Saturday, August 1, 2009

Going Back!!!!

THEN..........(How it looked in 1976)I had to go to a Birthday Party on the West side of town today and decided to take a challenge I saw, go back to a house you use to call home, would you want to knock on the door and ask to go inside, or would you just "drive by" as if it were never yours??? Well I didn't go to the door and I didn't just drive by, I stopped and stared for a few minutes and I took a few pictures. This was my Husband and I's first house, a real home for him and I!!!! We bought this house brand new right before we got married, we saved every penny we made during our courtship so that we could "own a house" instead of renting something. We moved into this house in June of 1976 and bought it for $19,900.00, it was small, looking back but big with love as we were newlyweds, working full time and loving every minute of our new life. As I sat in my car staring at this house, I had fond memories of going on long bike rides on our bicycle built for 2, walking to our friends Jim and Sue's house around the corner and staying over late playing cards, eating out just once a week as we were on a budget, shopping all the grocery store ads to get all the best bargains and those Saturdays filled with house and yard work doing it together!!! As I drove away, I had a smile on my face as I drove to the next house!!!!
How it looked today, not the same color, where did our grass go???And our tree????So it was easy to just stop and reminisce and keep going onto the next house!!!
THEN.......1978, we bought a bigger house to meet our growing family's needs!!! We were expecting our first child!!!!As I sat in my car at this house, I just couldn't get my foot to push the gas pedal, I wanted to sit here forever!!! Here is where all of our children lived after they were born. I could vision them still running around in their little P.J.'s with the feet built into them, learning to walk around the hearth of the fireplace, riding their bikes for the first time with no training wheels, off to school for the first time, visiting with "Grandma and Grandpa Watson" they were the sweetest older couple who never had children of their own, I still remember taking the girls to McDonalds one day, and there was an Asian lady in front of us and Corie said "Mommy see that black lady" and I was so embarrased and said no honey that lady isn't black she just has black hair, she kept insisting she was black, I said No Honey Grandma and Grandpa Watson are black this lady is white but has black hair, she screamed at me "Grandma Watson isn't black" and I was then more embarrased as the Watsons are black, but looking back she saw them as no different then us. So many fun times were had at this house. We bought this house in Dec. of 1978 for $59,000.00 and lived there for 14 years!!!!
How it looked today, I asked myself" What happened to the nicely kept up yard we always had"???? Is someone sick or elderly that just cannot do the yard work anymore????I just wonder who lives there now????
THEN......Onto our 3rd house, we bought this house in the fall of 1992, and it is here the kids have the most fun memories of all!!!!It had a bedroom for everyone and lots of kids lived in this neighborhood, it also was not on a busy street like the previous house, so for the first time the kids could get out and ride their bikes all over the neighborhood!!!Here is where they all lived when learning to drive, went on there first dates here, Proms and off to college and always fun to come HOME to!!!!!
How it looked today, I liked what I saw, mostly it looked the same, different paint, a few new trees, but looked like the owners loved this house as much as we loved it when we lived here. I really sat here only a few seconds, just long enough to take a few pictures, as it really looked like a happy place to live for the new family. Our kids had a basketball hoop also, so I pictured the new family's kids out there throwing the basketball around much like ours did!!!!It made me smile as I drove away knowing we had such fun times in this house and it was here the kids became young adults.
Then I got HOME to our current house and I just smiled and smiled knowing this is where I belong, Home!!!!!!It is just a building of stucco and tile, but it's what's inside this building that makes this House a HOME and it's the love of my family!!!!!

12 comments:

Barbara said...

Mimi, Prayers are needed for Amy.

Thanks,
Barbara

Susan said...

Saw your comment on Debra's blog and came by to visit. A very interesting post. I take it you've lived in the same town all your married life to be able to drive by all the houses. Enjoyed my visit.
Susan

Corie said...

Such a fun post! WOW, so many great memories at each home! Its going to make me sad when we move out of our current house, since it will more than likely be the home we have all our babies in! Its so nice to look back at your life and say a home is where your heart is and not a place! Thanks for all the fun memories at all of our homes,MOM!:)

Deanna said...

Jamie, What sweet and precious memories you have associated with where you called home. This is so wonderful. Sometimes I go down memory lane and tear up.

Last January, we went to a funeral in Houston and went by the house we lived in almost 20 years ago and the area was so grown over with businesses, I know that if we had stayed...we would have moved to a smaller community away from it all. Any hoo, I love thinking about where we lived and what the children were doing at the time.

You're present house is lovely and looks huge! You are a blessed Lady to have a sweet husband that loves you and family around. Also, I cheer us on for being Homemakers!!!

Enjoyed your post.
God bless,
D

Debra said...

I've always enjoyed going back and seeing the places in which we once lived. Although ours are somewhat more scattered throughout the US. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment. I too love making new friends!
Enjoyed your photos very much!

Anonymous said...

I would have to make a trip back to TX to see one of our homes...and the one we left in Ky got some pretty backwards owners I think...my Hubby's last trip back to that area, he said it looked worse than Sanford and Son...so sad, it was a nice place and we put a "lot" of work into it!

Great Post Idea!!☺

Julie said...

Hey Jamie, very cool post. It was neat to see the then and now pictures. I haven't driven by my old houses here in California since I moved back here. They're just a "little" too far away. I've been meaning to ask you, who's the builder of your current house? I've been seeing all your "show me a room" posts and my husband and I have been browsing houses in Arizona online (wishful hoping) and came across one we really liked on the west side that looked really similar to yours by Shea. Just curious.

Stacie Gibbs said...

I really enjoyed this post mom!! It sure did bring a LOT of memories back, and Corie said it right each one of the houses I lived in will always hold a special place in my heart!!

Jule's Spot said...

I have had fun looking at all of your blogs...been so busy I haven't kept up!
love ya
Julie

Grams said...

Jamie,
What a nice post. There is no way I could do this since we have lived in 16 houses (I think) I can't even remember all the addresses but my kids do realate to the three houses my parents lived in. They actually had paintings done of them and my son & I now each have one and my other son lives in my parents last house. Kathy

Carolyn said...

I love this post. I still drive by your house in Arrowhead on my way to my parents house and always wave at it. :) It is so weird to know you guys dont live there anymore. Such a fun and heartfelt post. XO

Anonymous said...

I myself have so many fun memories of your "third" house!