If These Walls Could Talk

Last month, my parent's house of 25 years was finally put on the market to sell. It felt very sentimental as this was the only house that I have memories of as we moved just before my kindergarten year. 

So to preserve the house in my memory, here's how the house is part of my story. 

If these walls could talk...

Thousands of hours of piano practicing. 

Early morning scripture study where we all show up at the kitchen table with blankets to keep warm and half closed eyes. It was a good morning when Mom would make scrambled eggs with ham and hot chocolate while Dad does the study. Can't forget the Book of Mormon map he created. 

Hot tub for birthday parties and for winter season where we even tried to hook up the little TV in there to watch the Christmas specials. Fond memories of pulling out the TV guide in our newspaper and highlighting all the ones we get to watch on our regular channels. 

Before our neighbors in the back put up the trees, we got to see fireworks pan the horizon view on 4th of July. Some even climbed the roof to see better. 

Performing our tap routine on the fireplace

Sleeping on the deck during summer nights and then feeling the dew in the morning.

We had no A/C so lots of summer meals downstairs. Our dinner spread was laid out on the ping pong table. 

Speaking of the ping pong table, lots of table tennis tournaments and some fierce competition came out of my mom. She was GOOD. 

I was obsessed with basketball and because I got a Sports Illustrated for Kids subscription one year, I got to have Vince Carter amazing dunk grace my bedroom door when I slept in the storage room. Plus my NBA bedspread.

The computer that was in the left hand corner of the downstairs where I got really good at Dr. Mario and Monopoly. 

Gymnastics on the tramp with Elizabeth for Olympics where we put tape to measure out a beam to practice our routine.

Emily fighting over clothes but making up by popping popcorn in the garage so Mom and Dad wouldn't hear us and then watching movies downstairs. And of course Emily fell asleep 5 mins after we started watching. 

Sunday cookie making 

Jeopardy church style that Crismon put together for Sundays. 

Reading scriptures in the hallway downstairs while Emily slept. 

Being freaked out of that water heater downstairs. Always seemed so scary.

The smell and decoration for the holidays that made it seem like home. 

Family testimony meeting and being taught by two incredible teachers.

My imagination absorbed around that blue couch and lazy boy chair.

Reading Harry Potter in the tree

Mom directing traffic in the kitchen sitting on the church pew

One on one interviews with Mom and Dad

Late night basketball games or throwing the football. Our yard made for some epic capture the flag games. 

Learning to work, work, work. 

Having cousins over for Thanksgiving or New Years and staying up late playing Aquire and watching lots of football.

Summer mornings Emily and I would sometimes be sleeping on the hide-a-bed and we would watch I Dream of Genie, Saturday morning cartoons like Recess and The Weekenders, or Anne of Green Gables. (I have a lot of memories around movies and shows apparently haha!)

Where my testimony was forged. I studied the gospel because I was hungry to learn. It filled a need that I didn't know I had. 

I could go on and on. I know more and more memories will pop up but this was just a snippet. I loved what Becca said that houses are part of one's story and I really was lucky to live in a good one. Obviously it's not so much the structure as the people and the memories and the feeling of loved there. Wish I could bottle this up for everyone.