In the words of Rose from Titanic… “I’ll never let go.” As we prepare to move on, we can’t help but pause and celebrate the dozens of small things we’ll miss about our very first home. These are the details that made this house feel like ours, and we wanted to capture them so we don’t forget a single one.
1. The gorgeous cherry tree in the front yard.
2. The new kitchen — worth every chaotic day of eating out and living without a sink during its 113-day makeover.
3. Our view of the lush, private backyard — one of the main reasons we bought this house back in 2006.
4. The sweet front porch where we’d sit and watch the neighbors go by.
5. The layers of paint and slivers of old wallpaper we uncovered during renovations — tiny clues to the house’s past that we loved discovering.
6. The fascinating story of the house’s first owners and the history we uncovered while researching its past.
7. How narrow the front and back doors were — we actually had to remove the doors from our new fridge to get it inside.
8. Waking up each morning and looking out at the spot where we got married. That view never failed to make us smile (and well up).
9. The charming cow weather vane perched on top of the garage.
10. The cute red shed in the backyard — we never used it much, but it added character to the yard.
11. Mostly centered windows throughout the house — a detail we didn’t realize was rare until we went house hunting.
12. How neither bathroom had an outlet for the first few years we lived here (one still doesn’t).
13. Having two fireplaces — a lucky and cozy bonus.
14. The way the front yard looked the day we first drove up to see the house — we made an offer that night.
15. Rushing home from vacations simply because we missed the house.
16. The sleepless nights spent painting, planning, swinging a sledgehammer, and daydreaming about what the house could become.
17. The charming neighborhood where we walked Burger (and later Clara) on quiet evenings.
18. The brilliant fall leaves that put on a show every year — gorgeous, even if we won’t miss the raking.
19. Those rare snowstorms that transformed the house into an even cozier scene.
20. The clusters of white and pink azaleas — there must be at least fifty of them.
21. Modestly sized rooms that encouraged us to spend time together instead of getting lost in separate spaces.
22. Wide doorways that opened up the den, kitchen, and living/dining room and created a comfortable flow.
23. The crisp white trim, molding, and breezy curtains that gave the house a beachy summer feel.
24. The patio that’s charmingly aged with moss over the years, giving it character.
25. Making s’mores on the patio after we added a fire pit last year — simple nights that became favorites.
26. Lazy Sunday mornings in the sunroom — our favorite quiet spot.
27. The subway tile running to the ceiling in the shower — a daily reminder of John’s craftsmanship that I still admire.
28. Our excessive storage solutions: 23 baskets and 10 ottomans in a tiny house. Organization became an art form.
29. Bedroom built-ins that made our sleeping space feel tucked-in and cozy every night.
30. Bringing our pup and our baby girl home here — this house isn’t just our first home, it’s Clara and Burger’s too.
31. The big picture window in the living room where Burger loved to bark at passing dog friends.
32. The seeded glass pendant above the kitchen sink — simple and unique, a find we haven’t seen since we ordered it years ago.
33. Memories of painting nearly every room at least twice to get the color just right.
34. The sound of the sunroom screen sliding — the little signal that told Burger and me that John was home from work.
35. The intense challenge of removing scallops from the front porch — my hardest solo project to date.
36. The excitement of listening to every crash when John demoed the bathroom — I was pregnant and loved hearing the progress even if I couldn’t swing a hammer.
37. The paranoid ritual of turning back to check the toaster, the front door, or the alarm before a trip — John would humor me and we’d drive back so I could double-check.
38. “Camping” in the sunroom on warm spring nights, and regretting it when the sun woke us at 6 a.m.
39. Plugging in the Christmas tree, sitting by the fire, and sipping hot chocolate — it doesn’t get much cozier.
40. Phantom doorbell rings when the battery was dying — random chimes that always startled us.
41. The quirky garage door that swings outward to open, earning many warning notes to visitors about parking too close.
42. How everything looked in that first year, before we had any idea how much blood, sweat, and tears we’d pour into this place.
43. Seeing Burger stretched out near the vent under the side table, warming his belly in the heat.
44. Yelling “don’t look, I’m peeing!” when the half-bath pocket door broke — a moment of ridiculousness we’ll laugh about for years.
45. Our wedding night, when we snapped one last photo in the photo booth tucked into the corner of our driveway before the truck came to pick it up.
Somebody pass a tissue. We’re thrilled about our new house, but saying goodbye to this one already feels bittersweet. We’ll treasure these memories forever.