Feeling nostaligic

Recently I started sorting through photos on my computer in order to get rid of duplicates and bad pictures and to make sure all our photos are in one place and backed up. In so doing I took an unanticipated trip down memory lane.

In light of all the financial things going on right now Joe and I are really trying to stick to a budget, save as much money as we can, pay off any debt, and get ourselves in a place where buying a house will be easy and relatively hassle free. One of the things that keeps coming up is whether or not we should sell our old house. It is looking more and more like that will have to be the case if we are going to be able to qualify for any type of traditional loan. At first I didn't think it would bother me, selling our first home, but as I went through old photos, ones from when we first bought the house, ones from when we brought all three kids home from the hospital to that house, birthday parties, Christmases, first days of school, etc I was reminded of just how much I love that house and how much it means to me. Don't get me wrong, I love having more space and look forward to buying a house with more space, but at the same time there are certain things I really miss about our little home. I miss being in the bathroom and still being able to hear Joe snoring in our bedroom next door. I miss being able to hear the kids no matter where I was in the house. I miss our big back yard and covered patio where the boys would "race" their big wheels. I miss being able to decorate for Christmas in about an hour, and that included the tree!!! ( I fear my meager selection of Christmas decorations will barely cover one room in our house right now.) I miss our sweet older neighbors who would bring us tomatos, oranges, and lemons throughout the year. I miss how close the grocery store was and how, on a slow day, walking there would provide a much needed distraction. I miss the boys playing in their room (this one seems strange but with two stories and most of their toys downstairs they rarely play in their room anymore.) I miss not needing a baby monitor. I miss all the little things about the house that at first glance might seem like annoyances but were what made the house special and unique. The fact that no wall or doorway was square. The noisy heater and old plumbing.

I realize few people get to live in their first home forever and I never believed we would live there more than 8 years or so, but it is still hard to say goodbye. I wish my kids had had a little more time there so they could remember it better. And I know we will make new memories in a new home.