It’s 9:30 p.m., and we’re lying on an air mattress in the middle of our new living room. In our new home. A home that, for a long time, felt more like a fragile hope than a real possibility.

I’m not exactly sure when this dream began. I think it was sometime after COVID, when everything made you reevaluate what you wanted your life to look like. Matthew and I would talk about our “next step.” Should we build a pool and stay put? Or was it time for something bigger? I had always dreamed of living in Annapolis, so we would scroll through listings online, imagining a life near the water — kayaking on quiet mornings, long walks with beautiful views, a different pace.

For years, it stayed just that: a dream. But in 2024, we realized that if we truly wanted this life, we had to stop just talking about it and actually take action.

There was one major problem. There wasn’t a ninja gym within 90 miles of Annapolis. I remember saying, “We can’t move Keaton halfway across the country and take away his biggest love.” Ninja isn’t just a sport for him — it’s his passion, his community, his confidence.

So we widened the search: Where are there ninja gyms in Maryland? We found two. One of them was in Frederick.

Matthew and I both remembered Frederick from a lacrosse game years ago. We remembered it being charming. So in May 2024, we visited. Within a day, we knew. This was it. We loved the ninja gym — JXC for the win — and we were completely taken in by the town. Then we discovered Lake Linganore, and suddenly the dream expanded. What if we lived here?

When we returned home, things moved quickly. We contacted a realtor. We met with a custom home builder. We chose a lot and began picturing what life could look like.

And then the roadblocks came.

The first lot we fell in love with turned out to be unbuildable. I remember thinking, Maybe this is the sign. Maybe we’re not supposed to do this. But Matthew stayed steady. He has always been my guiding light — the calm to my questions, the faith when mine wavers.

Our build was delayed for months because of permitting issues. Months turned into more months. We ended up living in a small two-bedroom apartment for nine long months — the three of us, plus a 60-pound dog. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t easy. There were boxes and tight spaces and plenty of moments where Plan A felt very far away.

But we kept coming back to my dad’s wisdom: Life is how you handle Plan B, because you rarely get Plan A.

So we handled Plan B. We adjusted. We waited. We trusted.

And now here we are. On an air mattress. Matthew on one side, Keaton on the other, Minnie curled up at our feet. Surrounded by walls that hold every ounce of hope, patience, stress, and perseverance it took to get here.

Tomorrow, we officially move into our dream house.

A dream that didn’t come easily.

A dream that required courage and compromise.

A dream we all wanted — and, in so many ways, a dream we all needed.

Tonight, the house is quiet. Empty rooms echo. And my heart is full.