Sweet Home Jamaica: Back to Bellaire

Our newlywed home sweet home
Bellaire, TX

Our first home as a married couple was in a picturesque Houston neighborhood called Bellaire. It was a 1,000 square foot 1940’s rental, nestled between million dollar homes, filled with termites and rotting floors and a leaky shower faucet. It had definitely seen better days and was likely on the city’s list of tear downs, as I think it broke every housing ordinance in existence (I walked into the bathroom one morning to find a mushroom growing in between the baseboard and the linoleum, if that gives you an idea). It was two houses down from the train tracks, and when the train rolled through around 2:00 each morning (Why wouldn't you ship cargo through a residential neighborhood on a train at that hour?) the entire house would shake from top to bottom. When we first moved in, we awoke several nights thinking it was an earthquake, but soon it became a comfort—like gentle rocking to a baby.

I loved that house. With a little TLC it was the cutest house on the block, and we would have chosen it over our million dollar neighbors any day. We left Bellaire after two years, and headed to the suburbs for a newer house, sans termites and mushrooms. But a part of my heart stayed in Bellaire, at that house on Wendell Street. There was just something about it — we didn’t need or want anything more than that little house, because we had each other. I wasn’t ready to leave the simplicity of that season behind.

Before we moved to Jamaica, we spent a few weeks visiting Kingston, trying to find a place to live. We looked at over thirty townhomes and apartments. It was an EXHAUSTING process, especially since we didn't know the city or the neighborhoods, what was safe and what was not, how close we were to Kevin’s work, the airport, the grocery store, etc etc etc. We spent a lot of time in prayer, asking for God’s guidance in choosing the best place for us (We figured He knew the city, even though we didn’t). I just love God’s sense of humor and faithfulness. The complex we ended up in is called “Belair”.

Granted, the spelling is different, but the symbolism means so much. We couldn’t have asked for a better neighborhood, a safer location, or a more convenient spot in the city. We feel like God answered our prayers in leading us to this place, and the fact that it’s called “Belair” demonstrates His faithfulness and presence in a very real way.

So here we are, back in Belair, so grateful for a God who is loving and faithful and abundantly good. People have asked for us to post pictures of our home. They are included below. Please enjoy and know you are welcome to our Belair bungalow anytime!!

With Love,

Kevin & Cass