home is where the heart is

This is a post that I will never be ready to write, yet it is time. This past weekend, Justin and I took our kids down to Lions Paw at Holden Beach one final time.  After nine beautiful years of memories that are unmatched, it was time for my family to share the house with a new family.  I know it might sound crazy that I am so emotional over a vacation home. I am so blessed that my family was able to have a vacation home for so long. I know so many people aren't able to have a vacation house, but to me this place was home.  My parents have moved several times since I moved out of their house for good, but through all the moves, we still had the beach house.

This is the house we had when I met Justin.

This is the house I brought both of my kids to to show them the ocean for the first time.

This is where every year my family left reality to spend time together doing everything and nothing at the same time.

This is where we gathered around a table piled high with seafood and laughed about the happenings from that day on the beach.

This is where were would be so full from huge meals, but still found room for a ride to Beaches and Cream for an ice cream come.

This is where we hung pictures of summers together.

This is where I met the father of my goddaughter and Justin met my closest friends.

This is where we took boat rides on the ICW.

This is where Justin taught Ty to fish.

This is where we sat and played card games until the wee hours of the night.

This is where I had my bachelorette party, complete with a party bus and a massage on the porch.

This is where I hosted two of my friends' bachelorette parties and my sister's bachelorette.

This is where my family all came the day after I got married.

This is where I was busted for throwing a party when I was younger.

This is where I sat with Justin on our babymoon doing nothing but watching HGTV and wondering what parenthood would look like.

This is where we took Ty for our last family of three getaway before Elena was born.

This is where my heart is. 

But this is just a house. It is just walls with bright paint (paint that will always be the "salmon" that my parent's chose). It is just a building where the memories were made.

Thank you, God, for the memories you blessed my family with at this house.
Thank you, God, for the high tides and the low tides and all the times between. 

Thank you, God, for these views.

Thank you God, for the sunny days on the beach and the rainy days on the couch. 

Thank you, God, for the relaxing trips without kids, and the exhausting trips with kids.

Thank you for the cups of coffee on the porch in the morning and the cold beers in the evening.

Thank You for the smiles and laughs.

Thank You for one third of my life happening with this house.

Mostly, thank You for letting me keep the memories with me and giving another family the blessing of this place. Thank you for many summers to come with new family adventures in new places, at new houses. I will never ever forget this place, but I will miss it. A piece of my heart will stay with this house. The stories I have here will be ones that I tell over and over.

Thank you, God. For every moment at Lions Paw Drive.