Farewell 1616 Canyon Oaks

My brother found out a couple of weeks ago that they were going to tear down my childhood home. I was fine with that until a different brother sent a bunch of pictures tonight and we found out they were doing to start demo tomorrow.

I will admit --- I cried a lot! I felt silly for crying but the tears started as I looked at the pictures and they just kept coming. As I type more are coming. My kids just looked at me wondering what was going on so I showed them the pictures my brother had sent.

What really set me off was seeing the gazebo in the backyard. What little girl doesn't dream of her wedding day? I did and I LOVED gazebos. I was so excited when my dad had it put in. We couldn't have an outdoor reception because it was cold in January but we did take some wedding photos in my gazebo. I know it wasn't really only for me but I've always thought of it as mine

The Family Room

THEN:
The original 12!

Here's the family room with my brother's family.

NOW:

The back yard.  We had a rope swing off of this tree with a trampoline under it.

Looking out the Master and into my dad's office.  My parents moved 12 years ago and these were their same curtains. Funny!

The main hall with the attic entrance.  Every time we went down the hall we ran and hit the attic pull.  Another favorite thing to do was climb the walls.  The hall was narrow enough that we would put our feet on one wall and hands on the other and make it all the way to the ceiling.  This is also the hall my mom had decked out in family photos.

My room!  One birthday 14 or 15 my mom said she'd decorate my room for my birthday.  I wanted black & white but she didn't like that idea so somehow I ended up with hot pink!!  I hated pink but did love the room once it was done.  Green walls were not included!

The Game room hall.

 This was the long hall that went from the main part of the house to the game room and at one point my bedroom. I was always scared at night because of all the windows so I would run down the hall as fast as I could!

Memories:
•Haunted house in game room
•Soapy trampoline time
•Swimming & jumping off roof into pool
•Kickball in front yard
•Rope swing
•Zip line
•Telling Paul & Phillip everyone was gonna drop there drawers on the count of 3 & then Liz and I laughing when they did it
•Playing hide & seek & using attic to get to the other side of the house
•wedding pictures w/ my sweetheart in the gazebo - this one makes me the most emotional
• taking baths w/ preschool friends (in swimsuits) in my parents giant tub - it was like a swimming pool & b4 everyone had giant tubs

Childhood has come and gone.  I don't think daily about my childhood but when I do it is with fondness.  I know it wasn't the house that made the difference but wonderful parents, fabulous brothers (lots of them!) and sisters, and a foundation in Jesus Christ that made the difference.  We had the house that everyone was always at and my parents welcomed everyone. 

 I just had to throw this one out there b/c everything is bigger in Texas and that cake was pretty impressive!

.