FIRST IMPRESSIONS ON THE FIRST...

my FIRST IMPRESSION of THIS HOUSE...

many years ago jim, karen, evan, and mel moved into this house.

when they moved in i feel certain jim and karen didn't imagine:
all the pets that would reside here,

the extended family that would live with them for various lengths of time,

or that their grown children, along with their spouses,
and two grandkids would all move back in together for awhile.

i've heard their stories:

of playing in the backyard and the hall,

making science fair projects,

recovering from broken bones,

songs sung loudly,

and countless lessons learned.

this is my story of this home.
i wasn't there the day this house became their home so this isn't that story.
but i do fondly remember the first time i walked through the front door.
i instantly felt comfortable in the place where the boy i was falling in love with grew up.

under this roof:

i imagined evan's growing up years.
i spent many weekend visits from abilene and austin.
i hid from cats.
i organized photos and the pantry.
i learned how to set a house alarm.

i was given directions on how to navigate my way around houston.
i bonded with my in-laws and sister-in-law over reality tv and movies.
we made pallets and watched football together.
i learned crucial lessons about my self.
i watched adelaide scoot around and gave walking lessons.
i ate on tv trays.
mass quantities of frozen yogurt was consumed.
we made mousse and cookies and summer pasta dishes
and more memories than i knew possible.
i fell in love with the neighborhood we now live in.

before the keys were handed over to the new owner,

we gathered one more time to eat dinner in the den together.

it was a sweet nostalgic night for the four original family members that resided here.

but they weren't the only ones that loved the trip down memory lane.

while my lane of memories is shorter than theirs, it is full too.

i am thankful for the time and lessons under this roof.