It's Official

Today we signed the papers to sell our house. 

Honestly, I didn't really think I was one of those people who was attached to their house.  I always thought of my house as just a place.  I guess it took me by surprise to see how emotional it was to walk out the door of that house for the last time.  But as I step back and really think about it, it isn't the house I am going to miss.  It is all the memory triggers that house holds. 

I remember bringing Colin home for the first time.  The nights walking those floors trying to get him to sleep.  The time he wanted his way so bad that he stood at the glass patio door banging the glass and wet himself just to get me to cave in.  The time he tore his fingernail off in the garage door and had to be rushed to the ER.  The first day of kindergarten when I took pictures of him on our deck.  The Christmas he got the guitar and sang Bon Jovi songs.  The first time he came home crying because someone broke his heart with their words and he slammed that same garage door which took off his finger.  His giggle as he let off fireworks in the cul-de-sac.  The time he asked if we had a cul-de-Zac, where was the cul-de-Katie (our neighbors being Zac and Katie).  His tree climbing.  The Easter eggs hunts.  Him building forts in the basement before he knew what video games were.  Him building a server once he did know what video games were.  And so many more...

I remember bringing home Zach for the first time.  The times spent reading to him in the rocking chair because he didn't want me to stop.  Crawling around the floors at night looking for the pacifier which would put him back to sleep.  Searching the house for Ted, his special bear, who was lost for a month!  Sewing Ted back together after Emmie ate Ted for lunch.  Watching a 17 month old Zach figure out the child safety lock on his bedroom door during naptime so he could go to the bathroom and self-dose on Tylenol (figured that safety cap out too) or toothpaste.  Having Zach climb the counter in the 37 seconds it took me to quickly go potty and pull the fish bowl off the counter.  Watching Zach morph into Bob the Builder, Percy the train, R2D2, and Pikachu on the half step between the kitchen and the living room.  Spending hours watching Bob the Builder, Thomas the Train, the Backyardigans, and Pokemon with Zach on TV because we had the "most boring house in the world."  Sitting on a couch in the living room while listening to a 3 year old Zach count to 100 during a quiet time.  Watching a 3 year old Zach learn to pump on a swing in my backyard.  Watching a 5 year old Zach finally learn to ride on two wheels after months of begging and bribes.  Watching Zach collect frogs, bugs and caterpillars all over our backyard and spend hours caring for them.  And so many more...

I remember bring Molly home for the first time.  I remember spending nights awake worried when she got so sick.  Spending hours on the floor playing games with her so she would sit up, crawl, walk and run.  Watching Molly play with her neighbor friend Josh in the driveway or grass between the houses.  Beaming from ear to ear when Molly took her first step at almost 20 months old in our driveway in the late afternoon.  Spending hours pushing Molly on the swing because that is all she wanted to do in our yard.  Seeing the smiles on her face when she went sledding on our little hill for the first time.  Spending time on a spring afternoon on the deck watching the birds make nests while Molly consulted the bird book to be sure she knew what the type of each bird.  The times we spend in the bathroom together talking as we did her hair...first a little sprout on the top of her head as she stood on a big step stool to a full pony tail as she stood on the ground.  The hours spend in her pink room playing Barbies, critters, pet shops or babies. And so many more...

I get to take the memories with me I realize, but I don't get to take those things that trigger the memories with me.  See that tree?  Remember the time... Oh that dent in the floor?  Oh that is from the time...

I cried today as I left the house for the last time.  Not because I am sad to leave the building behind, but because I was overwhelmed with how much love, joy and fun (ok...sadness and trouble too) that building held for 10 years for me.  I pray the next house will do the same.