A couple of weeks ago, a “for sale sign” went up in an important yard in my life. As I pulled into my grandparents’ driveway, I saw that sign there. Seeing the sign made me get emotional as I remembered all of the memories. Although I am losing a place where I spent my childhood, it is a good thing for my grandparents. Over the last 20 years, I have spent a lot of time with my grandparents and family members.

In the kitchen of that house, I baked a lot. From helping my Grammy bake different cookies to lots of pies. In there, I also ate a lot of meals. My Grammy would make me lunch after pre-school and kindergarten…I made sure to never ever bring that food into the living room though!

In the living room is where I would go see my Grandpa sitting in his blue reclining chair. I would sit in the comfy pink rotating chair and listen to him. I would listen to him share life advice like how I have too many keys on my key ring, how to properly hold my pepper spray, and about enjoying your friends. Before I was old enough to understand the meanings of his war stories or stories of his hometown, I would beg him to go outside. The house was backed up to a golf course. Not everyone was superstars who played there, so quite often golf balls landed in the ditch behind their house and the course. When I was younger my Grandpa and I would go outside in the ditch and pick up all of the golf balls. I have no idea why I thought this was fun, but I had a blast doing it with him.

If I wasn’t out back picking up golf balls with my Grandpa, I was out front walking with my Grammy. Before we go walk though, I had to go downstairs to the basement. Downstairs of that house was another living room, bedroom, and back basement space. In that space is where all of the toys were kept. There was this one toy that was an iron on wheels with a string to pull it and I loved that toy. I would always pull it around those 5 bedrooms and on walks with my Grammy.

If I wasn’t in the kitchen or outside at my Grandparents I was probably in the back office. The office in the back of the house is where the tv and was. When I was younger I would always lay on the floor with a pillow and blanket that I got from the basket. My Grammy would always sit in her recliner when I was in there and knit. She was always knitting and I loved watching her make so many scarves. One time she did try to teach me how to knit, but that was just an epic failure.

The office was also where the computer was. As time went on and technology advanced, my Grandpa needed help with the computer. I would always go over to the house to help him connect his printer or change things around with the computer. After learning the computer and helping him with that, it was time to start helping him and my Grammy with their iPhones.

The room next to the office was my room…yeah my room. In my room, I would have my sleepovers with my Grandparents. I was the only grandchild to have their own room and sleepovers because I am the favorite. There is no way I am not the favorite. My cousins have all broken items in the museum-like house except me. One time, my cousin even broke a precious peanut jar.

Besides the memory of her breaking the jar, there are much more that I have in the living rooms of that house. Upstairs we would have our Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners that my mom and aunt would plan because my dad and uncle were incapable of planning a meal. Downstairs is where everyone would gather afterward. In the basement, there were lots of family pictures on the walls (of course I was up there the most). We would all gather on the couches and chairs down there by the fireplace (when it worked) and talk. Not only would we talk about memories we all had, but we would play games and laugh so hard until someone would pee their pants. Everyone would get their knee squeezed or a wedgie when they went downstairs, there was no avoiding it.

In that living room downstairs is also where everyone made fun of me for a picture. There was a picture of me outside in the backyard by the golf course. The picture showed me holding a gun for my first time after playing on the course with my cousins. If I wasn’t being made fun of down in the living room, I was asking my Grandpa to go and get a green gum drop from his hidden spot.

I have so many pictures and memories from that house. Even though the house is for sale now and my Grandparents are moving out, I know it is for the better. Like the country artist Miranda Lambert says, it definitely was "the house that built me".

I hope the next family that moves into my Grandparents’ home makes just as many memories as I did. The big house will always be a special place to me, but them living in a smaller place is better. In their new place is where we will make so many memories. I love my Grandparents and I am excited for them to move into the new chapter of their life!