Almost 2 years ago I set up a tab on here called 'building the nest'. It was never actually needed and has sit 'hidden' on the tabs ever since (also shows how serious I take blog admin.... can't have it all in control). We 'sale agreed' on a piece of land in October 2016. Long story short, after paying for plans that we will never need, solicitors and land surveys, in February 2017 the sale fell through over disagreement on a lane.

A. bloody. lane.

I never cried over it, if anything I felt a sense of relief. For me I realised that I was just not cut out for having 2 little ones, a busy job and try to build (while potentially living in a caravan). Those short months were all kinds of stressful. Hats off to those who build.

We love our house, the location, area, garden and downstairs but the upstairs just didn't feel big enough as our family has grown.

After house hunting for almost a year we give up before Christmas. There was nothing else in the area that we really loved but I loved walking back through the doors of my own wee home.

We decorated every room, moved the girls into bunk beds with storage, added storage solutions to the living room to create an office for the business I had started and changed both the ensuite and bathroom not to mention a new boiler (personally would have rathered Hermés but it wouldn't warm the kids).

Then just shy of 3 weeks ago after leaving my car out to the garage (again!!! That's another story but in essence trips to the Nissan garage is now a weekly routine!) on our way back home we stopped and stared up a lane to a new build house, on the same road as we were going to build. I made a fleeting statement about booking a viewing.

We viewed on the Tuesday, had a mortgage app on the Wednesday to see if it was possible, put an (cheeky) offer on the Wednesday afternoon.... (got declined/ laughed at) and I told Colin that for the first time in all the years of looking I couldn't shake it from my head. It felt like home, even standing in the empty shell I could imagine it as home.

It's a bungalow, in the country, with space for an office and spare bedroom as the girls will continue to share for the time being.

Colin went to work on the Thursday and told me to sit on it and do nothing! Men just don't know how to get shit down. I listened to him... well for a few hours anyway but that day when he was out of my hair I got our house valued, I took the girls out to see the cows by the new house after dinner and happened to meet the builder/ owner there. It was fate.

I was done playing it cool and after a quick chat around the house with the girls running around we sale agreed. That was interesting news to break to Colin when he arrived home, probably one he won't forget in a hurry either and makes the time I bought an occasional chair that happened to be more sofa look minor.

Our house went on the market on the Friday and after 10 days and countless viewings we sold to a couple that's ready to move and what we believed was the lowest risk.

So fingers crossed all goes through ok (been there, done that, got nothing in return) we hope to be moving pretty soon. Perhaps I'm a little premature being public about it as I didn't mention the site last year but if something doesn't go to plan... sure that's life, no point in painting everything as seamless.

The new house is currently a shell so before holidays we picked our kitchen, bathrooms and most of the flooring but we have a long way to go inside and outside.... but it's a lifetime project and one that I can't wait to begin.

I already feel emotional about leaving or first wee home. It's housed the best 9 years of my life, carried over the threshold as Mrs, we brought our babies 'home' there and it was filled with many firsts. Through laughter and tears it's always felt like our safe haven.

Though I remind myself that home is made up of those in it and we are all going together. 'Home' is coming too.

and now to get to know the new neighbours

Anna xx