For the first 6 months of our marriage Dave and I lived with my parents, saving money and preparing for the arrival of our little daughter. When the opportunity came up for first time home-buyers to get a great deal buying a condo in our home town, we jumped at the chance! Of course there were many applicants and a lottery was held at the town library to choose the buyers. I was 8 months pregnant when i waddled in there hoping, praying...WILLING the powers that be, that we would be chosen. Thankfully, my little bean was already considered a person, and 3 and 4 family households had top priority...we got the 4th out of 8 available condos!
That night i met another woman, wearing a halter top, looking AMAZING....2 weeks after giving birth! I promised myself that i would have to hate her for being so pretty. But in truth, she has become a wonderful, amazing, dear friend. We have shared so much, and been through so much together that it literally makes me sick to think about leaving without her. Almost no day playing outside (slip and slide, sledding, bike riding) was without her and her kiddos. They have been like our family here, and we have been blessed to have our children grow up aside hers. Becky come with us, we love you! Who is going to text me when my garage is open now?!
By the time we were ready to move in, little K was 3 months old. I can remember sitting in the builders office, nursing her, while we picked out carpet, linoleum and cabinet patterns. This was no small feet for 20-something year olds who had never owned a house, decorated their own room or designed a thing! Thankfully (by the grace of God) we chose to have grey carpets which i must say have really held up well for the last 5 years and show minimum smeared banana, throw up and pee stains! (Hey, i have 2 young kids - it happens!)
Gosh it seems like a million years ago when we had that baby girl jumping in her jumperoo, ponytail on the top of her head, big chubby cheeked smile, squealing in that upstairs bedroom. Of course, its not just her bedroom anymore; 18 months ago her little brother came into the world....in this very house.
These walls have heard our life, our family over the last 5 years. They've heard WAYYY too many nursery rhymes and replays of the same song over and over (most recently "Teenage Dream" the version by Glee). They've heard our arguments as we grew as husband and wife and learned how to live with another person, discover each others quirks, and grow as individuals and together as a team. This house has heard so much laughter and love, so many giggles, coo's and more than its share of tears. It has witness both of my babies' first wobbly steps and the stomping of their running little feet. Sometimes, both the kids even sleep...and its actually been quiet (Not often though).
I love this place. I love that the "duck" pond is down the road, i love the huge swing-set in the back and the dozens of kids for my children to play with. I love the old train track that leads to East Boston Camps, and that i can literally walk to Dunkin Donuts! This place also ties me to my childhood and i love that it is smack dab in between where 3 of my high school friends lived. I remember running down my street with an ex boyfriend after a party was broken up by the cops, ironically a route that i now run routinely.
We've had 5 Halloweens, 5 Thanksgivings, 5 Christmas's, and 5 Easters here. This was the house that dropped an icicle on Dave's car Christmas morning denting the roof and shattering the windshield! We've worn out that welcome mat so much that you can no longer see the initial of our last name, but you certainly CAN see all of those 5 years of scratch marks on our kitchen table. Reminder: Next time, get a hard wood.
This next part may not make sense or seem important to anyone else, but i need to write it down so i never forget it. I LOVE that every night as i walk up the stairs to put my sleeping baby in their crib, i can see my shadow on the wall due to the light outside shinning through the window below the stairs. Each night i watch my shadow and those little, ever growing, legs and feet bounce slightly as i climb. That wall has seen me make the trip thousands of times with my babies, cuddled in my arms, already off dreaming somewhere magical.
It's time though. We need more space for our growing family, the kids need their own room and GOD do we need another bathroom! I love the backyard here, but there aren't any trees or place to explore in the woods. I want my children to wander in the woods as i did, and to climb trees and bring home tadpoles. I want to get a dog, and chickens and to plant a garden.
Logically, i know that this house is only made of wood, and that home will always be where our family is together. I'm just sad that this stage of my life if ending, and i cant help but be scared that life will never be this good or easy again. I'm sad to see the baby stage ending and that our playroom may never transform from baby toys to infant toys, toddler toys, preschool toys, and back, ever again. But, as the ever-optimistic ex teenybopper, i just KNOW our new house will be amazing and so will that next period of our life.
As the sign over our kitchen says "A house is made of bricks and beams, a HOME is made of love and dreams." and we have pleanty of that to go around!
Brought me to tears Erin!♥
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