the journey from start to finish on the downey Dream home has been a long one, almost 1 year to the day.
last june, against my will i might add, bill and i entertained the idea of moving...
we looked around for a while, but nothing really won me over.
see i was a latch-key kid, only child of a single parent who worked 2 jobs to keep us off welfare (yeah, yeah who wasn't right?)
up until bill and i got married i never really lived in a house i could call my own, only rentals and apartments
when bill & i bought our first home 15 years ago, i told bill i would never move...i wanted this to be our front door forever so that when we raised our children they would always have their HOME to come back too.
but then we found this home.
we walked into the model and i remember turning to bill and saying, "we're home"
that next week we officially signed the paperwork to build our dream house with the contingency that we SELL our current house
i thought if it is meant to be, we will sell our house...if not, we were meant to be in our house forever.
our house was only on the market 24 hours before we got our first offer and we were out 30 days later.
meant to be!
however, that meant we would now be homeless...
we totally lucked out and we found a rental that allowed us to go month to month and for the past 10 months we had been "camping" in the rental...not fully unpacking, not really "living" in the new space. it was awkward, not really settling in...but we knew it was just temporary.
i think we (i) rode past the construction site everyday for 10 months (sometimes twice a day!)
during the process, each of us armed with sharpies, we wrote secret messages on the framed out walls to ourselves and to each other
we have been in the house now for 2 weeks and bill and i still cant believe we live here. we gather around the dinner table each night and are so grateful for so many blessings.
so many twists and turns that ordinary life can challenge couples/families with and we still stand together, building dreams, learning to take leaps of faith, remembering to be grateful for every moment of shared togetherness and loving each other.
many of you have been a part of our journey too...
whether we connected through the pages of scrapbooking magazines, on the blog, spending weekends together in classes, online videos, wednesdays, social media or the casual pop into the Studio this has all been a part of what has led us here.
thank you for making dreams come true.
stay tuned, this monday i will post some pictures of how i am setting up my new home studio space...
wow congrats, new home to live in with beautiful children!
Posted by: Jennifer | June 05, 2015 at 11:31 AM
Congrats! Enjoy all your new memories in your new home!!! Can't wait to see pics of your new studio!
Posted by: kat | June 05, 2015 at 11:34 AM
Congrats! It's great a dream come true. Hope for more dreams turned into realities. Enjoy your house!
Posted by: Silvia | June 05, 2015 at 11:40 AM
Your home looks AMAZING I wish you all every happiness and good health to you all ENJOY you have worked very hard for it. XX
Posted by: Sandra inwards | June 05, 2015 at 11:51 AM
It's beautiful, Donna. You've worked so hard for this. Step into the dream and enjoy it. Looking forward to seeing the new house when I'm there in October.
Posted by: [email protected] | June 05, 2015 at 11:54 AM
Congratulations! You have landed in my "neck of the woods"! Love love love that area! Left that part of NC over 20 years ago...and have forever longed to return! Closest I've gotten is Raleigh NC...but maybe one day...it is definitely God's country from my point of view and miss it terribly! Yes, I can so relate to the whole moving process, but looks like it all worked out for the best! Your home is breathtaking! Hope to visit your studio and take class sometime in the near future! Best of luck!
Posted by: Jane booth | June 05, 2015 at 11:55 AM
Is that the Hillcrest by Legendary? We bought the Woodland in Cumming, GA about a year and a half ago. We love our house. I wish you well in it.
Posted by: Michelle Gamma | June 05, 2015 at 12:01 PM
I have been enjoying the posts and updates that Bill has been posting on Facebook!! I love your new home!! It SCREAMS Downey Family!!!
Posted by: yvonne ouellette | June 05, 2015 at 12:12 PM
Enjoy your new home and setting up your spaces to make it truly yours. It's beautiful.
Posted by: Barbara L | June 05, 2015 at 12:27 PM
Many Blessings in your new home. It was such a great pleasure meeting you and taking your class when i at Clipper Street.
Your beautiful smile and lovely personality, hope you never change. Hope you and Bill will have a great time bringing up your family in your new home.
Posted by: Betty Miller | June 05, 2015 at 12:33 PM
Your new house looks fabulous! So very happy for you and your family! <3
Posted by: Susan | June 05, 2015 at 12:34 PM
Congratulations again! I know I've said that quite a few times, but honestly, you and Bill work hard and you deserve it! It was fun to scroll down memory lane with you on this blog post... I had forgotten about the secret messages on the studs for the walls... so cool. Your new home is beautiful and I wish for you that it will bring you many more good times and memories! I also want to thank you for sharing so much of your life, talent and time with us all. You are certainly an inspiration to me! :)
Posted by: Caroline Duncan | June 05, 2015 at 12:44 PM
Congratulations!!!!!
Posted by: Karen | June 05, 2015 at 12:51 PM
So happy for you and your family.....it looks like a beautiful home!!! I hope you will have many many wonderful years there raising your family and growing old together! You deserve it! Can't wait to see your creative space too!
Enjoy!
