We get asked a lot why we moved to Florida. Much like most folks, my family is my everything. Unfortunately, my kids have left the nest, and are spread out across the country, literally.
Finally, home is where my heart is!
My two boys, Darrick and Jake, are in the Navy, so they haven't set down roots where they want to land yet, but more so where the Navy needs them - on opposite coasts. My daughter, Rachel, the middle child, lives in the Tampa area with her family. She has two children, a boy and a girl, Merik and Scarlette.
We had spent the better part of a decade in Phoenix, and really loved living there. So much to do, great food scene, craft beer and wineries, and the scenic drives were just amazing. We liked the weather, which seems strange to some people, but the heat was perfect if you ask me. Having grown up in the Midwest, Phoenix was a nice break from Mother Nature's wicked sense of humor. Illinois was cold one day and hot the next, tornadoes and snow in the same week, earthquakes and even an inland hurricane or two. This became normal to me somehow, but my husband wasn't having it. He was from Texas, and he did not want to move back there, so Phoenix was a good option.
We would try to visit the kids each year or they would come to see us in Phoenix. But each time I would go to see my grandkids, I would feel like I was leaving my heart behind with them when we returned home. It was really hard to see them growing up so fast, and feeling like we weren't able to be there for it. I felt like we spent the first few days of every trip just reintroducing ourselves to them because they were so young, and just about the time we had gained their trust it was time to leave again. Larry knew it really hurt me to leave, and I felt helpless.
One Monday, I came home from work, and Larry informed me that a real estate agent was coming the next day. "We're moving to Tampa!", he announced. And let the whirlwind begin. We listed the house that Friday, showed the house three times on Saturday, and sold it on Sunday. It all happened so fast that we didn't even have a place to go, so we started shopping. Thankfully, we found a gregarious, laid back real estate agent that was willing to be candid and honest about the options available to us, and he made some good suggestions. We bought a house sight-unseen in Weeki Wachee, FL!
It was an amazing house, and I loved it! Everything I had ever dreamed of with 2300 sq. ft., pool & hot tub under a screened lanai, fenced-in private 1/2 acre yard, vaulted ceilings, 9 foot sliding doors, and plenty of room, and a mile from the beach. The grandkids could even have their own room, and I had my own office! BUT, Larry was not feeling it at all. He didn't really want to be in the city anymore, and it felt like we were right on the edge of Tampa. So after about a year, we started looking again. He wanted some acreage and privacy, no neighbors and no city noise. His ask was for at least 20 acres.
We found the perfect place after a long search, and while it was a little further from Tampa than we had originally planned, it was EXACTLY what we were looking for as far as the land was concerned. The house was a little smaller than I would have liked and there was no pool, but we were making up for it with outdoor space. I could see myself entertaining the kids, grandkids, family and friends in this home. I was excited that we would get to expose the kids to more of the rural upbringing we had both experienced, with farm animals and a garden and lots of things to do that didn't require a user name and password.
So here we are! While we made lots of good memories in the Weeki Wachee house, I am beyond happy that we now have the ranch for the kids to visit. The grandkids are learning so much about animals and nature when they are here, and they are enjoying the outdoors. We have added a pool (my only stipulation), so the kids get to learn to swim and practice while they are here! We are close to the lakes and can take them boating, learn about the birds and alligators, and other wildlife.
Finally, home is where my heart is! Now to start working on the boys.
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