Home Sweet Memories.

I am home. 

Not my Utah home where my sweet husband and I live, but the HOME that built me.

I arrived in Sacramento yesterday morning. As the plane touched down on that familiar runway, I began to feel an overwhelming emotion of love for the city I am from.

I was after all born here and lived a good 22 years of my life in this city. It is where some of my fondest memories were made.

As we drove down Madison Avenue and I stared out the window at so many familiar places, I smiled as I felt each street sign and building welcoming me back.

After an afternoon of running errands we finally made it to my parents home.

I can never begin to express the love I feel when we pull up to this lovely brick house on the corner. 

I instantly recall summer days on front lawn selling lemonade with my siblings. I see "Little Blue" (the teenage car that has been around since I got my license) parked on the curb and giggle inside at how that car has been there for us kids as we've each gone to high school.

I see the beautiful tree our family planted in the front yard and remember the day we planted it and how tiny it was back then. As it stands tall and towers over the home now, it reminds me of all the years our family has been here.

Sixteen years. 

It may not seem like that long to most. I know lots of people have been in homes for many years longer,  however for our family those sixteen years contain the best and the worst years of our lives.

As I have talked with my parents over the last day the realization has come that they wont be in this home forever. My heart breaks to think that my sweet baby may never get to know the home I grew up in. Grandma and Grandpa will live somewhere new when he is old enough to remember going to their home and I have felt a need to try and connect myself to this house while I am home this trip in a deeper way.

I am excited for my parents to someday move somewhere new (Hopefully UTAH close to ME) and to make new memories. I am excited for them to find the home they will retire in and the home where our children will make memories of visits to grandma and grandpas house. 

Its a wonderful feeling to look into the future and see all the amazing things the Lord has in store for the Grant and Shelley Goold posterity and I look forward to those coming years.

As I crawled into the bed I was sharing with my sister Aubrey last night, in the room we shared in high school, I began to soak in some of those memories. I remember many late nights that she and I would stay up talking. How we painted the room from jean walls to black and white hibiscus flowers. How I would set up all my pretties (makeup, perfumes, hairbrushes etc.) out on our vanity and how she would come by right behind me and sweep it all into drawers. I listened as mom and dad where out in the living room talking with the younger girls as they wrapped up the things they were doing preparing for bed and admired how for so many years my parents have always been there and involved in what us children were doing.

I loved being apart of this mornings chaos (quietly from the comfort of my bed of course). From the first alarm at 6am to the ins and outs of four girls trying to share ONE bathroom for their morning routines. Mom in the hallways making sure everyone is REALLY out of bed and up getting ready for early morning seminary. Dad getting ready for his day and 4 dogs whining for some type of attention amongst the hustle. 

I felt so happy that I had all these memories. I was happy as I thought back on how most of those memories include my sweet brother Hunter also. 

It will be hard I am sure when the day comes we pack up and say goodbye to 5500 Hammond Ct and all the memories, but I know the Lord has blessed us and will continue to bless our family in moving on and making new memories someplace else.

As I've been home I have also had a chance to look at my little family and ponder the important things. As Kevin and I prepare to bring a baby into the world this summer I have desired so deeply to be in a place where we can build memories of our own. Memories like the ones I have at my parents home.

My mom said yesterday that a home is not the house you live in but the people who are in that house with you. She said they could live in a cardboard box and it would still be a home as long as they were together. 

I thought how I desire to have a little brick home I can make our own. How I wish for a little backyard that the baby can play in with friends and siblings. I desire that little American family dream that seems to be a fading fantasy for so many young couples today. I also thought about what my mom said and realized that no matter where Kevin, our baby and I end up, that it too won't be forever and as long as we have each other and are healthy and happy, then that's all that matters.

I am so grateful I have the blessing of being home this weekend. I love coming to visit and seeing so many people I love. 

I am so thankful for the sixteen years of memories this home has made and how I (and anyone else who comes into this home) feel that blanket of love wrap around as soon as they step in the door.

It's FRIDAY! Off this afternoon with mom and then date night with Aubrey, my parents and uncles as the young girls go to TWIRP. Everyone is always going, Going, GOING here; Non stop.... and I love it! 

Have a great weekend Readers!