Adios, Espinosa!

If you told me a couple of months ago that I would be teary-eyed typing a farewell blog to this place, I would have laughed. Given all the blood, sweat, tears, and… well, MONEY we’ve put into this place, I’ve always thought saying goodbye would be a breeze. In the beginning, the spending was on aesthetic fixes. Take down that 80s wallpaper. Seashell sinks? Well, can’t change those. But we can lose the brass fixtures. And Lord knows the biggest costs came from what you couldn’t see. I know far more than I ever care to about the intricacies (and expense) of foundation repair. And don’t even get me started on the weird across-the-street neighbor who appears to have a lawn mowing allergy, the rage I feel towards whoever keeps on telling the city when we don’t pull our trash can up immediately after collection, or the aggravation I feel driving down streets with so many cars parked on either side. Ugh…

Nevertheless, with less than two days before the movers get here, I’m surprisingly sentimental at the thought of leaving this place. For all the pains we’ve gone through, we’ve turned this place into a home. We’ve brought a lot to it: new furniture, fresh paint, updated flooring. It’s the only home we’ve shared while married, so we also brought some more important things to it: a puppy and a son. That puppy isn’t so little now and certainly not so spoiled, but she paved the way for what’s been our most rewarding time here: time with Luke. He won’t even remember this place. But I’ll remember everything, from the positive pregnancy test to the “Oh wait… NO! Luke! Put that down!” I shouted as he “helped” me pack some wine glasses this morning. This house is now more than just the sum of its flaws: it’s a place that has held our family through some low and high points. It’s time to move on to bigger and better things, but I’ll always hold a special place in my heart for our first home.

So, to all of you who have shared time with us on Espinosa – thank you. Thanks for some wonderful memories. We’re eager to start anew on Goldenrain Tree Drive. (Yeah, so that mouthful is our new street name. Doesn’t exactly roll off the old tongue, huh?) I’ll do my best to post pictures as the place is presentable… which could be anywhere between mid-August to Christmas. In the meantime, I’m off to pack some more… as soon as I wipe my eyes and blow my nose. : )