner East Bay), we swoon over their closets. Not their kitchens (well, okay, sometimes). Not their yards. It's always the closets.

Our Oakland home is roughly 1,000 sq feet. It has three closets: a tiny one in Enzo's room, one clothes closet for Colleen and me to share, and one hallway closet with shelves. During the pandemic, the house seemed to shrink. Scratch that, the house has been shrinking since we got Perry. Then Enzo kept getting larger. And then we were just home ALL OF THE TIME during the pandemic. And then we got Joe.

Believe me, I know that there are many places in the world where people would be grateful to live in such a cozy home such as ours. But that kind of perspective only gets you so far when you're tripping over a road bike in the living room.

If only we had closets to put things, methinks, then we'd be better organized; we'd be happier; we'd be calmer. Well, Grand Rapids is going to put that theory to the test.

We rented a split level house on a cul de sac in East Grand Rapids (everybody calls it "East"). It's a mile from Enzo's new school, which is also in the middle of Gaslight Village, the town center closest to us. Gaslight has a few restaurants, a grocery store, a gorgeous community center and library and is situated on Reeds Lake. This freshwater lake is about five miles around and is surrounded by trees and residential homes. This where Enzo rows with East's varsity crew team.

Our new home is about twice as big as our Oakland house, with a foyer, a living room and dining room, a large kitchen, three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a laundry room and a two-car garage. We have a front yard and a backyard--and a lot of grass to mow. It's amply sized, but not grandiose. There are TEN closets.

Will this more spacious home make us happier and better organized? Time will tell. For now, we are loving the extra space, and the dogs are enjoying the outdoor areas in a way I could not have anticipated. It's a comfortable house--even if we're a little short on furniture and are making every effort not to buy anything new. Most importantly, the third bedroom give us room for guests. So come visit :)