The time has finally come. Our house closed this morning! We are no longer homeowners. It is an experience that brings joy and sadness.We are so blessed to have our home sell exactly two months after it listed on the market. This has truly come from the Lord. At the same time, we are saying goodbye to the place where we grew up, not physically, but spiritually.
Terry and I got married in May 2007 and by September we were living in TN. The first three years of our marriage we spent in a place away from our family; where we had to make new friends, go to church on our own, go to a new school, and build our own traditions. It was just Terry and I. We quickly found our home away from home. Friends welcomed us into the ward and neighborhood. Friends that we now consider family. We built so many memories in that home. It protected us through snow storms, floods, and tornado warnings. It sheltered us from the outside world; it was our temple. It calmed the echoes of arguments and sheltered the spirit throughout the day. It soaked up our tears (mostly around the time I was pregnant.) The carpets are worn from the many people who came to visit, dog pee from our anxious pup, baby drool and throw up, Nolan's raisins (I told him not to eat in the living room!), and spilt drinks. We had our first child in this home and spent weeks painting her room and preparing for her arrival. We had long nights doing homework. We welcomed guests. We cooked our first thanksgiving meal. It provided a place to stay for Nolan when he was preparing for his mission and he opened his call there!! We heard baby cries, dogs barking, early morning alarms, laughter. Bella played with her best friend, Ellie. We had many spiritual moments sharing our feelings at family night. This house was more than a house and more than a home.
I think back to the day we said goodbye. We thought we would sleep in our home on the last night, just as we did the first night. We woke up early after sleeping only a few hours on an air mattress in Bella's room. We went through every room, thinking about all those memories. The house was empty. Our words echoed as we talked. Our home was just a house. A house that someone else will fill with memories. A house that someone else will bring their first child home too or stay up all night talking in with their friends. It is now someone else's.
We moved into that house with one dog and one cat. We were newlyweds, so fresh and naive. We left that house with two dogs, two cats, and a beautiful daughter-- I, a mother and terry, a father; I, a graduate and Terry, a superviser. We are more wise, more experienced, and adults. We will always remember our memories and the wonderful people we shared our lives with in TN and those that helped us grow. We are forever grateful to those kind spirits. Goodbye home. Now we will move on with our lives in Florida and will someday find another special home that will shelter us and cultivate more memories to come. (and more little ones :) )
Here are some pics. Sadly, most of my pictures are on our computer in storage.
The day we bought our house.
I'm pregnant!
Painting Bella's room
Bella's first day at home.
Nolan's mission call.
Sitting on the front lawn in fall... the best.
Ellie and Bella
How I want to remember it....
