Our family’s life forever changed on January 28, 2017. Ryan and I had to make an extremely hard decision. We could choose to stay in our Woodinville home where we’ve been renting the last seven years, and consequently accept a 50% rent increase, or find a new place to call home. Through we had taken great care of the home and treated it like it was our own for seven years…asking and praying we could one day buy the home, we ultimately always understood this day had the potential of happening.   Taking a deep breath, we knew God was moving us on to something better than this, even though this was literally our dream home.

That night, we began to explore a crazy dream that has engulfed our family since September 2016. Living on the water. We looked at Lake Union’s house boats for rent, but couldn’t find a vacant one with an appropriate floor plan within our budget. Crazily enough, we lastly looked on Craig’s list to buy a boat, and never be put in this awful situation again. We found this 1976 Cruise-a-home listed for $5,000. Ryan emailed the owner. The possibilities of a grand adventure with the ocean as our backyard, owners of our own home, and getting out of debt, were quickly out weighing the absurdity of what we were considering.

January 29, 2017 Our first look

The owner told us we could we could stop by and take a look at the boat. So, after an engagement session, which happened to end a few blocks away in Ballard, Ryan and I beheld her for the first time. “What are we thinking?” How could we downsize from a 2,200 sq ft home to this tiny thing…with four kids…in the shortest month of the year? Ryan, ever the optimist, was giddy with excitement.  “Jace, if any family could do this, ours can!” I knew he was right.