This week’s word of the week is:
Home these days is the house where hubby and I live with our beautiful girls. But it also is used to refer to the town where I grew up and the house I grew up in, the house that I visited for the last time this week. My sister (who bought the house when mum and dad moved out) is moving house.
It feels odd that I feel so sad at saying goodbye to a house that I haven’t lived in for well over a decade. But as I stood on the landing last night looking down on the stairs, so many memories of the past came flooding back. Sitting at the top of the stairs stroking our dog Sam, finding ‘I love Richard Evans’ written on the wall when our bedroom was redecorated (my twin’s writing aged about 9, not mine, and I can’t quite remember who Richard Evans was!) Sitting on my parents bed on a Saturday night watching a film and eating cheese and crackers, hurrying up the stairs to bed on Christmas Eve and the magic of seeing all the presents downstairs in the morning. Family parties when the house was full, Dad playing the piano, my niece being born in the front room – so many wonderful memories. Goodbye little house and hope the next occupants will build lots of happy memories too.
Here’s a summary of some of the other things we’ve been up to this week:
Out and About:
We spent a couple of days visiting family and the girls enjoyed spending time with Nanny, as well as their aunties and cousins. I also caught up with my friend Lisa and her husband – she was my best friend at school and the cushions I made a couple of weeks ago were for a fundraising Christmas fayre she is organising in memory of her daughter who passed away earlier this year.
Whilst visiting my mum, we took a trip to the local garden centre who have an amazing Christmas grotto. The girls loved seeing all the Christmassy scenes and some of Santa’s reindeer.
Fun at home:
We’ve been having lots of fun playing with the train track that Sophie got for her birthday. The girls also enjoyed dressing up so that I could take some photos for this year’s Christmas card.
Time for me:
I had an evening doing some beading and making some necklaces for my friend’s Christmas fayre.
My happiest moment:
Sitting on the floor with Jessica and playing with the train set while Sophie had her nap.
Next week I would like to:
Carry on with de-cluttering the house in preparation for Christmas – felt good to make a start on that this week.
I’d most probably feel the same way if I were in your shoes, it’s sad to say goodbye to a house you grew up in, especially when you have such lovely childhood memories. My husband and daughter are my “home” too, especially now that we’ve put our house up in the market again, hoping this time it would sell 😉 #wotw.
Oh good luck with selling your house – hope you find a buyer soon.
Leaving behind a family home is a big thing, I’m not surprised you felt the odd twinge of sadness. It sounds like a lovely, happy week overall and once you’ve decluttered your home, I don’t suppose you can pop over and help me with mine by any chance?! 🙂
Lol, I may be here quite some time with the amount of clutter we have! 🙂
Oh, when the time comes for my mum to sell her home, that she’s been in since the early 80’s, I’ll be in floods of tears! So many memories, as you say. Sounds like you’ve had a lovely week, though, getting all festive 🙂 Thanks for sharing with #WotW x
I wasn’t expecting to feel so sad – but knowing it was the last time I would be there, the memories just came flooding back. So glad the vast majority of them are such happy ones. Lovely to link up with #WotW again 🙂
Aww! So many happy memories of your old house…..It is understandable to be a little sad.
Looks like you’ve had a great week x
Thanks Kim, it has been a great week on the whole 🙂
It’s a wrench isn’t, saying good bye to a home that holds such memories. I’m envious that you’ve managed to start your pre-Christmas decluttering, must get on with mine! #WotW
Oh yes – but must be harder still to move to a new country although I suspect there was a lot of excitement with that too! Not sure if the decluttering will be done by Christmas though – there’s a lot of it to do! 🙂
Saying goodbye to a house that holds so many memories is always a hard thing. Your photos are great, I bet your family Christmas cards are going to be fab. #wotw
Thank you – I hope so! 🙂
It’s always sad to say goodbye to a house with happy memories – I still drive past my (old) house and have a look to see what’s changed x. Ps I haven’t forgotten the q&a meme
Lol – that’s ok, will look forward to seeing your responses when you get a chance! 🙂
It’s understandable that you’d get a littleemotional lovely, you clearly have lots of fond memories attached to the house. All in all a productive week your end, it’s fab getting into the Christmas spirit isn’t it xx #WotW
It has definitely been a productive week and yes, lovely to start feeling festive 🙂
Oh wow, saying goodbye to the home you grew up in is so heart wrenching isn’t it. Occasionally I still dream about the house I grew up in! I hope we can build such lovely happy memories for our own children x
Oh yes, building up happy memories would be so good! 🙂
Oh it’s a weird feeling when the house you grew up in is suddenly and irrevocably out of your life. It sounds like some pretty special memories were made in that home. You’ve just filled me with dread at the thought of de-cluttering – aargh! 🙂 Xx #wotw
It is very strange – even though I moved out so many years ago, it still had that pull of ‘home’ and so many lovely memories to look back on. The thought of continuing the de-cluttering fills me a little with dread too but I know I need to do it! x
The earlier you start cleaning the better chance you will be successful! I am from the Philippines and i havent been there and yet I still call it home. So i know how hard it is to let go of that house and those memories that you made in there. #wotw
Thank you – have managed to get a little more of the de-cluttering done today, just going to keep chipping away at it! 🙂
It’s surprising how attached we get to our childhood homes isn’t it. I know I’d feel the very same way if my Dad were to decide to sell his house, so I completely understand where you’re coming from.
You week looks to have been jam packed though and lots of fun has been had. We have the Toot Toot Drivers train set too and I have just as much fun with it as Bubs does. 🙂
Thank you – it has been a busy week. The Toot Toot Drivers train set is a lot of fun! 🙂
I still have a weird feeling in mu tummy every time we drive past my old house even though I left there over 8 years ago.
Love the photo of the girls dressed up for your Christmas card photo shoot. Gorgeous.
That train track looks so similar to one my brother and I had as children. Just brought back some memories. 🙂
Thanks for joining in with our #HappyDaysLinky
Jenna at Tinyfootsteps xx
Thanks Jenna – lovely to link up with #HappyDaysLinky as always, thank you for hosting 🙂
It made me tear up reading about your house. My parents moved out of my childhood home last year so I know exactly how you feel.
Oh my word how cute are your Christmas cards going to look!! Genius idea!!!!!
Thanks for joining in with #HappyDaysLinky again xx
Thanks Katy. Will be very strange next time I go to visit my sister in her new house. Glad you like my Christmas card photo – really pleased I manage to get a shot that was so close to what I wanted. Lovely to link up to #happydayslinky each week 🙂