Saturday, August 10, 2013

Saying Goodbye

At one time or another in life we all have to say goodbye... To something. 

Obviously our most recent goodbye was to our home. 

Things I am going to miss terribly are my sweet elderly neighbors. They thought the world of My kids and lit up like firecrackers to see them. I plan on going back to visit them from time to time. 

I am going to miss the sound of my little Connors feet running throughout the house. The pitter patter of little feet on a conventional foundations is something I will always remember. 

And the thing I didn't do when we moved?? I kept meaning to clean the little handprints off the French doors leading to c and ac's room. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Those little handprints in the glass panes were our mark. It was the game we played everyday in that house.  We brought Anna Caroline into her first home there at 6 months. The we brought Connor home from the hospital to that house and for 2 short weeks baby Whit lived there. Sooo much of our family "happened" in that home. 

When we moved in I was in a dead end job I hated. And Casey was a bank teller. We were 22, had no married friends, and knew noone with kids. Life was hard, but we smiled, had a healthy baby and worked our fingers to the bone to fix that place up. 

We became adults in that house.We both   worked 2 jobs to be able to fix up that house and provide for our little girl. We prayed and prayed for another child and The Lord blessed us with our sweet Connor. Casey graduated college in that house, and was offered his first big boy job. I watched my husband grow from my college sweetheart, into a daddy, and a grown professional. 

I spent alot of time testing my talents through trial and error and discovered my  love for design in that house. 

We had rats, black widows, roof leaks, plumbing leaks, termites, sink holes, rotten windows, lots of paint, blood sweat and tears. 

I dreamed of the future of when we would leave that home and now that I am gone I miss all the growing we did there and the memories we made. 

I miss sewing in the kitchen and listening to my kids gather rocks in the back yard and throw them down into the drainage ditch we lived next to. 

A very very tiny part of me misses my dogs running off 2 and 3 times a week. And the panic I would feel chasing after them, just to know I would find them 4 doors down and bring them safely home. 

I know this was just a vessel for us. I will always have my memories but saying goodbye is always hard. I miss my dear friends who moved around the corner and our last minute dinner plans we would make. 

I am excited to see all the memories we make in the new place and learn the history of the new place. But Lyford Avenue will always be my first and for that the memories will always be sweeter.

4 comments:

Laura Everyday Edits said...

very sweet post. laura

Jessie Jones said...

Precious, JB! Here's to all the memories you made - and all the ones you have yet to make!

Karen said...

Hey Jenny Beth-- you don't know me but because of your Instagram name Life on Lyford and your cute clothes you make for kids and you are friends with my daughters friend Shannon Smith- I started following you on Instagram so I could buy some of your cute clothes for my daughters 2 yr old boy and her new boy 6 wks old! Then when you were due around the same time as my daughter I read your blog. I have enjoyed reading about your time on Lyford. I grew up on Lyford and those years are such great memories for me! I saw your house pictures and thought I knew which house was yours but then today you mentioned the ditch and I'm sure now. Back in the 1960's your house was owned by a man who had birds-- I guess pigeons?? Anyway your guest house is where he had all these birds! Also as a child we used to climb down in that ditch and then go under the interstate to the nonconnah and there was a rope swing that people would swing and land in the Nonconnah! Also we had these trails down by the East Memphis Catholic Club-- the monkey trails! Well anyway your post today just made me want to say I love your clothes you make and it has been fun reading about how you and your family loved life on Lyford just

Karen said...

Sorry-- just like I did! Can't wait to buy some of your cute clothes for my grandsons! Karen