The Bluffdale House: Saying Goodbye

A few months after Jake I turned 1-year-old, my family moved into our Bluffdale house. At that point, my parents had their whole family, all nine kids. Because I was so small, I don't remember the move. My Daddy tells us stories about moving in without any carpet, and eating Little Caesar's pizza while sitting on the plywood floor. 

My cute parents are on the brink of being empty nester's, but with my Daddy's blood clots and both of my parent's back pain, being in that big house and having that big yard was really hard. They sold the house and are now living in a city close by where just about everything is on one level (less need to use the stairs) and the only lawn they have is a tiny patch out front.

Unfortunately when the move started happening no one thought to take pictures before everything came down. Thank goodness we do have a few pictures of the house thanks to our cute friend Kim who took pictures when we celebrated before Jake left on his mission, and a few more from Miriam who is a family friend and my parent's realtor.

I wanted to share a few of the pictures that we have of that house

I love that wrap around porch!

I always loved that the huge bookshelf was the first thing you'd see walking in. Pictures don't do it justice!

The family room and kitchen

I love those swinging seats!

Some of my favorite details in the kitchen

I'll definitely miss this library

We've had a lot of really fun pictures that we've taken of our memories together in that house. I just wanted to share some of them that I have. They are in no particular order.

Note to my siblings: I know that some of you may not like some of these pictures  because they may seem embarrassing, but I think they're fun. So I used them anyway. :)

Getting our first cell phones from the New Year's Brownie

Our Thanksgiving replica of Brett while he was on his mission. This stayed up for a long time. Pretty creepy!

The traditional Christmas Eve Pyramid.

The ever-so-common picture in front of the fireplace :)

Before Dance Company Formal - Jakey was my date!

Ginger and the infamous finger-dinosaurs

Wait for it....

Definitely a remake of the original moment - but it was hilarious regardless!

Kari and her replica

Before a dance

The day the braces came off

We always been cool...

Cousin twins - a week apart

Darling sisters

Our little Jack-in-a-bucket :)

Michelle is the cutest and would make these signs for us and they would hang there for weeks :)

Momma's got swag ;)

I won't lie, the move was hard for all of us. It was weird watching each room be emptied. It was weird watching things be divided up to go to my siblings and me. It was even weirder to see the carpet, shelves, wood flooring and such removed while we were moving out. (My Mom was soo nice to let the new owners come in and start their remodeling before we were supposed to be out. Maybe a little too nice...)

So, in Bowman fashion, we decided to all went back to the house to "say goodbye." I know, this might seem weird, but it gave us the closure that we needed. Or maybe I should speak for myself and say that it gave me the closure that I needed.

Initially we wanted to go out the way that we came in, eating Little Caesar's pizza while sitting on the plywood floor, but it was Sunday so instead we bought Klondike bars the day before and ate them as we walked around the house. Then Dad and the boys took down the U.S. flag, as well as the U of U flag (yes, of course it was up!)

Chelsea and me proudly remembering the time we painted that bathroom by ourselves :)

We had to get one last picture in front of that fireplace!

The "Originals" after Dad and the boys took down the flags from the flagpole.

We've had some incredible memories in this house. We've learned, laughed, cried, experienced failures and triumphs; but most of all we've loved.

I know that regardless of where we're housed, our home will be wherever we are together. Although it's hard to say goodbye to memories, I am more grateful for the fact that the memories were created than I am sad to leave the place where they were created. I'm grateful to know that I have a family that loves me regardless of my weaknesses. I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who allows us to love and be loved. Who has blessed us with minds that help us to keep our memories and create more. Who has blessed us with an incredible blessing of eternal life, and even more, eternal families.