Saturday, April 18, 2009

This Old House

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The first house I ever built is for sale again.  I had no idea when we built it that it would launch a new career for me.

We built is for ourselves in 1991 and moved in just before Christmas, as you can tell from the wreath on the front door.  One word of advice – if you can possibly avoid moving just before Christmas by all means do so.  Christmas was a blur that year.  I’m actually surprised that I put up a wreath. 

I knew nothing at the time about building houses, but LBeau is a structural engineer, so I figured he’d keep me straight even though I had to be the one to oversee the whole process.  Fortunately it was a fairly simple plan that LBeau drew himself.  We patterned it after the George Wythe House in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

It was a good house.  We had a huge side yard that became the neighborhood ball field.  Soccer, baseball and football were all played in our side yard.  One neighbor even asked me when we were going to put up bleachers and lights.

By the time we left 4109 Ashington Drive ten years later, all of my boys had graduated from high school.  Ben was home from the University of Arkansas for the summer, and he was not happy about the move.  This was the house that all of his friends hung out in.  This was the basement where they played poker and the deck where they smoked nasty cigars, leaving them in plastic cups for me to deal with.  So Ben sulked and refused to move anything from his room.  LBeau and I were not happy.

When Kevin and Tricia bought our house, they had 15-month old twins, a boy and a girl.  They now have three children, and they are relocating to be closer to family.  Here’s a LINK to the real estate information, complete with pictures.

I hope the next family enjoys it as much as we did.

13 comments:

Valerie said...

Oh Kathy...the house is just beautiful.

I can understand Ben's feelings. When my parents sold "my" childhood home, I couldn't help, but feel a sense of sadness. Afterall, me and my 3 siblings had grown up visiting our mother's childhood home so why wouldn't I think that my children would do the same? (visit their mother's childhood home)

Anyway, along the same line...I delivered Benjamin 5-weeks before Christmas (the week of Thanksgiving) Recently, while at my parents (NEW) home, I saw old Christmas pictures. My mother SWEARS that we visited with Mary and baby Ben, but I DO NOT remember any of it. Would I have seriously traveled with a 5-week old nursing baby and 2-year old? I guess I did as the pictures are the proof. So no moving and no babies right before Christmas!!! LOL

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh I do know the feeling. It is so hard to look back a special homes that hold such sweet memories and then wonder who will live there and if they will make the same memories. I feel that way about our last house. Although my children were grown, it was the home where all my grandchildren remember as being our home. I did make a move once about 3 weeks before Christmas, and I do so agree. That is the toughest time of year to move. Glad we don't have to move this Christmas, or at least I hope. Hugs, Marty

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Awww. That house looks so much like mine, only I added an awning to the front of mine. When my folks moved out of my childhood home (The week before Christmas, mind you, so understood) It was hard. I was excited for them, and sad to leave the memories behind. My old neighbors. BUt now we have a "neighborhood reunion" (many of my neighbors have since moved on too). WE hold it at a local state park annunally and it is great!
I wish the best for you. ANd may the new home owners create their special memories there.

My gargae sale....also a bomb. I agree, I had a customer say he goes "saling" every weekend and finds no one goes now. He too says the ecomomy. I made 115.00 bucks, but subtract the news paper ad and permit, it wasnt worth it. I would've done better to get the tax rightoff.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the comment. i have two boys as well.. and you are right! they do have much less drama. they have a break-up, and you hardly hear a word of it. LOL

Keetha Broyles said...

I'm going to go look at the house pictures in a minute - - - but first, I'm SOOOOO excited!!! Your blond son looks for all the world like our oldest son, Kelly, looked when he was about that age!!!! Amazing. They could easily be brothers. Maybe I'll dig out some old pictures and do a post so you can see if you think so too - - - - -

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

My parents had one house that we all four kids hated to see them sell -- it was such a great neighborhood and a neat house. We still talk about growing up there.

Tonja said...

I am so happy to meet you. Thanks for visiting me at Gatherings. I'm not positive about the Doctor's name, but I think it is Close. I will double check and let you know.

We do have lots in common, it seems. My husband and I lived there in college, and my son went to Samford and has recently moved back there. He loves it. He lives in Homewood.

I look forward to learning more about you and your family.

Anonymous said...

It looks like a wonderful home. It must make you very nostalgic to look through the rooms again. You may not have the home, but your boys will always have the memories.

Susie Jefferson said...

My goodness - you BUILT YOUR OWN HOUSE????? Respect!No wonder you don't have time for things like making tags! What a legacy to leave as well, how wonderful to think other families will be living in something you created.

Glennis said...

My family moved around a lot, and it's funny how for a kid you have such a sense of loss - your friends and school, of course, but the house is such a big part of it, too. A few years back I revisited for the first time the house we lived in when I was about 6 years old - it was amazing how many memories came flooding back.

Domestic Designer said...

I know the feeling. I still miss our first home. I can remember all the hard work during the building process. I also know how it is to move in December. We moved into our current home on December 6th several years ago. That Christmas is a blur to me as well.

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

It is a beautiful house. We moved into our present home a week before Christmas, and it really worked out great! I was fortunate that our previous house had not sold, so I only moved what we had to have (no accessories) and the Christmas decor. I didn't have to take down anything to put up Christmas decor. We had 40 family members for Christmas Eve dinner that year. laurie

momma said...

i wish i knew what happened to our first house - but we don't live near there anymore and we don't travel near that area either.