goodbye house

We said goodbye to our house yesterday. I know it's silly, being sad about a house. After all, home is where your family is and what's left in Winnipeg is only a house. Still, I felt a little teary as I walked around in the rooms one last time. The kids' rooms especially. We spent so much time making those rooms special just for them. Jordan's little fence that was used to cover up the hole in the wall ended up being so cute. As I stood in there, I can still see her jumping on her bed as we flipped through the story books on the shelf to pick out a bedtime story (or three). I love Tennyson's room too; how it transformed before our eyes from something entirely purple and drab to a cozy blue and green baby room. We were so excited to see the difference when we were done. I remember the first time we laid our new baby in the crib in that room, so freshly painted, anticipating his arrival. We spent so much time crafting that house into a place we could call our own. Long hours of the night were chatted away as we painted the upstairs hallway, and all the lovely wood trim and window sills. It was around this time last year that we moved into that house. We were so ecstatic. We had come from a tiny one-bedroom apartment to this big house with it's wonderful wood floors and bedrooms for everybody. It was a place we could finally call our own. I don't think you'd find happier first time homeowners.

Yesterday as we left for the last time it made me sad. Our time there is done, and someone else will come and in and undo everything we've done. I could hear them as they toured around upstairs on their second visit, discussing the things they would rip out and tear down and add. I know that it doesn't really matter, but somehow it does. By the time we moved out we had the house finally painted and finished the way we wanted it. It was the realization of the dream we had when we moved in.

When we came home to Portage last night I checked in on my kids. Jordan was laying on her blankets at the foot of the bed, so I picked her up to move her and tuck her in and I gave her a big hug first. She didn't even wake up, just laid her head on my shoulder and melted into my hug. Tennyson was half awake and thumping around his crib. When I opened the door to peek in at him he opened his eyes a tiny bit and blessed me with his big loving grin. I picked him up and he was soaking wet, but oh-so-happy to see his mommy. Our kids don't care where we live, as long as we're together, and mommy and daddy are here to hug and kiss them, and keep them in dry sleepers. Our family will make this house a home too.