The Hoffman House Building Journey: Once Upon A Time

Once Upon A Time... A girl with really big hair...

Met a boy with a mullet...

they fell in love and lived happily every after!

The End!

Well, that isn't exactly how the story goes. I thought since today is our

19th wedding anniversary, I would explain a bit about our house building journey and how it started 22 years ago.

I was Western Michigan Universities student coordinator for Habitat For Humanity. It was my job to coordinate different campus groups to work on the WMU Habitat house. I loved this job, and became very close to the family we were building the home for. The only problem was getting college students to show-up on Saturday mornings to work.

That fall I had a buildings codes class, which was a mixture of interior design majors and construction management majors. This cute boy spoke to our class and invited us to join the "Collegiate Construction Association". I had no intent on joining this association, but thought these are the students I needed working for Habitat. I went to their next meeting and asked for volunteers for Habitat For Humanity. The same cute boy came up to me after the meeting and said he was VERY interested in getting their group involved and could he have my phone number. I fell for it!!!

So, the interior design major started dating the construction management major. We worked together on the Habitat House and spent many Sundays walking through Open Houses. We attended the Parade of Homes and always talked about, someday when we build...

The first thing I ever remember Pete building for me is my SMOOCHING STEP, I know it sounds corny. When we were dating I lived in a really old apartment on the second floor, when he would leave, he'd always say, "Come give me a smooch on the smooching step." The first Christmas after I moved out of that apartment he gave me a wooden smooching step that he made and told me no matter where we go in life we'll always have a smooching step.

I surprised him on our wedding day and had the step hidden under the pew. When the pastor said, "You may now kiss the bride." I made him wait for the kiss until my sister had the step in place.