End of an Era

This last weekend I flew home to Chicago with a heavy heart. After living in our family home for 16 years, my parents have decided to sell our house and downsize. I am not going to go in to too much detail, but lets just I was NOT a happy camper, and was about two seconds away from handcuffing myself to the front door in protest.

The sale was a bit of a shock- my parents had been looking to scale back since all three of us kids have moved out, but the house was not even officially on the market. A young couple had seen the house and made an offer that got the ball rolling- lets just say I officially hate those people now, but whatevs.

If you remember way back when, I mentioned being a little homesick out here in Boston. Yeah that was sugar coating it... I have a pretty severe case of the I-would-totally-live-above-my parents-garage-the-rest-of-my-life-if-it-were-socially-acceptableititis. So this decision to move was ahem...upsetting. I pretty much cried the entire weekend...yeah fun fun.

My parents flew me in to go through all of my things to see what I wanted to keep and what could be pitched, so decided to do a little Instagram-recap of the weekend. The good, bad, and the ugly.

I wanted to capture the view that I woke up to every morning growing up. How many of you are still rocking your Laura Ashley sheets circa 1990? Yes- be jealous... Also notice my wedding bouquet next to my lamp. I can remember so clearly waking up in this room the morning of my wedding and being beyond excited to marry Joey :)

We popped in the old home videos and laughed at my sisters bunny cheeks, my love of the "I've been eaten by a boa-constrictor" song, and my brothers ability to drive my sister and I crazy without getting punished.

I sorted through all the papers and drawings that my mom stashed since I was really little. This is just a sampling of one of the letters I wrote home from summer camp when I was 8 or 9. Let's just say that the homesickness issue started early, because most were me BEGGING to come home. But when I saw this one I could not help but crack up.

After going through the entire box of memories I have discovered some things that still ring true today:

1. I was/am obsessed with cats and kittens

2. I have a legit addiction to candy

3. I can't spell (if you follow my blog with any consistency then you were well aware of that by now!)

I miss you gyes!

I blame my sister and my crazy besties for this one...I had nothing to do with this, Mom!

Apparently, I was a fat teen. Hence why I refuse to show Joey any photos of me between 4th-7th grade. It was not a good time for me and my waistline! Thank goodness we went to separate middle schools because I am pretty sure we would not be married to me right now if he knew my fattie potential.

I can't believe the 18 years of my life can fit into 5 boxes. Honestly, that depresses me to no end. I have taken mental pictures of my bedroom because I have decided that I MUST have a daughter so that I can recreate my room like a little "Katie shrine" with all of my old stuff. Is that weird?? Nooo....

At the end of the weekend, I had to say goodbye and it was really painful for me. I know that it is not the house that makes it home. It's the fact that my parents and siblings shared so many wonderful memories there together. I need to pick up my chin and be thankful that there are many more happy memories to come...but let's be honest...I'm really not that mature and I am still going to pout about it for a few more days!!

I know every time I go home the sting will get less and less, but its hard to imagine not pulling into my driveway and reciting a little tidbit that we always said when we came back home from a trip; "Who's beautiful house is this? I just do not know. I bet they have three pretty kitties..."

Have any of you had to gone through the sale of your childhood home?? How did you feel about it?

XOXO Katie

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