Parents Move to Richmond and a Meaningful Anniversary Gift

Last week my parents officially moved to Richmond, and we couldn’t be happier to have them nearby. The move brings practical perks (free babysitting is a big one) and the chance to spend more time together. They’re settling in about 15 minutes away, which makes it easy for them to pop over for visits, help with projects, and babysit our kids when needed. We’ve already spent some time exploring their new neighborhood and breaking in the community pool as soon as the moving truck left.

Three days after closing on the new house, my parents celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. May is always busy for our family with anniversaries and birthdays, and this year we wanted to mark the occasion with something personal. Because 39 years doesn’t have a traditional anniversary theme the way milestone years like 35 or 40 do, my sisters and I decided to commemorate the 32 years they spent in their previous home with a custom keepsake. This gift complemented a small painting we had already given them as a moving present.

My mom has long collected small wooden keepsakes known as The Cat’s Meow pieces—little hand-painted blocks that represent buildings, landmarks, and meaningful places. She loves the figurines that remind her of special spots, from a favorite beach candy shop to the state capitol of her home state. When we learned that the maker offered custom commissions through their “My World” service, it felt like the perfect anniversary and moving gift: a miniature, handmade replica of the house where our family made so many memories.

Using a photo of the house, the makers hand-carved and painted a tiny version that captured the shape, rooflines, and porch details. We ordered two replicas—one for their new Richmond home and one for their beach house that holds so many family vacation memories. The process took about six weeks and the two pieces together cost roughly one hundred dollars, which works well for the four of us siblings so each of us could contribute equally.

The figurine turned out beautifully, though the paint reads a bit bluer in the miniature than the house’s real gray siding—likely a photo or color-translation issue. One signature detail of these pieces is a small black cat included in every design. For us, that tiny cat was an extra sweet touch because it felt like a miniature stand-in for our family’s black cat, Duncan, who now lives with my sister. The little cat gives the keepsake a playful, personal character that made the gift feel even more tailored to our family.

Beyond the front view, the company offers customization on the back of each block, so we wrote a short history summarizing the house’s place in our family story. The inscription recalls the years my parents lived in the Burke, Virginia home and highlights the everyday traditions that defined our childhood—neighborhood games in the cul-de-sac, backyard swings, and the family gatherings that filled the rooms. We kept the message warm and specific to preserve those memories without overdoing the details.

This lovely residence in Burke, Virginia became home to Tom and Kathy Petersik in 1979. Their four children, Katie, Emily, John and Carrie, loved growing up here – from playing with the other neighborhood kids in the cul-de-sac to eventually pushing their own children on the swings behind the house. In their 32 years here, [their street number] played host to Christmas mornings on the stairs, Easter egg hunts in the backyard, and countless family feasts.

(As a family note: we always gathered on the staircase for a quick photo before racing down to open presents on Christmas morning—a silly tradition that made the moment feel like a ceremony even though the gifts were safely on flat surfaces afterward.)

The two wooden replicas were a hit when my parents opened them while we were at the beach. They asked thoughtful questions about the maker’s process and smiled at the tiny cat in the window. For us, the keepsakes achieve exactly what we hoped: a tangible reminder of the house where our family grew up and a small, meaningful object they can display in their new Richmond home. It’s a simple, handcrafted way to bridge the past and the present—perfect for a move and a milestone anniversary.