But tonight, as we loaded up the last few things at the old house and met the renters for the walk through, it hit me: While it is still our house, because we own it, it is no longer our home.
I know I whined and complained about that house. A lot. But there are still some wonderful memories there. Ricky and I started our life as a married couple in that house, we learned what being married meant and how to be a family in that house. We added to our family in the form of Jacko in that house.
I'll never forget...
- being there late at night, doing homework in the spare room while Ricky was working on getting the house ready before we moved in.
- spending the night on the futon with Sierra, watching (and hating) Monsoon Wedding, and Ricky unintentionally scaring the crap out of us
- realizing the night before our wedding when Heidi and I were supposed to stay there that we didn't have a shower curtain rod yet, and stopping at Fred Meyer about 10:30 at night after the rehearsal to pick one up
- being in the bathroom, brushing out my hair, getting ready to get married
- writing wedding thank you notes late at night, waiting for Ricky to get home
- the ugliest kitchen tile and sink you've ever seen - and how I cried the day I realized no paint color could ever make it look better
- Ricky seeing me cry and deciding it was time to change the kitchen
- our beautiful kitchen!
- nearly burning the house down when heating up some oil. Don't do that at 11 oclock when you're exhausted!!
- hosting Bible study in our home
- studying on the bed, and Ricky bringing me scrambled eggs and toast for dinner
- having dinner with numerous friends and family in our cute kitchen
- my gorgeous - and huge! -geraniums in the front yard
- the shutters. Dear Lord, the shutters.
So many memories, so much for which to be thankful. As I think back on the times I cherish from that home, I realize most are from very early in our marriage, when we were in college and just after. It makes me realize - we really did outgrow that house. It was a wonderful place for us to start, but as we grew as a couple, as a family, as individuals, we began to outgrow our four walls. We began to outgrow the "early married/graduate student" decor of yesteryear. We needed a change
Our new place isn't huge by any measure. It's new, though, and bigger. It's a place for us to continue to grow, a place for new memories. We have our first grown up couch, our first real guest room and bath. We have a house large enough to have a party - and we will, don't you worry!
While I will miss the old house, I know that we are entering a new phase in our lives, and I'm excited to see where it leads.
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