Life by Jen

We are moving. Well, not yet. My husband and I found a piece of paradise where we are building our forever home. That means that it is time to sell the house we have lived in for over a decade – the house where our kids have spent the majority or all of their lives. The place that we have made so many, many memories. The home where we celebrated bringing home babies from the hospital, where we celebrated Christmas after Christmas, where we brought home our puppies, where we have set up birthday presents and decorations over the years, and more. We have painted and decorated rooms, had countless family gatherings, and built a lifetime of memories.

We know we are ready to move on (and move up) with this new home, but I am a little beside myself with this move. I look at the little marks in the pantry where we have kept track of our youngest’s growth and I can’t imagine leaving. I am so excited to have designed my dream kitchen and to have a stunning view over a river. I am so thrilled to be moving to a beautiful place where our kids can really thrive and enjoy the outdoors. But, at the same time, I will cry like a baby when we leave. It will be like saying goodbye to a member of the family.

To this end, I am looking for ways to remember this place. How can I keep the sentimentality and memories alive? The Internet is filled with ideas and I am definitely going to borrow a few.

Here is what I have found so far:

A Shadow Box

I love this idea. I have seen people adding their old house key, a photo of the house, a map, paint swatches, and other items from the home.

A Video

This one seems like a must-do and something that will be very easy to do. I’ll probably be crying when I do it – let’s be honest. I’ll have to narrate, walking room to room, talking about the special moments throughout the house, from where our big kids were too scared to sleep when they first moved into the downstairs rooms to where our little kids were rocked to sleep in the nursery, and where all our big milestones and memories happened. This is going to be a hard one!

Get Together to Remember

I love this one. One last hurrah. Inviting family and friends over to reminisce about the house.

Leave a Letter

Like passing the torch, leaving a letter for new owners is a beautiful way to pass on some beautiful memories of your home. I think that this is a fantastic idea and a great way for the new owners to know how special and loved the home has been.

Make or Commission a Painting

I found this idea and LOVE it. My daughter is a great painter. I can’t wait to ask (beg) her to do this for me. Commissioning one would be so special for a home too.

I absolutely love all of these ideas and know that they will help me say goodbye to a house that was the perfect home for our family. I would love to know if anyone has any suggestions to add to this list!