August 1, 2019: To the New Owners of 16706 Elm Circle

The last picture taken together at 16706 Elm Circle

To the New Owners of 16706 Elm Circle:

I am writing this letter as a for-sale sign is being strategically positioned in the front yard of my home. It has been nineteen years since a sign to allure new owners (you) has been placed on its grassy front. Today I find myself reflecting on the sweet heartbeat carried in walls of my forever home and all the joyful moments shared inside and out. My hope is to pay this all forward to you.

Today instead of savoring the past in my comfy chair in Omaha with three active boys buzzing around, I am in Boise with only a faithful dog by my side on a quiet summer morning. The only sounds here are the buzzing of the neighbor's mower and the many happy memories that are racing in my mind.

A typical lazy August morning in our cherished house of past would include smells of chlorine from wet swim trunks not properly placed in the washer. Towels leaving evidence of late night hot tub use and lots of wrappers with half-hearted attempts at cleaning up a kitchen feast from the night before would lay untouched. The boys would have been savoring some late morning sleep on the last summer mornings without a school wake-up call.

Instead, this morning I drink my coffee while reviewing a much-emptier calendar with no worries on coordinating playdates, baseball practice rides, uniform washing, or meal planning. Back in the day, all these activities happened at our house while we simultaneously had a lot of fun.

Sleepovers were better with more than one friend. Not wanting to exclude, we would invite entire teams and pool play groups. The more kids, the more creative play options there were in our favorite outdoor spot, the backyard of our home.

Owners, know that this backyard was truly cherished through every year we cycled through the life stages of the boys. It was what drew me to this house in the first place.

We weren't looking to move. Our previous home was less than a mile away from Elm Circle. I ran by this house on my daily run to Lake Zorinsky, always seeing kids playing and dogs running in the big backyard. On several occasions, I told my husband if the house ever went up for sale, we needed to buy it. One day while patrolling, my law enforcement husband saw the for-sale sign and brought home a flyer. We never looked at another house. We knew this one was destined to be.

The backyard was our fun playground from the start. With the move of our own play set to the new house, we had two large play sets, including a tornado slide and teeter totter. I was asked frequently by by-passers if I ran a daycare. Well, I guess kind of.

Ben at 4 loved to sit on my lap and swing. He could do this all day long. We would play a game where we would launch our shoes and try to clear the opposing fence. Zach preferred to host whiffle ball games in the backyard with the neighbor boys and friends. Everyone knew the tree was second base and where in the house the freeze pops were kept. The only regret I must share is not to allow aluminum bats to enter a backyard ball game. This resulted in Grant's forever-stamped Harry Potter scar on his forehead following a trip to the ER and stitches (Zach really didn't mean it, Grant).

As the boys got older and the backyard ball games were permanently moved to real baseball fields, the play sets were given one by one to other young families. A trampoline was then added providing a whole new form of entertainment for the boys, now pre-teen and teenagers. They made up the game of tramp-ball with mixed cries of laughter and fighting coming through the back door as I putzed around my beloved home. Listening to the sound of my children playing will always be my all-time favorite noise.

The tramp was as popular with high school boys as the grade school years. During one of our many hosted football pasta feeds in the backyard, I was taking pictures of no less than ten players doing acrobatics on the tramp. I was quickly reminded that the feed was in preparation for a district play-off game the next night and it might not be wise to promote a sprained ankle. No one was hurt, but my minds eye can clearly remember their childish boy laughs as they one-by-one crawled back out unto the grass.

Once Ben left for college, the tramp was given to yet another young family. Our backyard went on to serve as a favorite spot for adults and dogs. New owners, know that even without kids, there is no better spot for solace or a spacious dog park than this backyard. Books, BBQ, libations, deep conversations and dogs running amiss were common occurrences.

The hot tub has always been a hit as well. Note that any cigar butts or other young adult evidence of their partaking have been disposed. Chemicals and maintenance have been kept up to the highest level.

