Bittersweet

Today is a day for goodbyes. Goodbye to the first house Daniel and I bought, the home where we really learned how to be a couple, a real, married who couple who rely on God- though we have lots of work to do and are far from perfect. Goodbye to the home where we started a family, the home where we learned how to be parents and work together in that endeavor (again, work in progress). Goodbye to our church home and family- where God used his people as instruments to help shape us for His kingdom and mold us into the couple and parents we are as mentioned above. A place filled with people we will dearly miss. Goodbye to the wonderful therapists and Early Intervention program who taught us how to work with our little girl and made life with a special needs child feel easier by virtue of their expertise, care, love for Maggie, support and positive reinforcement for us. They will be dearly missed. Goodbye to all our friends who helped make our home in Birmingham feel like home- people whom we will dearly miss.

Today is a day where a now empty room was once Will's nursery where we decorated and fussed over every detail preparing for his arrival, our first baby, our first time as parents. A day where a now empty corner was once filled with Maggie's rocking chair- where we spent many late nights together- she hungry, me tired. Over here are the stairs Will first learned to climb up and down, up and down! Over there was the kitchen table where we shared so many family meals. Today is a day where we look at the front door and see Jake coming home to a family waiting to love him. A sidewalk where Will learned to ride his bike and driveway where Maggie took her first steps outside in a gait trainer. Over here is where Jake showed us his first smile and over there is where my Zoe slept. Every nook and cranny has a special memory, a first something and now we've had all our lasts here-- we will never again watch a child take his/her first steps, no more meals, movies or rough housing will take place on these floors or within these walls. A new place will hold our memories from this day forward. This house is just brick and mortar but we've made it a home. Our love and laughter has filled these rooms for nearly seven years and made it a home. Our home. It's amazing to think: I became a mom here, Daniel a dad, Will a brother and Maggie & Jake beautiful additions to our family. A whole family.

Even the little details belong to us, how we started and who we grew into-- we bought all the blinds and window treatments, selected every paint color and style of rooms, planted trees, installed garage door openers; the house was a blank slate when we bought it. What began as empty rooms turned into a guest room and computer room then converted to nurseries and a living and dining room that were converted into a computer/play room and a craft room. Our home came a long way from its humble beginnings, just as we have--our home grew with us.

Yes, today is a day of goodbyes. And goodbyes make me sad. I trust God has a purpose behind this move and I'm glad we'll be near family again, especially for the kids. But I will mourn the life we're leaving behind. Our entire life as a married couple has been built here and despite its imperfections, Birmingham has been our home for the last seven and a half years. Now we embark on a new chapter and adventure of our lives with many more memories to make. I'll enjoy every one of those and our new house will become our home as well. I believe it's important (at least for me) to reflect on our lives here to provide closure, though we'll always carry the memories in our hearts. We will miss you Magic City-- some for the city itself, but mostly for the relationships and memories we've made.

Goodbye.