Farewell Old Friend

It's time to move. It's silly I know, but I will miss this place. I know I'm moving on to better things: marriage, my first home with Blake, etc., but it's the end of this chapter and that still makes me sad. I just want to capture all that this place really meant for me. 

This was the first place I lived alone, and I have loved living alone! I've lived here longer than any of the other 11 places I've lived since I moved away to college. I moved in with a bed, dresser, desk and hand-me-down couch. I painted, decorated and furnished this place from top to bottom. This place represents my successful independence. This is where I really grew into my own life and style. This is where I really started cooking. The joy of every type of food and ingredient within minutes. Selection and variety at my fingertips.This place is what I'll think of when I remember my 20's. The convenience of Bellevue and Seattle in 20 minutes or less (when the M's weren't playing). Meeting friends for coffee, happy hour, dinner or drinks. Walking to the grocery store. Tuesday night dinners with Whitney. Ups and downs shared over food. Learning what it really means to be an SLP. This place is where I come at the end of a long day and melt into bed. This is where I cried with friends and laughed with friends. But more importantly:

This is where I lived while falling in love with Blake. I was painting the accent wall in the living room when he called to check on me late one night and for the first time I had expected him to call. I was putting together my bedroom when I realized he'd called every night that week...he must either be bored or there's something serious going on here. It was the weekend I felt helpless because a heavy piece of furniture had been delivered to the concierge and I had no way to get it into my apartment.. there he came to the rescue, visiting in his big truck.

This is where Blake proposed.

This is where he first said 'I love you'.
(Yes in that order)

I'm sure I'll look back and see that what I'm leaving behind is nothing compared to what I'm moving towards. But for now, it still stings to see this place be packed up and painted over.. all that hard work. That classic, old hardwood floor.. open and empty. My cousin was kind enough to photograph it before I started packing and moving. This is how I'll chose to remember it. Warm and full of life.

 

Here's a little preview!

In only 51 days and a few hours...

I was able to pick up my wedding band today from the jewlery designer... YEAH!! And the answer to your next question is.. yes, I wore it :) What!? I couldn't just leave it in my car.. or in my purse... what if something happened to it! If it helps, I wore it on my right hand, I only had it on my left hand to make sure it fits and take a picture :) I love it! Still have to get Blake's though....

Work Weekend

This weekend Blake and I met down in Kelso to help get my parents' house ready for the wedding. My mom and dad have been working really hard all spring and even last fall to get things caught up and spruced up. We were glad that we could finally help out, even just a little. The weather wasn't great, but it felt better to have a sweatshirt on than melt in the sun! Even though it was work, it was nice to be home and spend time with family. Jared even came up to help. It was really great to see him!

Blake was great with the pressure washer all morning and finished the lower levels of the house and front porch. It made such a difference! I didn't think to get before and after pictures, but I did get some pictures of Jared and Blake working very hard to scrape stuff off the windows and Dad up on a ladder spraying the wasp’s nests. That was so gross! You can see the mud streaking down the eave!

Mom and I did a ton of weeding, mostly with the ferns in the lawn area below our house. It was pretty gross but looked a lot better once we got the dead stuff and unwanted plants out of there. Blake and Jared worked hard edging around all of the tree areas. There is still a lot of work to be done; next week the plan is to paint all of the newly washed trim.

Blake will do the painting, while I do some other bride duties. I have arranged a play date for my flower girls. We're a little worried about the youngest one, Blake's niece Emily. We're hoping that if she warms up to Ada, then she will really make it down the isle. Then that afternoon I am going bridesmaid dress shopping with my friend Alicia. It should be fun, despite her aversion to shopping!

We also knocked out all of the invitations this weekend. I got Blake to help finally and my mom pitched in too. You can expect to see them in the mail this week! I can't tell you how good it feels to cross some things off the list!!

On the last leg of the weekend, Blake came up to Seattle and took a load of my stuff over. It was the beginning of a long process. It was mostly the stuff from my closets but it made me realize how much stuff I have! I hope to purge a lot of it (yeah for Goodwill!) it's hard to think about moving to a new life. Things that I very rarely use but consider it worth the space to keep, craft supplies and research articles.. now I have to question if it's worth our space. Not only do I question if I think it's worth it, but is it worth taking up our limited combined space. Hopefully it will help me get rid of things I don't need (and make room for all those great wedding gifts!).