I do have to comment that the hot tub advertises an occupancy of twelve, which always seemed a stretch to me. But then there was the 8th grade graduation party. This was the one when Ben decided at the cookie and punch reception following the ceremony to invite his entire class (99 kids) to our backyard once the cookies were gone. And, yes, they all showed up. I don't even know how they knew to pack swimsuits (Ben??), but that hot tub was brimming full with well over a dozen 8th graders at once. They did appear comfortable.

After some good sanitizing, the hot tub was ready for my solo star gazing the next night. It is truly multi-functional.

Owners, know that the clean open bedrooms you see today were once filled with clutter in days past. It has taken me weeks in anticipation of your showing to get through the paper, pictures, and memorabilia we have collected in this house over these many years. The boys are all now grown and moved away, but they left many of their treasures behind.

We moved baby Grant's crib into his room in 2000 along with his favorite blankie. The blankie, tattered to almost-shreds is among the saved treasures in the storage room. The crib is long gone.

Last year after Lane boy #3 flew the nest, I received the gift of treasured time to sift through all our gathered memories in a quiet hum. It was a great way to end this chapter in my life and once again relive the many days we lived under this one roof together.

As those who know me would expect, I have calculated the number of days of ownership of 16706 Elm Circle. My calculation shows 6,805 days through today. I would be remiss if I wouldn't mention there were some bad days during this time with tears shed. But my calculation on that is only about 439 days of not-so-good. That does come out to 94% which is a solid A for home happiness. A very good ranking, new owner.

The nineteen years I had in this home included nine years with my kids' dad and our little family of five intact. The last ten have been with my now husband, Garrett. Although this home could not provide the views to mountains he loves, we shared our first words of love and hopefulness here on Elm Circle as we began our new chapter full of travel, multi-homes and shared lives. When separated from my new husband, which was often, this home comforted me like a warm blanket.

New owners, know that a piano is perfect in the family room with open window breezes and forever sunshine grazing the carpet. The kitchen may appear on the smaller side, but we have never had a problem pulling up a chair to the table or island for thousands of conversations between friends and family. The wine is only an arms length away if you stay by the island.

And then there is the basement. I am quite sure there are secrets that I will never know, but the house certainly does. For instance, what was the cause of the footprints I would find by the back sliding glass door on a Sunday morning? Sleepovers would often grow in size to where only the basement could accommodate. And the only logical place to watch a movie with a girlfriend, per my sons, is the basement?

The last thing I need to mention is that there is no better place to throw a party than this house. The karma is rich and the list is long on the large gatherings where we shared life and a lot of fun. There was never a Lane birthday party without at least a dozen guests. The frequent Lane extended-family celebrations (for anything we could come up with to celebrate) would typically top 30+ people. Then there were the annual Halloween parties, end-of-season sports gatherings, open houses for our civic activities, graduations, family reunions, and so on and so forth...

I will end my letter to you, yet-to-be-named new homeowner, with my word that I truly believe a home does have a heart and karma is real. We sure gave it our best in our nineteen years (6,805 days) at this home and wish this happiness on to you, its new occupants. Know that our circle neighbors are outstanding humans, salt of the earth. I will miss them dearly, but they are anxiously awaiting your arrival.

My husband, Garrett, often reminds me that a home is just a structure full of stuff. He tells me this with good intent as he knows my sentimentality level (high) and is trying to keep me grounded. All in time. I really did need a year of quiet time to get to this spot, but I am there. I am ready to pass the baton. The house is ready for some more laughter, love, and shenanigans. This house wasn't meant to sit empty.

New homeowner, please enjoy. I am hopeful you are able to have as many happy years as my family shared here. But do know, if you find out anything about the basement, I don't want to know.

Yours Truly,

Sandy Lane
(also known under the names Sandra Alexandra Theresa Wagner Lane Brucker)

December 2000