Be All There: Good-bye to a house

My parents started this awesome family tradition called PAJAMA RIDES when we were little.

Basically, they would put us to bed and then before we fell asleep they would sneak in our rooms and turn on the lights and yell PAJAMA RIDE!!!! We would get out of bed, get in the car and head out for a little family adventure that usually involved ice cream. The thrill of being out of the house, after bed time, in our pjs, was so memorable I'm sure that my sisters and I could recount many pajama rides for you in great detail today.

We have done one pajama ride so far with our kids - out for frozen yogurt with friends (who also did it as a pajama ride for their kids). I can't wait to do more!

Chris had the week off from work this week (thanks to Paid Family Leave and baby Hannah). We thought we were going to be in the mountains for the early part of the week, but that trip was cut WAY short due to two little girls with VERY high fevers. We are actually still recovering from this nasty virus 7 days later. This week with Daddy home certainly didn't turn out as we expected and hoped it would, but we made our fun where we could.

Part of that fun was a pajama ride...but in the morning. On Tuesday morning, first thing after everyone was awake, we put our sick girls in the car, stopped for bagels and coffee and went to say good-bye to a house.

We had a breakfast picnic in an empty house and said our good-byes, because this house is coming down. It felt important to say good-bye to this place because this house holds many many family memories. Here are a few:

My husband's parents met each other in the ocean near this house.

There are pictures of my husband in diapers and drinking from bottles in this house.

My husband and his sisters grew up coming here in the summer.

I met my future in-laws for the first time in this place.

We saw our first positive pregnancy test here...and our fifth (that was Abby).

We have hosted many reunions in this house.

We met and held our first nephew in this house, in all his swaddled glory.

We dipped our babies' toes in the ocean for the first time outside this house.
Four generations have been in this house...at the same time.

We lived here for 3 months when we moved to California.

I was the most depressed and lonely I have ever been for those 3 months living here.

I have experienced and witnessed moments of GREAT joy for my family at this place.

This house is my husband's happy place, his most happy place.

I made peace with the ocean thanks to this house...not with sharks, but with the ocean.

Birthdays, parties, family, friends, babies, meals, conversation, prayers, tears, relaxation, and FUN.
This house has blessed us so that we can bless others.

A lot has happened in this house and although I know that a house is only cement and wood, walls and roof, this house represents A LOT of family history and memories and we wanted to say a proper good-bye.