DISCLAIMER: This post is mostly for my benefit. So in a few years, I can look back and remember our first family home. This post is cheesy. Sentimental. And probably not very interesting if you are anyone other than me
This is my house. Except it is no longer my house. Just the house I have been living in for the past 4 or so years. When Terry and I moved in we looked like this:
So young....so naive. Hahaha. I remember very clearly when Terry and I were dating (and I may or may not have been trying to convince him to propose....) I told him that just because you are married doesn't mean you need to buy a house and have a bunch of kids right away. But once I had that ring on my finger I knew I had him trapped and my evil plan was successful. MUWAHAHAHA. (Evil laugh). Not even four years later we have a house and two kids.Today, as we leave our house, we look like this:
Older. Tired-looking. Two kids in tow.I am sad to leave our first family home. Not sad enough to stay mind you, but sad that we are leaving behind a great home with lots of wonderful memories. As I walk through our empty house from room to room I am reminded of all we are leaving behind.
This is the first room you see when you walk into our house. Our dining room is where we held all of our family dinners and set up our Christmas tree. But more often that that, this room was used for walking laps around the dining room table with tired babies in our arms, trying to put them to sleep. I'm sure Terry and I logged at least a thousand laps each.
Our kitchen (a.k.a. Amber's cupcake factory). I loved our kitchen, except for one thing. No room for a kitchen table!! I am very much looking forward to sitting around the table for many family suppers in our new house.
Our sunroom. The home of many late night gossip sessions with the soccer girls and countless summer suppers. It was so awesome to be able to have friends over in here and not have to worry about being loud and waking up the kids.
Backyard. A wonderful, finished, very private backyard. One of the things I will miss most as our new house presently looks out onto a pile of dirt. Home to backyard soccer games, ladder golf and summer afternoons in the paddling pool.
Family room. This is where we spent 90% of our time in this house. This picture was taken when we were trying to sell our house so there are no toys in sight. Usually this room is filled with the bright colors of kids toys and there are toy cars and teddy bears strewn everywhere. Just how I like it! There are too many good memories in this room to name. This is where Lucas took his first steps, where I nursed and nursed and nursed my babies while watching afternoon TV, where we were when we watched Canada win Olympic hockey gold and where important late night conversations were had between Terry and I.
As they say on MTV Cribs....this is where the magic happens. Mostly the magic of watching Sesame Street and Super Why at 7 am when Lucas crawls into our bed for morning snuggles. And the magic of watching Lucas give his little brother Eli tummy pats and head rubs and kisses as they lie there together. Not the magic you are thinking of....minds out of the gutter!!!
Lucas' big boy room. It was so fun to see how excited Lucas was to start sleeping in his 'big brother bed' once we knew Eli was on the way. A room that brings memories of bedtime stories, tea parties, and looking out the window holding Lucas and watching the garbage truck come by in the morning. The highlight of Lucas' day! There were a few times (okay more than a few!) where I could hear the sound of little feet getting out of bed to play instead of sleep. When I came upstairs to tell Lucas to get back to bed, all I could see was a flash of white blanket zooming across the hallway headed into our room. Sneaky little guy.
This is the room I will be the saddest to leave. This house, and this room, is where I brought my babies home. It is where I spent a lot of sleepless nights looking out the window, swaying my babies to sleep. Nursing and nursing and nursing in that chair. Looking in on my sweet babies fast asleep in their crib. Rocking and cuddling and trying to remember each tiny thing about my little guys because I knew that those first days and weeks would be so fleeting. Staring at their little faces and little feet and little hands in amazement and awe. Crying tears of frustration when things weren't going smoothly, and more often tears of absolute unbridled joy that I am so incredibly fortunate to be their Mom.
Goodbye house.
