What to do with the house?

After Jim passed away, we were left weighing our options as far as what to do with the house. Personally, I always wanted to keep Adam’s childhood home, but it took my husband a little while to come around to renovating Grandpa’s House and moving back to Iowa.  He had to come to that decision on his own, and now that he has, he’s more excited about this new chapter of our lives than I am. 

We contemplated, very briefly, staying in Colorado and turning the house into a cute little Airbnb rental, but it didn’t take long for us both the feel that moving back to Grandpa’s House was not only the right thing to do, but the only choice that really made sense. 

As we near retirement, we don’t need much in terms of square footage. We’re long past the years of having a fancy home that makes a big impression. We crave less stress and more simplicity in our lives as we age. Having a smaller house and yard to take care of just makes sense. Having THIS house, where both Adam and Jim (Adam’s Dad) grew up, surrounds us with warmth, memories and the legacy of Adam’s family. 

It’s amazing how age brings into focus what really matters. Family. Love. Creating Memories. That’s what matters! Things are just things. Living a rich life is less about money and more about the love you feel and the experiences you have in your life. Of course money helps, financial security is great, but you can’t buy happiness. You can’t buy a beautiful marriage. You can’t buy healthy relationships. Those are the things that make a rich life. 

It was never in the plan to move back to Adam’s childhood home in Iowa, but here we are, and we’re so excited about this next chapter of our lives.