Goodbye, House....

Dear House,

We are kinda close to being done packing. The movers are coming tomorrow to take all of our stuff to the other house. Packing is always a nightmare mixed with lots of sadness for me. It's been almost like a walk down memory lane the past few weeks....and it's been a hard walk down that memory lane for me. Tears have been shed in private as i've packed. I keep telling myself that home is where ever we land and that a house is just a house but my heart still aches that we are leaving you.

You've been an awesome home.

I truly thought that you would be my last home and my heart aches that this won't be the case.

I know that the next family will love you just as much as i do.....you have so much to offer a family: lots of room, tons of bathrooms (okay, not "tons" of bathrooms, just 4 bathrooms.), an amazing kitchen area and dining room, a beautiful sun room and a fantastic backyard with the cool fireplace.

Yes, the next family that moves into you will fall in love with you, too.

I am sure of it.

Christmas was always my favorite time of year and you were so fun to decorate. Lots of trees were put up, and too many decorations were always put up, too. The year that it snowed on Christmas was so magical...that's when these photos were taken. Of course, watching Emma grow up these past years has been amazing, too...the pencil marks in the bathroom showing how much she has grown each year since we have been here make me smile. We moved in when she was barely three and now she's eight and going into third grade. I can still hear her giggling as Robert chases her thru the house with Pickles barking at them and chasing the both of them.

So many happy and good memories were made in you...

I need to go finish packing...

Thank you, dear home....thank you for the shelter and all of the memories.

Changes....

....are happening in our lives. We are in the process of moving back into our other home--and I am in the mist of wondering how 2 adults, one eight year old and one dog can have so much stuff.  It is stunning how much stuff we have. 

Stuff.

So.

Much.

Stuff.

Emma's much loved stuffed animals.

Emma's much loved books.

My much loved books.

My much loved photographs.

My photo albums.

My journals.

My Llardo pieces.

My much loved art pieces.

My craft stuff--pens, markers, paints, art jounals.

Emma's baby stuff.

Yes, Emma's baby stuff....

It's interesting; Robert doesn't seem to have "stuff" that he is attached to.

Why is that?

Why doesn't he have stuff he thinks he can't live without?

We have enough Christmas stuff to decorate at least 2 homes.  Who needs a 15 plus foot tree?  And a 8 ft tree and a 4 ft aluminum tree (it's my favorite tree, btw ), and two mini tress? Oh, and three Nativity sets? And let's not forget the stuffed Christmas Santas.

At the rate I am packing, we might be moved in by Christmas....

And that's if I'm lucky.

I will miss this house. I will miss how the sun lights up the kitchen and den. I will miss the amazing arches and molding.  I will miss the doors--the downstairs doors are tall with such beautiful molding. I will miss the fenced-in yard. I will miss the beautiful red cardinal who visits my bird feeder often. I will miss the outdoor fireplace. I will miss our neighborhood pool, too.

I will not miss my neighbor who built Six Flags Over their pool with the loudest pool machines ever.  I have been lucky, I think, and have always had amazing neighbors.  Not so much this time. I will not miss my neighbor.  I will miss the rest of my neighbors,  though.  They have become my friends.

I will not miss cleaning this monster.

I will miss Emma's elementary school. It's such an awesome school.

I will miss this town....but it is growing at a stunning rate.  It won't be little for much longer.

Home, I am learning,  is wherever the three (I mean four!) of us are....

....with all of our "stuff".