Dear House

Dear House,

Tomorrow you get a new family to call your own.  All of our things are out, and your new owners have already started moving their belongings in.  We rode by tonight, and there were new cars in the driveway, new curtains in the windows, and new furniture peeking through the windows.  We miss the quiet cul-de-sac you sit on, the room we had and storage you provided, but most of all we miss how you felt like home.  We left you almost 3 weeks ago, but sometimes at the end of the long day, I stop and think about taking Avery home and it is you I see.  Although we are happy to move into a new phase of our life, we are sad to be leaving you behind as you, little house, have grown just as we have in our years together.

Your living and dining rooms are where we spent most of our time.  Once a true bachelor pad, these rooms acquired feminine touches in a marriage and many baby items in a birth.  From family dinners to late nights watching TV, these are the rooms where living and laughing was done.  Many baby firsts happened here, and as a result, we have no less than one zillion pictures of these rooms.  Felix and Sammy spent a good deal of time here too and enjoyed the sunlight your big windows let in, along with the views of outside.

Your kitchen was another busy area and was the place dinner on our second date was prepared.  You filled up a bit more after the wedding and started being used quite a bit.  You had just what we needed to fix everything from delicious meals to baby bottles.  Avery's first taste of baby food, first time using utensils, and many other firsts happened right here in this bright and cheery space.

Our room provided a quiet place to rest and was steps from the nursery when that time came.  The pets also like to seek out this room for some quiet time as well.

The yellow bathroom was just not yellow enough when Ned moved in, so he added some yellow striped wallpaper.  I quickly claimed this bathroom as my own but shared with Avery once she arrived.  Ned used the bathroom connected to our bedroom, and although the bathroom in the basement didn't get much use, it was good in a pinch and was Felix's home for some time when he joined our family.

Your foyer greeted our guests, along with Sammy and usually Felix.  I loved how open it was, until we had mobile Avery.  The foyer also led down to the basement, meaning more steps to keep Avery from, and into the garage.  The open space did allow for Avery to greet guests as well.  Before ever opening the door, you could hear Mama or Dada being shouted, and then you were greeted by a tiny, sweet face.

Your downstairs family room was once a true bachelor area too, with a pool table and horrible brown paneling.  We spruced it right up with paint, a new ceiling, and no more pool table.  We didn't use this room as we should have, but it was certainly one of Avery's favorites, especially with the addition of the slide.

The office provided a place to work, a place to store, and a place to play.  We had high hopes of fixing it up but just never got around to it.  There was plenty of space for all we needed plus some toys for Avery.  Felix could often be found perched in the windows, usually chewing the blinds.

Your downstairs bedroom was always ready to welcome guests, but I think only one ever stayed.  Again, we had great storage here, especially as the tubs and tubs of little girl clothes and baby items began to accumulate.  Your basement also housed a laundry room that saw a great deal of action and a big storage room.

House, I've saved the best for last.  This sunny room was the perfect spot to turn into a nursery.  No room saw more attention or felt more love.  Much anticipation surrounded the use of this room, and I often sat in the quiet in the days before Avery was born.  This is where we brought tiny Avery to meet Sammy and Felix.  This is where she slept her first night at home, and this is where Ned laid on the floor and rested a few times in the early days.  Your room quickly became the place for Avery to sleep at night, but it took awhile for her to rest in it during the day.  We don't hold that against you.  We rocked here, we worried here, we learned here, and we celebrated here.  I'm sure you cheered with us as Avery crawled across the floor for the first time, and I know you have Goodnight Moon memorized by now.  This room was certainly the most special and hardest to leave behind.

From bachelor to dating couple, newlyweds to new parents, you stood by us every step of the way.  You were our house of firsts, and you hold so many happy memories.  Thank you for enduring the challenges and triumphs of life with us.  You are now filling up with the life of a new family and preparing to store wonderful memories for them.  We know you will love them just as you loved us and hope they will take good care of you.  Soon we'll be able to stroll and see you often and share with Avery all the memories you have tucked inside your walls.

Love,

Whitney, Ned, and Avery