Well, it has been a while since I’ve updated you but with three kids, it is never a dull moment. While we have our Houston home and it will always be our home base, we decided that since Michael had signed a new contract, it would make more sense to stop renting and buy something that we could hopefully sell for a profit down the road.
Since this was such a large investment, we really put a lot of thought and time into finding the home that captured both of us. It was only the third home we saw with our amazing realtor, Gianfranco Lisi. He was patient with us and allowed us to look through photos and talk through each house before we physically went to see them. With everything going on, it was actually a very smooth process. Mike isn’t hard to compromise with and that might because we have been together for so long.
He wanted a balcony, an area for a ManCave and a beautiful oasis of a backyard. I wanted a spacious kitchen, an inviting Master bedroom and a backyard that had a kid area for them to play. As much as I know I don’t use the pool, I wanted it and I wanted it to be gated since that is safer for the kids and I will always know it is waiting for me when I’m ready.
With small children, I knew I had to make sure the house was inviting so I am truly proud of every room since I worked so hard to capture the essence of our family. If I had to pick one room as my favorite, it would be our Master bedroom. It is spacious, inviting, and even has a dropdown projector screen so we can create a theater room.
When it came to the kids' rooms, I wanted to make sure I incorporated their favorite colors and I consulted them a little so they felt involved. Since they are still so young, they didn’t mind me creating their themes. For my girly girl, we have a pink princess room and because representation is so important, I also incorporated brown princesses in strong postures. My sons share a room and I was able to create a mini-mancave with an underwater theme. While they love their themes, I knew we had to make sure we only looked at kid-resistant furniture since keeping things nice with three kids under six is nearly impossible.
When I talk to people, they always think having two homes in two great cities is great but it has its challenges for sure. Since we are in LA more, this house is much more homey and personal since we are there more. Our LA house is more modern and elegant and many more family photos, which I love. With always being away from at least one of our homes, we agree to always have security and gates to ensure we are protecting our investments. With our Houston house, because we are gone for such long periods of time, the maintenance always concerns me. We are blessed to have family who are willing to stop by and ensure it is functioning even when we are away.
After writing this, I learned we were leaving the team we have been with for the last nine years and moving to Detroit. Everyone says that the NFL really stands for NOT FOR LONG so I know how blessed we are to have been with one team (in two cities) for Mike’s entire career. I will keep you updated as we try to find a family-friendly home in a completely new city!