My House Growing Up

Feeling nostalgic today. Our family table leaves are taken out, making it just right for the four of us. The big boys are off at scout camp all week. I feel my world changing before my eyes. Children growing up. Decluttering and getting rid of things we don't need anymore (too small shoes, for example.)
Emma is in California, exploring fun things. I told her about some family history. I don't remember the address of the first house we lived in, rented. The white house above was one my parents bought. It was painted yellow stucco back then, but had those cool arches! My best friend across the street was Shelly, (her mom taught us how to dance and sing along to Simon and Garfunkel songs) and two doors down Mike & Mark lived. There were scary Great Dane dogs next door to the left, who would stand with their forepaws hanging over the fence, slobbering and threatening to "eat our faces off."

I could see from satellite pictures where I learned how to ride a bike (green banana seat 2 wheeler), with my dad's help, the two different elementary schools I attended. The busy street I crossed when I thought I had missed the bus. The hills where we bought a gopher snake to put in our backyard. Good memories.

Our dad worked for IBM and we would wait for him under the eucalyptus trees and play on this rocket ship playground...

For family home evening we played a guess the American famous quote game and Suzanna told us some stories she remembered from living in our last home. Funny, silly things. It's part of each family's culture, re-telling the stories from our youth!