The Evolving Dream House

So, we're in San Antonio again -- this time, officially, on a house-hunting mission.  Hubby has been out with the realtor in all his spare time in the last week or so and has narrowed the list of possibilities down to about . . . sixteen.

Sixteen.  He narrowed it to sixteen.  That gives you an idea of how many total houses he's been looking at.  I'm so glad I have him.

Somebody asked the girls and I recently what we were looking for in a house.  All each girl really wanted was her own room -- and her own bathroom, although I told them not to hold their breath for that one. 

I wasn't so sure what I was looking for.  I remember when we bought our first house in Hutchinson, Kansas.  One of the things I so wanted then was a "craft room" -- a separate room where I could store all my craft supplies and work on projects without having a mess out in the living area.  LOL!  (Literally, I'm laughing out loud.)  How I have changed since then.  I have a cross-stitch project I started before my 13-year-old was born, and I can't seem to make myself finish it.  I'm kinda done with the crafty thing.

When we bought our house in Springfield, Missouri, having a guest room was a big deal because we were going to be further away from family and when people came to visit, they would need a place to sleep.  And I discovered there the pleasures of a tub with Jacuzzi jets (something I've really only used and valued a lot when I've been pregnant) and a large walk-in closet -- both items which went on the wish list gioing forward. 

By the time we were moving to New Jersey, I had a child and much more family-living experience, and I had different desires.  I wanted a separate dining room.  I'm not even sure why now, but I did.  I wanted lots of storage space.  I wanted a real, wood-burning fireplace.  I wanted a basement, or some kind of play area where we could put the kid's toys and they wouldn't be underfoot all the time.  And I wanted a rural feeling in the environment (a challenge to find in New Jersey, but we did it). 

When we moved to Sioux City, with two children now in tow, I wanted everything we'd had before . . . plus a homeschool space.  And a three-car garage (we expected to add a driver while we were there). 

But I feel like I'm coming into this search with a different mindset.  I don't know if it was the long period of unemployment . . . or the consideration of a move to Panama . . . but I have very little I feel like I need in a house right now.  In fact, we'll be living in hubby's apartment for a while, I expect, and I feel content with that.  When my friend asked what I wanted in a house, all I could think of that I would really covet was a nice, shady back porch or deck with an attractive view where I could sit and work and visit and read and relax.  Having a door to that from the master bedroom would be even better.  Maybe I'm getting old.

But hubby did mention a house with a library.  A library.  Oh, yeah.  That would be nice.