Leaving... On a Jet Plane

After almost 14 glorious years living in the great state of Utah, the Lindsey and Ryan Smith clan will be embarking on a new adventure in June. We are moving to Pullman, WA where Ryan has been hired as the Director of The School of Design and Construction at Washington State University. Basically, he's an academic rock star, and if I weren't already his wife, I would definitely be that groupie that security keeps their eye on. Our caravan will include our turtle, *5 of our 6 children, and honestly a boat load of tears. More details about the decision to leave shall be forthcoming, but for starters, I want to document the first step in the exit: selling our home. Below are some pictures (many of you have already seen these on our MLS listing.) I love this house. In the course of living here over 11 years, we have re-done the roof, the flooring, the kitchen, all three bathrooms, painted everything, replaced all 33 windows (half of which are custom sizes), re-done the driveway and sidewalk, landscaped the front yard, and built a small fence to hide our trash cans so that our neighbors believe we don't generate trash... but we don't just have trash. We also have dirty laundry, and all of it is coming with us when we move to Pullman in a little over a month...and now it's time to cry again.

* Our oldest is forever welcome to join the crew, but as a Sophmore in college, who is happy with his living arrangements and University, he's staying behind. The others have no choice:~)




I loved the way our realtor described our home. Usually, house listings are boring... but our realtor, who loves Midcentury Modern Homes cranked out the following:

Much like Joseph Eichler, who developed some of California's most celebrated tract residences, Ron wanted to create community; he wanted to build homes for the creative modern family. Ron Molen-designed homes are all about the spaces. The public, or gathering spaces, are joined together with the private areas of his homes by what he liked to call "open, free, and spontaneous space." His belief was that, "a true family house offers a vital, imaginative, productiveenvironment.... a place for creative family living." Okay, so not every kid who grows up in an Eichler is going to become Steve Jobs (like Steve Jobs did), but it's safe to say that Ron has also influenced his fair share of creative kids over the years. This home is located on the Bountiful bench, and is well-sited to take advantage of the lake views from the back. The main structure balances like a delicate bird perched atop a brick wall, with the carport extending like a wing, held up by thin posts and beams. When approaching the front door, a small row of Japanese maples reach their arms up and beyond a cutout in the roof, bridging the indoor and outdoor spaces. The interior of the home puts the gathering spaces on full display. A gourmet kitchen that seats 24 is unlike any other Ron Molen home you'll find. My seller just happens to be a professional chef, who designed her kitchen to be a place in which she can teach. Just like the hearth in a Frank Lloyd Wright house, the kitchen has been the pulsing heart of this home for her family. The open living space and family areas sit just below the kitchen. And, in a home full of windows, the conversation pit is a great place to hide from it all. It's a space where families can play Chutes and Ladders, or dream big while building their Monopoly empires. It's also a space to simply huddle, quietly, in front of the fireplace. This home has been built on some enviable core principles. This home is about freedom of expression. This home is about finding common ground, and each other. But, most of all, this home is about family.