The last year of our lives has been a whirlwind, to say the least. A little over a year ago, we moved back into our house after an eight month stay in an extended stay hotel after a fire. We wrapped up house construction and had a baby… it has been a total blur, in the best way possible.
As much as we love our little 1,000 square foot, 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home, we knew that it wouldn’t suit the needs of our family for much longer. It would seem that tiny humans come with a lot of stuff. Stuff we just don’t have room for.
Today we sold our home. The time has come for us to say goodbye.
To say that I am a sentimental person is pretty much the understatement of a lifetime. When I was a child, there was a pickup truck and a popup camper that I had pretty epic meltdowns over when my parents sold them. I am talking full on sobbing.
When my grandma sold her house to move into a retirement community, I bought her dining room furniture. Said furniture then lived in my parents’ garage for about 6 years before I had a place to put it. But, that furniture is a treasure to me which is a mainstay in memories of my family sitting around the table long before I can even remember.
I might have too many treasures. Not every treasure is meant to be kept for a lifetime… that is called hoarding.
After our house fire I realized that I am not attached to the things, because they are truly just things. I could have literally named the things I would have been devastated to lose on my fingers. I am attached to the memories, and those come with me for a lifetime, with our without the THINGS.
Aside from our parents’ homes, this is the place that Jordan and I have called our home the longest in our lives. Six years for Jordan, five for me. But more importantly, this was our first home together. So, saying goodbye to this little house isn’t just moving on to the next chapter of our lives. It is saying goodbye to the beginning of our lives together and memories we made here.
This was where we watched football and basketball and movies and had game nights and shared meals with our friends and family.
This was where our neighbors became our community and our friends.
This was where we celebrated holidays, birthdays and anniversaries.
This was where we learned how to live with one another… and to *cough* discuss *cough* how we have different habits, and that different habits are ok.
This was where Jordan asked me to be his wife, in our little living room after a game of Scrabble.
This was where we opened our wedding presents together, the morning after our wedding, sitting in a pile of wrapping paper and rice (that is a whole different story) and rehashing one of the best days of our lives.
This was where we tore out a kitchen and renovated it.
This was where, a week after our kitchen renovation was complete, our home caught on fire in a freak wind/rain storm.
This was where we realized our home is with one another, not just in a building. But, the brief glimpse at losing the building we shared and everything in it was pretty scary nonetheless.
This was where I drove back to from our hotel to hand Jordan a card that said, “Open on the day the test says yes”.
This was where we rebuilt the building we call our home, together.
This was where we brought a baby home and she changed our lives for the better forever.
This was where we started to figure out this tiny human… I don’t think we ever will completely.
This was where she had firsts – with many more to come.
This was where we decided to make another house our home.
Don’t get me wrong – depending on how well you know our story, this house has been a bit of a shit show at times. I mean, we had a frickin fire. There was a jack hammer used inside our home at one point. It came to a point where if something went wrong, we would just start cracking up because, of course, something else happened. But, the positive things that happened here far outweigh the negative.
I know that in our new home we will create new memories and we will have more space for our family to grow, live, laugh and play. But, this little house will forever hold a special place in my heart. This was where our story started. This building holds years of our joy – and I hope years more joy for the next family who lives here. You were a good home, little house. While we can’t keep our little house forever (just like that popup camper) I will carry these memories with me for the rest of my life.
Goodbye little house, thanks for the memories.
