So long Blacksburg

Well, tonight is my last night at our house in Blacksburg. Still seems a little surreal even while I sit amongst a house full of boxes. There was no going away party or any big event for leaving. My family actually left 2 people at a time. Blythe and Ethan left last Thursday and my mom took them to meet up with Grams and Peep and they spent 5 fun-filled days in Cashiers, NC. Pretty sure Grams and Peep will probably be sleeping 12 hours a day for a while to recoup! Then Braden and Brynn (and Juni and Bogie) left on Monday. Brynn went to my mom's and Juni and Bogie went to my brother's and then Braden went on in to work in Raleigh. So I was here alone. It was SO quiet! But I had no time to enjoy the peace since I was running around like a maniac doing all of the last minute stuff. I swear I felt like those last minute things would never end.

Today the movers came to pack all our stuff and my dad came up to help me with the last 2 days. Yep, that's right...I said movers came to PACK all our stuff. We've never had that done before and it's AWESOME! Thank goodness for NC State and a good moving package! Tomorrow they will be here to load the truck and we close on our house here in Blacksburg in the late afternoon. Then I will drive away leaving lots of memories.

Memories of learning I was pregnant for the first time (and the second time and the third time) and telling Braden each time after I found out.
Memories of figuring out how to hang cabinets and build a sandbox and tile a countertop.
Memories of going to t-ball games and Blythe's first swim meet
Memories of bringing our 3 beautiful children into this world at a small, but great hospital by an awesome doctor I will certainly miss!
Memories of our kids playing outside with the neighbors playing basketball or drawing with chalk
Memories of Braden organizing an impromptu neighborhood water balloon fight
Memories of walking at lunchtime with Amy or meeting at the gym for Zumba
Memories of dropping my kids off at daycare for the very first time and crying hysterically as soon as I got in the car to drive away
Memories of Blythe and Ashley meeting and becoming instant friends at the age of 1 and a half
Memories of Hokie football games and Hokie swim meets
Memories of snow. Lots of snow.
Memories of rocking on our front porch
Memories of drinking a glass of wine while sitting on our back deck and listening to music
Memories of hanging out on the deck for hours while Blythe sat in her exersaucer (ah, that was relaxing!)
Memories of playing upstairs before bed and throwing a ball for Ethan so he could hit it with his soft Hokie baseball bat
Memories of watching Blythe and Ethan jump off of Ethan's bed and onto his bean bag while acting like crazy animals
Memories of putting together the biggest doll house known to man before Christmas
Memories of taking the kids to see Santa at the mall (who looked a lot like Santa, but not nearly as jolly as he should have been)
Memories of looking at the clock in the morning on the way to daycare, realizing it took 2 hours to get all kids up and dressed and fed before school, but feeling pretty proud that I did it all by myself
Memories of teaching Blythe and Ethan (and Ashley and Luke) how to drive the jeep around the neighborhood
Memories of taking Blythe to see a high school play of Beauty and the Beast while I was 9 months pregnant and she wanted to sit on my lap (or lack thereof) for most of it
Memories of rocking Brynn to sleep in the glider in her room (that I wish I had had for the first 2!)
Memories of Braden surprising me on our 7 year anniversary with a night at a local hotel and a fantastic dinner!

I could go on and on. But the memories are coming with me. It's hard to forget a place where all 3 of your kids were born. Even if my kids won't really remember this place.

I'm ready for the next chapter now. Here we come Raleigh and hopefully we will be there for a LONG time.

So long Blacksburg.