
Well, my friends, we’ve got some news to share. I’ve been meaning to tell you all for weeks now, but between the busyness of the school year ending and then our 17-day-long road trip the very next day, it’s been hard to find the time. The thing is, this isn’t a quick & easy post to write. Even as I sit here today, I still find myself struggling to find the right words. It’s just, well this really feels even bigger than BIG, but it’s a really neat story that deserves to be told, so I’m just going to go ahead and jump right in…
We’re moving.

Honestly, those were words I hadn’t been expecting to say for many years to come – we love this house and our amazing little neighbourhood. This move definitely came out of left field, even for us. But, as unexpected as it is, we’ve never felt like something is more meant to be than this move. Let me tell you all about it.

I’m going to start from the beginning here…
Brady & I were both born and raised in our little town. We met in the sixth grade and started dating in the eighth. We grew up together really. And the back drop to most of that growing up was Brady’s house. It was a big house, with a big yard and always seemed to be the place that everyone gathered. Brady’s Mom was always happiest when her house was full of people, mainly her kiddos and all of their friends – she was always very welcoming of anybody and everybody and there wasn’t a person that walked through those doors that didn’t feel completely at home in that house because of it.
Eventually, we all grew up – the kids moved out (Brady & I all the way to BC) and it just didn’t make sense to keep that big old house any longer. It wasn’t an easy decision to make – Brady’s parents built that house, designing every square inch to meet the needs of their family. All three of their kids were raised in that house, not to mention the countless friends that felt at home there too. But that big house, with its big yard, was a lot to take care of and so, Brady’s Mom made the difficult decision to sell the house (the year our son Carson was born actually).
In the years since, Brady and I spent some time living in BC, but eventually found our way back home to be closer to our families. We ended up purchasing an old house from the 70’s, falling in love with the cozy feel, big back yard, and the quiet little street surrounded by forest. It also happened to be right next door to Brady’s Mom, which turned out to be the biggest blessing of all.
Brady’s Mom, Mary, passed away just five years later. Words can’t even begin to describe how much she is missed.
A few months ago, as I was mindlessly scrolling through Facebook while drinking my coffee one morning, I came across a listing for that old house – the one that Brady and his siblings had grown up in, the one we had so many happy memories in, the one we all loved so very much (Brady’s Mom most of all I think). I hadn’t been inside the house since it was sold ten years ago and so, I couldn’t resist taking the virtual tour online when I saw it. As I looked through each space, I felt an instant connection to Mary, so many memories flooded back to me. Looking through those rooms was definitely an emotional experience.
Shortly after, I headed off to watch Brady play hockey (he happened to be playing in a company tournament at our local rink) only to discover that he happened to be wearing the number of that very house on his jersey that morning. It was a crazy coincidence, which I later pointed out to Brady when I told him about the house listing. And then we shrugged it off and went on with our day.
The next morning, Brady came down stairs suggesting that we take Carson to see that house he’d grown up in. Brady’s sister had sent him the listing and, after looking through the photos, he found himself wanting to see it all in person and even more, to share it with Carson. We’d shown Carson the house a few times from the outside, but Brady thought it would be fun to share the inside with C too, showing him some of the spaces that had been the backdrop of so many of our stories. So, we called up a family friend, who just happens to be a realtor, and booked ourselves a tour for later that day.
Honestly, stepping into that house was an overwhelming mix of emotions. As we wandered through each space, we were flooded with memories, and we found ourselves sharing many of them with Carson along the way. It was all so nostalgic and even more, we couldn’t help but feel a strong connection to Brady’s Mom in each and every space. And then we came to the fireplace in the main living room – particularly the plaque that still hung there with the inscription:
The Mercer Residence
1988…
It was in that moment that everything changed. After reading it aloud, Brady & I just looked at each other and, without a word, I knew that we would be buying this house.
We learned that despite the house just being listed the day before, there was already an offer on the table, though luckily it hadn’t yet been accepted. We would have to work quickly. We met with our realtor (another family friend) just a few hours later to write up our offer. Knowing we were in competition, we went in with as little conditions as possible, including leaving off the sale of our current home. Brady also stayed up late into the night writing a heartfelt letter to the current owners, letting them know just how much it would mean to us all to have this home back in the family once again. As we signed all of the paperwork, we learned that the house had been listed on Mary’s birthday. It felt like another sign that we were heading right where we were meant to be.
Two days later, on Carson’s birthday no less, we got word that we’d got the house! That beautiful home, filled with so many memories was going to be ours.
The next day, before we’d even had a chance to start thinking about listing our current house, we had a call from Brady’s sister – she was interested in buying our house. This possibility hadn’t even been on our radar (granted this whole situation was just 48 hours old), but we were so thrilled at the idea! Not only would it save us having to go through the stress of listing our house (obviously a very huge perk), but even more, the idea of passing our home, a solid house that we’ve worked so hard on and grown so fond of, onto someone we love, well that was just the icing on the cake. It felt like yet another sign that this was all so meant to be.

