Has It Really Been 26 Years!?

 We moved into this house on Memorial Day weekend 26 years ago.  It was a relatively short move from San Jose, CA to Sacramento, CA.  The drive is just about two hours in either direction.

lots and lots of memories in this old house

We remember it vividly as the weather wasn't cooperative at all!  You see, California isn't as sunny as you might think and there was a nasty winter storm Memorial Day weekend in 1990.  We were fortunate enough to have a borrowed moving truck.  However, the truck had an open bed so even though we covered it, our stuff was soaked by the time we arrived at the house.  YUCK!  Our mattress took the worst of it.  We did what we could and stood it on 2 x 4's for a few days in the garage while it dried out.

As we spruce up the house getting it ready for sale, I'm flooded with a lifetime of memories.  Most are good, some are sad and some are simply forgotten.

This is the only home our two children have known.  Alex was four and Jessica was two months old when we took the leap of home ownership.

As I write this I'm picturing the family room full of day care necessities.  I was a licensed day care provider for a few years while Jessica was a baby and toddler.  The family room which now houses my computer and a rarely used kitchen table was the main play room.  It had three high chairs, a playpen, shelves full of toys and plenty of floor space for crawling babies and curious toddlers.

The backyard was a great outdoor area for the daycare years as well.  We had tricycles, a battery operated car (Alex was the driver) and plenty of fun water toys for the hot summers.  Now the backyard is an oasis for an adult.  I love to sit out on the terrace reading my kindle and listening to the nearby bird song.

Ron and I remember long nights spent helping one of the kids with their big school projects.  We remember making Halloween costumes for the kids and then getting to walk the neighborhood with them.  We remember sleep over parties with a house full of girls.  We remember having two or three large dogs at the same time and how much fun it was when we played fetch on the front lawn.  We also remember the hardest part-having to say good bye to those same beloved pets.  We remember planting the small tree that now provides shade for the house and back yard.  We remember both kiddos driving away from the house for their first solo driving experience.  I could go on and on...     

I want to put in some photos but how can I choose just a few?!  With so many memories wrapped up in one place I can't pick a favorite.  So many are coming to my mind...

Instead I'll leave you with a few of our makeover in progress.  

laundry room is finished :-)

pulling up the yucky old carpet in the hallway

this was once the day care room...

There's nothing like memories!