What do you do when you love where you live, but it’s too small? And, something even bigger than having your 5th child is happening within your extended family?
Welcome to, Moving for a Larger Family Story – Home Stories Episode 2: The Barbour Family.
In this episode, we dive into the story of Rhett and Ang Barbour who loved their community and their home in Fort Thomas, KY, but ending up moving to Florence, KY – partly because of the space needed for their growing family, but partly because of healing that was happening between generations within the larger, extended family.
Before the move, Ang had complications with the pregnancy of their 5th child that put her on bedrest, and their daughter was born premature at 29 weeks. So, what do you do when you are a father of four with one on the way and your wife is in the hospital? You take the papers at Good Samaritan Hospital and get the house closed of course!
There were several challenges that were faced and overcome during this time period, and the Barbour house has shaped and will continue to shape their family story.
Learn why Rhett says things like, “we’re not in the business of calling any place our forever home” and “we keep the home as a tool to serve whatever our family’s needs are at the time.”
And, watch something special that is happening between the generations of the Barbour family …
WATCH MOVING FOR A LARGER FAMILY STORY – HOME STORIES EPISODE 2: THE BARBOUR FAMILY
Looking back on Moving for a Larger Family Story, Episode 2 of Home Stories and my interview with Rhett and Ang, there were a few things that really stood out to me.
First, it took a lot of guts for them to move. Clearly, they felt God was doing something in their extended family, but in moving to Florence, they had to leave a LOT of what was comfortable and known from the first part of their marriage. They were leaving friendships. They were leaving a street with a lot of young families on it. They were leaving friends that their kids knew. They were leaving living the city of Fort Thomas, which they loved for all of its character. They were leaving being close to downtown Cincinnati and all of the arts, restaurants and culture that it provides. And, they were leaving a short commute to work every day for Rhett.
When you add all of that up, that’s a LOT to give up. I was really moved by the fact that they thought there was a bigger and more important story happening that was worth giving all of those things up.
The other thing that really struck me, besides the incredible story of their 5th child’s birth, was the attitude that both Rhett and Ang took on their home. Here again, are a few quotes from Rhett, “we’re not in the business of calling any place our forever home” and “we keep the home as a tool to serve whatever our family’s needs are at the time.”
Often, when I am working with buyers or sellers, it doesn’t feel like they have the view on their house of it being a tool to serve the family. Many times, it can end up going the other way. I often here the phrase, “we want to find our forever home”, and while in some ways I think that is great, in other ways, the family could end up serving the home as opposed to the home being a tool to serve the family.
I thought there was a lot of wisdom in those two statements, and it could benefit a lot of families to categorize the home as a tool and reassess regularly to make sure it is serving the family’s needs.
Well, I hope you enjoyed Episode 2 of Home Stories! Right now, they are a labor of love, and I hope to get many more episodes and stories out there!
In the mean time, it’s our mission at Team Sztanyo to Help Families Find Their Way Home. If you need help buying or selling a home, give us a call today.