Not an easy thing!

So, my mom and stepdad decided to move this year.  They left the Silverwood house and moved to Ghent. It's an incredibly timely and important move for them.  They are both closer to work and don't have to deal with the tunnel anymore.  Plus, no more yardwork!  There were lots of important reasons for them to move.

I love the Silverwood house...See love-of-home posts:  home and home

So their perfectly legitimate reasons didn't make it any easier for me.  I don't blame them for moving, obviously, and I was surprised at how upset I was at the idea of no longer having my "childhood home" to return to every few months.  As I told my mom, who did not like the idea of me being upset of course, it wouldn't matter if they sold it 10 years earlier or 5 years from now, this would be difficult for me anytime!  I kind of looked at it like "this wonderful place was the only constant home I've ever had... moved there when I was 3, it was dad's house for a bit then it was mom's house while I was in elementary, middle, high school, then all through college when I lived in 4 different places in 4 years, then all those summers I spent in Maine, and even when I got my first apartment in Ghent and my shared house in Arlington... that was my Home, the place I could always return to and feel comfortable and safe.

I did get to say goodbye, though, in my own way.  It was the first weekend in March this year.  I was home and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get to back to the house before mom sold it.  As I was just about to leave and doing my regular "walk through the house and look for things I may have left behind", I noticed the living room window.  I've blogged about this window before.  I stood and stared at it for a minute, really taking in the view, the window, everything about it.  And I felt myself starting to cry because I knew in my heart it would be the last time I looked out at that window.  I said goodbye to my mom and fake-out-high-fived my stepdad Rick (it's how we say both hello and goodbye).  The second I got in the car and pulled away from that house for the last time, I burst into tears.  I was a mess but I knew if I stopped, it wouldn't make anything better or easier for anybody, so I kept heading toward Arlington.  I called my mom a few minutes later and cried to her, "It's just so sad!"  She listened but I know a part of her was feeling bad for the changes.  She shouldn't, of course, but that's what moms do.

I'm a big girl.  I'll be fine.  I'll always miss that house.  I love that Silverwood home.  And I love my mom, too, so wherever she is will be home to me.

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Sidenote... part of the moving that weekend was bringing some items from my old childhood to Joy's parents house for Owen.  I gave them my old writing table and my rocking horse. (Charlie Horse.  Yup, that's what we named him).

A couple days ago, I got this picture and it makes me smile every time I look at it:

The look on my sweet O's face on my old horse...


sigh :)

Christmas Blog

Here is the Christmas re-cap in pictures...

The beginning of the snow.   Mom's porch was covered!

Here's Mom's GIANT tree!  It was huge this year...

 And then with low lights... so pretty :)

 Sometimes little dogs get tired of having their picture taken...

This Christmas season happened with some very sweet cards... here are my 3 favorites...

A present tag from my mom that I really liked. (She saves Christmas cards, then uses them as present tags the following year.  Genius!)

A Christmas Card from my little buddy at school... (I like the Believe in Santa demand)

My Christmas card from my daddy.   Man I love him.  

It was a snowy, warm, loving, cozy Christmas.

December's Almost Over

I have to be honest, I'm running low on posts.

Christmas was great, nice to see all my family, nice to have my pup with me everywhere even though she has a lot of work to do in the behavior department.

Then it snowed. And it snowed and it snowed. Ordinarily I like snow. But when 8 inches of snow keeps me cooped up in a house and I can't go visit my Chesapeake friends that I rarely get to see-- then I get a little bit cranky.

Melt, ice on roads, melt. now!

Very Christmas- December 23rd

In 2010, I have loved Coming Home.

Chesapeake is my home. I was born in Norfolk and lived in Portsmouth for the first couple years of my life, but the first house I remember growing up was the one on Silverwood Blvd. I've considered that my Home Base for 25 years. 25 years! I went through primary and elementary school, the awkward middle school years, the fun and sporty high school years... all of it through that front door.

