Goodbye, House

I'm not going to lie. I cried.

This morning, we pulled out of our driveway for the final time in search of our new one in the Northwest. How on earth can I have feelings for 4 walls and a roof that can't love me back? Why do I feel bad for leaving this house empty with no one to love it? (Truthfully, if that house could talk, it would probably be thanking me for clearing out and giving it a break.) Walking through the house for the umpteenth time this morning, it dawned on me that this chapter is over. It's time to move on. In doing so, I leave behind the house that has been witness to so much in our lives.

This is the place we started our family. This is where our marriage grew by leaps and bounds. This is where we hosted friends and family. We have laughed, cried, yelled, danced, and loved within these walls. 

Did you know that after only living here for about 6 weeks, I backed my Tahoe into the garage door and knocked it off its hinges when trying to get out? It's best to wait until the garage door is completely up before making an attempt to exit. And see that tall Maple tree in the center of the yard? Did you know that it's the third one to be planted in that exact spot? Apparently that whole "third time's a charm" bit is true. The landscape and bricking we did ourselves. It's not perfect by any means, but it's our own work. We sweat side by side and did it together. The short tree on the right side of the house- that's a Jane Magnolia tree. It produces the most fabulous blooms in the spring and then remains green with fat, tight leaves that become the home to a family of robins every year. They like to sing and chirp around 4:30am each morning. I know this because it sits right outside our bedroom window. My list could go on and on but I'm fairly certain that they would be more for my benefit than anyone that might read this.

My point is that walking through this empty house, my house, for the last time this morning, I felt as if I were reliving scenes from a movie. Each room I entered, memories came flashing through my mind at a record pace. Boom, boom, boom. Over and over again until it was almost overwhelming. So fighting back tears, Aaron and I loaded the girls in the car and then went back to stand in the living room one final time. We stood there for a moment in silence, arm in arm.

Quietly, I choked out, "Good-bye, house."

And with that, we started out for the next chapter.