And so, here we are – two short weeks away from moving into the house that Brady grew up in. And, while I’m sad to be leaving this old house from the 70’s, with all it’s charm and character and happy memories from the last 6.5 years of our lives, I’m SO excited at the idea of all of the memories we’ll be moving into as we head into this next chapter.
I still have so much more to tell you, but I’ll save it for another day.
Watch for a tour of our new house coming soon my friends. And in the mean time, I’ll be sure to share all the updates I can along the way over on Instagram. For now, I guess I better get packing.
Congratulations! This move does sound like it truly is meant to happen! Good luck with the move! I have just moved myself and it is a big but exciting undertaking. So many new adventures ahead!
Thanks so much Diane! It definitely feels that way! And thanks for the moving well wishes, I think we’re going to need all the luck we can get – I forgot just how much work moving is! Hahaha! Hope you’re settling into your new home nicely. Thanks again!
I’m so excited for you all; Mary’s influence is all over these “coincidences” and I can’t wait to see what you have in mind for the big house 😊
Thanks Pam! I totally agree, we felt her guiding us every step of the way!
So excited for you guys! What a wonderful journey. Mary always did have a way of making things happen! <3
Thanks so much Anna-Marie! Your words just gave me the biggest smile! It’s just so true – she really did!
Congratulations! This sounds like wonderful news indeed – I‘m so happy for you and already looking forward to future posts about this new chapter in your lives!
Thanks so much Jette! I can’t wait to share more about it all soon!
You all knew this was meant to be….too many “random” coincidences/signs. What an adventure you have ahead. Enjoy every special moment.
Thanks so much Patti! We are so excited for the next chapter!
Wow! This story gave me chills, good chills and brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful story. So Happy for you and yours. Wish you well. And here’s to many more happy memories made in your new home.
Thank you so, so much Di!
That. Is. Awesome!!!!!! What an amazing story!!
Thank you! It really is a neat story, this house holds a special place in our hearts for sure!
What a touching story! It seems like everything fell into place and you were led back to that house. It will be wonderful for your family to move into the future in a home that is so tied to your past and filled with wonderful memories.
Thanks so much Pam! It really felt that way for us too. We are so happy to have the opportunity to share some of those memories with our son, while making so many more happy memories as a family there too.
Wow! I just read how you painted the outside of your house and now your moving to a family homestead! Congrats to you! Look forward to posts showing your future home. I would guess since you know the home so well your already placing furniture in your head. Happy times ahead!
You are so right Vicki – I’ve been spending the last few months thinking about where we’ll put everything and even more, where the renovations will be starting. 😉 It’s definitely exciting! Thanks so much!!!
your sweet story brought tears. can’t wait to hear all about your new adventures.
Thanks so much Jess! It’s definitely a neat story about a home that’s very near & dear to our whole family.
Congratulations! If ever something was meant to be it sounds like this was. May God’s blessing be on both houses and all of you and your family.
Thank you so, so much!