But what's behind the door (and around the corner, and in nearby neighborhoods, and in Virginia Beach neighborhoods)... are my Home family and friends. My family is here. Mom, Dad, Stepdad, Stepmom, younger brothers, stepfamily. My friends are here, a lot of whom have known me since preschool, and they are definitely forever friends. They are the ones who know all my quirks. Some I have known and loved since preschool, some elementary school, and one elementary through college and I was in her wedding.

Sometimes I let the bustle of life sweep me up and I don't keep in touch with my Home family and friends as much as I would like to. But they are always in my heart. The Ones Who Know Me... and love me anyway.

Love.

It's good to be Home.

Worlds collide and brothers grow up

When I was at home, I got to see something amazing.

My brother David played baseball against my high school's team. This is Dave batting at the Western Branch field! He was awesome!

He played first base and then he pitched for awhile.

He's so tall!! The tallest on his team. And he's a 6'2" sophomore. He's not even finished growing. This brother is going to get to play baseball at any college he wants!!

As Phebe and I were walking home from the baseball field (which is very near my mom's house), she needed to stretch her legs so I let her run around the high school football practice field. There was a JV football game being played in the stadium. It was a perfect October Saturday morning. :)

Happier Notes!

Ok, I realize my last post was kind of a downer. I was actually a lot more fine than it sounded! I love everyone who is in my life. :)

What I needed was to go home, relax, see a couple of good friends, some family and have some Quiet. I realized that I don't really get much quiet around here.

I got to talk to Anne on the phone tonight. She's so lovely. It's Anne, Andrea, Meghan, Laura and family that make me miss living in Chesapeake...

I said there were happier notes: Check THIS GUY out... this Alice video makes me nice and sleepy...

He also did a Wonka one:

And a Hook one!

His editing skills are so amazing!

Camping Adventure 2!

August sure has been an amazing month.

Weekend to weekend, it's exactly how I wanted to spend my last month of summer.

August 5-8, I camped in George Washington National Forest with Joy, Kevin and friends.

August 12-16, I went home to Chesapeake and Virginia Beach for some much needed family time.

August 20-22, I spent a very peaceful and low key weekend in northern va.

August 27-29, I went camping again with the northern va crew in Luray. This camping trip included a 5-hour tubing session. Mmmm. Only amazing things can come when fun friends tie up and float lazily down a river together. We had a blast.

As I was packing for the camping trip, Phebe wanted to remind me to pack her rope so she could take it to Kate's house in DC.

Kate, Lindsay, Kristin and I left for the camping trip first (around 9am on Friday). Our car was PACKED with camping goods, food, bags, etc, etc, etc. Kristin and I shared the backseat of Kate's car. And for the 2 hour ride, this was all the Kristin I was able to see!

Summer, I've loved you. Since I'm a multi-poster, the next one is about you.

Some Things Never Change

So, I rolled into Chesapeake this afternoon. I'm really excited to be home with my family from Thursday-Monday.

My mom was teaching a class tonight so my stepdad and I were on our own for dinner.

As far back as I can remember, anytime my mom was not home for dinner (which was rare), my stepdad and I would have pizza. It was like a treat since my mom always cooked so healthily.

I talked to my mom on the phone tonight just before dinnertime. She said, "There is some homemade barbeque and coleslaw in the fridge for you guys."

When I hung up with her, I said to my stepdad, "hey, mom left us some bbq..." And he said, "Oh... yeah... well... I was thinking we might have pizza..."

HAHAHA! I laughed so hard! "I knew it!!" I said. It was nice. It was familiar.

It's nice to know that some things never change. :)

STOP!

Ok, these are awesome. I took these pictures of Stop signs. The first one is down here in Nags Head. The second one is in my neighborhood of Silverwood.

A-MAZING.

Graffiti artists have really gotten creative.

Ready for Vacation!!

Alriiiiight! Here we go!

We're all packed and ready to drive to Chespeake tomorrow morning! (Well, I packed. Phebe just tried to chew my shoes)

I am under the weather and Very ready for mom to watch my poodlepup so I can sleeeep.


Ahhhhhh vacation!