You got to know when to hold 'em

I didn’t know whether I should publish this post or not. I’ve read a number of really personal struggles on some of my favourite blogs recently and my problems in comparison seemed trivial. However after setting it aside for a while I decided that this blog, amongst other things, is a record of the struggles; big and small, that our family goes through and although this is not the toughest or saddest moment that has faced our little family it is still one that will leave its mark. So here it is, the story of saying goodbye to our humble holiday house.

At our holiday house backdoor

This decision seems to be one of many that has been thrown at us lately and although we workshopped a thousand different ways to keep it, in the end selling our home away from home was the most sensible decision. Unfortunately like with most ‘sensible’ decisions it is hard to convince your heart that you are doing the right thing.

It's certainly a first world problem, I know, but we've worked hard, we are not frivolous with money and this has allowed us to keep our getaway until now. The house is not luxurious, it's not overlooking white sands, or rolling hills but our simple brick house is our respite, our place to unwind and come together as a family.

 

Love those pudgy little legs!

We've put in a lot of time and energy into our 90's abode and of course now that it's for sale it looks the best it's been. (Isn’t that always the way?). We knew having kids might force us to make a difficult decision about the house years down the track but probably not so soon. We affectionately named the house, Rancho Relaxo, partly because husband loves The Simpsons but also because anyone who has stayed there agrees, you slow down there, chores are set aside, routines lose importance and we spend time, quality time as a family. Mornings are spent having breakfast at the local cafe, afternoons are spent at the beach or on impromptu car trips. Yes, we will miss this.

 

Have to hold back our water baby

My anxiety levels about this decision are at an all-time high but it's hitting husband the hardest. It was his house before we were together and he has memories of his own in the walls of this house. Having a family holiday home is a common amongst Italians, one that is often handed down through the generations, a strange concept in my Anglo-self-sufficient upbringing, but one I can certainly embrace. However our decision that our kids spend more time with us than in childcare in these early years mean that as a consequence sacrifices had to be made, yes I am whining amount something very indulgent, nonetheless it is still sad.

 

In the meantime we are trying to focus on the positives; less financial stress, more opportunities to explore the city and state we live in on weekends now. The most important thing to take away from this difficult decision? That you don't need a holiday house to step back from your rigid routines, to focus on the importance of spending time together, to explore and make memories together. And tomorrow when the hammer falls on the sale of our house there will be tears shed for the memories we had hoped to make as a family there but life is what you make it and we can make happy lasting memories together no matter where we may be.