Background paper from Crimson and Coal by Studio Vivarant
Border paper from A Love to Last by Julie Billingsley
Leaves from Time to Learn by Stolen Moments
Alpha Tenderly by Stolen Moments
Pearl rose button from Beautiful on the Inside by Stolen Moments
Clock and Rolled Rose from Missing by Jady Day Studio
Butterfly from Madeline by Amy Stoffel
Daisy from Many Thanks a ScrapMatters Collab
Newsletter leaf stamp from Give Me Wings by Sherry Ferguson and Amy Stoffel
Kraft flower from The Piece of Moments by Fly Pixel
Jewel element from English Garden by Jenny Binder
Bow from Platinum Dreams by Krystal Hartley
Fonts: Shelter Me and Betty's Hand
Photo Actions from Pioneer Woman
Photo from the 1940s
Journaling
This house has been a part of me my entire life. My paternal Grandfather had this house built for his family in 1930. We still have the blueprints and paperwork that shows it cost him a little over $6000. My Father moved into the house when he was 2. He lived in the house until he married my Mother in 1948. They moved to a little, post-war tract house several miles east. My sisters and I were born there. We visited our Grandparents often, celebrating holidays and birthdays. In 1963, when my Grandfather retired and moved, we moved into their house. We were so excited to move into Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It was so big compared to our little house with stairs, a big yard, fancy bathroom, and had 2 bedrooms for my 2 sisters and I instead of just 1. This is where we “grew” up. This was our home. This is where so many of our childhood memories were formed. My sisters and I all lived there until we got married. We continued to celebrate holidays and birthdays at my parents home. The house became synonymous with Christmas morning. with stockings stuffed by my Mom hung from the big mantle. It was easy to still feel that magic of Christmas there. Our daughters grew to love the house as much as we did. My older sister and I always had camellias on the table for our birthday dinner in February. Camellias from the garden that my Grandparents had planted when my father was a little boy. In 2003 my Father died, and he died in the home he had lived nearly his entire life, with his whole family at his side. My Mom did not think of moving out of their home, even though it was so big and hard for her to manage. And Christmas was still spent with her. In 2008 she lost her long battle with cancer and died on December 26 and we all spent Christmas with her at the house. My sisters and I own the house now and rent it to my oldest niece and her family. She could not stand the thought of losing our family home. Nobody wanted to think about how things would change without it. For me it was not the same anymore, it was not our home with my parents gone. It was someone else’s home now, where new family memories will be made. For me my home is not a place, it is people.