Posted by: Dee Vowell | June 05, 2015 at 12:55 PM
In my native language Papiamento I'd like to say: 'Cu Papa Dios bendiciona boso cas y cu alegria, felicidad, amor y salud reina semper den boso hogar.' (May God bless your house and that you will always find joy, happiness, love and health in your home.') All the best!
Posted by: JEAN TROMP | June 05, 2015 at 12:56 PM
This is a very beautiful house. Have a wonderful life in it. Thanks for sharing with us.
Posted by: Johanne Lacombe | June 05, 2015 at 12:57 PM
That's awesome! Congrats! Cannot wait to see your studio, if you let us! Please......
Posted by: Michelle T | June 05, 2015 at 01:12 PM
Dear Downey Family, Welcome home! It's beautiful! Say hi to Grandma for me! xxoo Michelle
Posted by: Michelle Saxon | June 05, 2015 at 01:49 PM
So happy for you and your family! Live life and enjoy!
Posted by: Cheri | June 05, 2015 at 01:50 PM
Just beautiful!! I am so very happy for you!!! Can't wait to see the inside as you get to know your dream home and each room becomes a reflection of your family.
Posted by: Christine | June 05, 2015 at 02:14 PM
Wonderful!!!!
Posted by: judyinhuntsvilleal | June 05, 2015 at 02:20 PM
What a fabulous new home, I am sure you will all be happy there forever!! Thanks for sharing some of your journey to this happy place
Posted by: Helen | June 05, 2015 at 02:26 PM
Welcome Home!
Posted by: lindi stevenson | June 05, 2015 at 02:28 PM
SO happy for you! I can totally relate to the "camping out" comment, as that is how my husband and I felt while staying at our friends ranch over the winter up here in BC! Congratulations on your new home Donna and family!
Posted by: Laura Rowlett | June 05, 2015 at 02:31 PM
It is stunning!!!
Posted by: Maxi! | June 05, 2015 at 02:42 PM
Congratulations, Donna, to you and Bill and the kids. You have inspired me so much over the years and it has been so exciting to see you evolve from the simple scrap booker to the amazing artist you have become! I was priveleged to attend Inspired Artist for two years and other classes that you have taught. The best to all of you!
Posted by: Beth Hardage | June 05, 2015 at 02:47 PM
Welcome home!
Posted by: Pat Healey | June 05, 2015 at 03:12 PM
Congrats! The house is beautiful and your lovely family makes it a home. Enjoy it and each other.
Posted by: Cheryl Midkiff | June 05, 2015 at 03:36 PM
Beautiful. Beautiful home. Beautiful family. Beautiful story. May this home be the soft spot for many years to come. I imagine the stories created within the walls will be delicious. Enjoy!
Posted by: Meg M. | June 05, 2015 at 04:07 PM
Congrats to the Downey family...beautiful home.look forward to seeing how you have set up home.
Posted by: bettyann | June 05, 2015 at 04:57 PM
Wishing you all many more blessings in your new home!
Posted by: Candice | June 05, 2015 at 05:14 PM
Congratulations and all the best!!
Posted by: TJ | June 05, 2015 at 06:58 PM
Congrats Donna. Beautiful Home. 😀
Posted by: Maria Bush | June 05, 2015 at 07:11 PM
Best of luck in your beautiful new home. Your kitchen looks amazing. Enjoy!
Posted by: Ida | June 05, 2015 at 07:13 PM
Awesome and I can't wait to see your pictures! I have followed your work since back in the scraabooking days! You are an inspiration to me and I love to say your name when I am talking about art journaling! You work hard and deserve the best! Congrats on your new home!
Posted by: Aprile | June 05, 2015 at 08:30 PM
So happy for you and the dream is Beautiful!
Posted by: Vickie | June 05, 2015 at 11:22 PM
Lovely new home! I know I felt the same when we built the home we designed, so many people made it happen for us. We were truly blessed & so grateful. Keep living your dream & creating your future. Congratulations!
Posted by: Cheryl | June 05, 2015 at 11:25 PM
Wow it its HUGE. How awesome Donna!
Posted by: Greta | June 06, 2015 at 02:02 AM
Wow it's really amazing. That kitchen alone would inspire me to cook better meals...lol. Congratulations to you and Bill! Good things happen to good people and I don't think I know a kinder couple than the two of you. I'm still a renter at 45 but I do believe my day to call something my own will come someday too!
Posted by: Shemaine M Smith | June 06, 2015 at 02:43 AM
I can NOT imagine just how beautiful you guys will make your home inside & out. It's just gorgeous, all the photos, the sharpies on the beams. Looking forward to your studio reveal & SO happy for you ALL! See you in 2016 :)
Posted by: paula | June 06, 2015 at 02:54 PM
Beautiful!!! So fun to get to choose and decorate a brand new home. Congratulations!!
Posted by: Cheryl Crook | June 06, 2015 at 07:49 PM
Oh, it's beautiful! Congratulations to you both xx
Posted by: Chantille | June 07, 2015 at 03:59 PM