Caldwell Mill, Sunny Meadows, Longleaf Lane, Magnolia Place, Hixson, Signal Mountain, Ashley Mills, Brook Highland...In my lifetime, my family has lived in EIGHT different homes. I distinctly remember being reluctantly recruited to be a part of the clean up, organize, pack, sort, move, and sell projects. I remember countless garage sales and even more trips to Goodwill and Hannah Home pick ups. Even still, we ended up with our last house being full from top to bottom. We had a garage that was the entire width of the house and it was just jam packed. When mom moved to Louisiana back in 2009, I moved into a town home in Hoover while Kara lived in an apartment in Chattanooga. We pretty much had to split everything between my town home (which thankfully had a full sized walk in attic) and my mom's new home. Again, a whole 'nother round of Goodwill, Hannah Home, and (this time) Craig's List sales when it was time to clear out our Brook Highland Home.
Since living in my house in Hoover, I recall at least 3 good clean outs and reorganizations. With Brandon moving in, Kara moving in (then out), and mom still transitioning to LA, I've become more acquainted with my attic than I'd ever hoped to be. Even with all those clean outs and rearrangements we still managed to be left with an attic full of stuff and three large walk in closets also jam packed. It may sound like I am complaining, but I feel so blessed to have a house full of furniture and family memorabilia. Having said that, I always assumed it wouldn't be long before Brandon and I moved on and had more room to spread out, but with an unexpected baby on the way our plans have changed somewhat. I really am at peace staying in this home (see my "Boxcar Children" post), but I knew that if we were going to have a baby we'd have to cut back...way back! No more storing all the family toys and nostalgia...
I knew that this visit with mom would be our last chance to have the three of us together (other than Thanksgiving and Christmas) to again sort and split to clear out the room we will make a nursery. This morning I really don't think any of us were up to it, but we headed up the stairs and.....3.5 hours later IT IS ALL DONE! We are sending our childhood toys with mom so that John Mark (and future grandchildren) will have toys to play with at MiMi's, Kara finally has all of her stuff all in one place (conveniently one door down from our townhouse), and we consolidated the guest rooms to make room for the nursery. Two "helpers" from Lorna Road - $30...Breakfast for fuel - $15 ...Peace of Mind & Feng Shui Happiness - Priceless!
It was bittersweet sorting through our family memories and thinking about those who will never meet John Mark (like my father and my mother's mother, "MiMi"), but it made me happy to think back on what a full life we have had as a family and how we now have the chance to provide the same kind of rich, happy life for our children. One day I suppose our children be going through an attic finding treasures and thinking back on their life thus far and how strange it is to be venturing out into this next chapter of life as the "grown up."
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