A Hive of Our Own – Finally!

It was supposedly the natural order of things – you get married, have a house then kids. But nothing came easy to Tats and me.

We were both part of middle management me for a small company and him for a medium-sized company. I supported my mom while he provided for his parents and three siblings. There was no way I’m ending up with this guy – or so I thought. After two years of dating we decided to get married. It helped that his brothers started working and my mom decided to move to the province with my sister. And so a modest yet chic wedding by the beach we had, everything paid for in cash from our very own pockets followed by a sponsored honeymoon to Boracay.

Afterwards, we stayed in the apartment I shared with my mom on weekdays and their house on weekends. We explored the real estate market but there was simply nothing good within what we could afford.

We decided to be practical and moved in with his family in his expanded bedroom with bathroom. Life is convenient with good food on the table (his dad was Kapampangan and his mom Cavitena), trusty househelp and respectful privacy. We didn’t have to pay rent so we got a car on a 3-year loan. We did our own laundry and contributed to the house budget. I had less responsibilities than when I was single and I almost forgot the difference… then I got pregnant.

As my tummy got bigger the more I realized that our little world won’t be enough. As luck would have it, my mother-in-law’s friend was selling her townhouse at a good price. Tats and I applied for a loan right away and since we’re done paying off the car with the same bank, we got approved!

Again, the forces seem to be on our side that our ninang from the wedding is in the build-and-sell business. With her contacts and resources, she’s personally overseeing that our small renovations budget goes a long way.

Our little house will be ready for occupancy in a few months, perfect timing with the baby. Modest as it may be, I love it coz it’s our very own =)