It's just a house, right?

26 years ago my parents bought their home in Jefferson City, MO. I haven't actually lived there in the past 14 years because I turned into a big city girl, going to college in St. Louis and then moving to Milwaukee with Nate. But each time I've returned to my childhood home, the comforting scent of this house always hits me like a ton of bricks. Even at 31 years old, with my own little family in my own little home, hundreds of miles away----my parents' house has always been 'home' in a way. Maybe even more so because each trip back home is sort of an event due to the distance, but that house has been a constant in my life. One that holds too many memories to list on this blog today. I'll try anyway.

The birth of my baby brother, grade school homework, high school friends, team dinners, graduation parties...summers back home during college, bringing 'The One' home to meet my parents, wedding planning...holidays with our southerners, introducing my children to mid-MO. It's just too much to wrap my head around at this point. That house is a huge part of my life. The memories from it's walls will stay with me forever but I should have known that I wouldn't be lounging on their couches forever.

When my parents told us they were moving to Colorado I was excited for them, truly. A million thoughts ran through my head and eventually I kept coming back to one thing: I needed to see my childhood home one more time in order to have closure with this big chapter of my life. It worked out for me to extend a previously planned Missouri trip to include a visit to Jeff City. And so I began to prepare myself to say goodbye.

I knew there were a lot of boxes full of my old stuff in the basement but I wasn't expecting seven of them to say 'Julia.' Sorting through those boxes and helping my parents pack up the last 26 years of their lives was hilarious, surprising, exciting and sad. I got my seven boxes down to just one that my mom is going to take with them, and I brought home a few smaller items I wanted to keep for myself. But as I sorted through the boxes I felt the need to document these gems so I never forget.

A diary from age 8-14. Years and years of birthday cards, printed emails, and other 'keepsakes'.


The first form of blogging about myself? ;)


And then a ton of other diaries from high school and beyond. I had no idea I even wrote back then. A lot of the entries were too embarrassing and ridiculous to read. But I found the entry I wrote on 9/11/01 amongst other stunners.


My meticulous account of a Spanish budget from my semester abroad. Before they even used the Euro. Random pictures, and my high school freshman career day brochure---where I attended the Physical Therapy presentation along with Law. Law!! Cannot imagine me ever being a lawyer but it's really cool to think I wanted to be a PT when I was so young.


High school sports were basically my life. Volleyball, Basketball, and getting all A's were all that mattered. And boys. And friends. But mostly sports;)


Hilarious vintage cameras, cassette tapes, and games.


The college years complete with plenty of Bid Day photos. Journals given to me by my loving mother.


Did I mention the random pictures?


While I was there we got a LOT accomplished and the storage part of their basement is less overwhelming for mom.


I spent the last day at the house walking around in a fog, fighting back tears. It's been an amazing place to grow up and I am sad that my kids won't remember GoGo and PoPo's home in Missouri. If these walls could talk.





My old bedroom, ready to be someone else's.

Oh, this house and the memories.




Getting ready for the last time in this bathroom. And the 'donate' boxes that were hauled off by a friend of my mom's.


The porch. Too many pictures taken here over the years to count. And the girls--moving on to bigger and better.


Did I mention that the house officially sold while I was there? Pretty amazing to think it was only on the market for one week. I couldn't help but snap a picture of my parents signing the contract.


Cecelia was a great distraction during this trip, of course. A distraction that refused to sleep which helped me not to be too sad because I was just too tired. But Memaw and Pepaw came up to watch Cecelia while I helped mom pack and we will take any excuse to see our extended family, of course.










I'm so glad we went back to Jeff City one more time. I keep telling myself that it's just a house and I get to keep the memories forever, but it doesn't make it any easier. End of one chapter, beginning of another. Visits with my parents will now include a new awesome state with snow, mountains, outdoor sports...and new memories.