Home Sweet Home....

My mother and father-in-law lived in this humble home for 46 amazing years. It's a treasure trove of memories. Wonderful. Sweet. Memories. My husband, his older brother and sister were each born and raised in this home on Garden Grove Avenue in Tarzana. It's also the very place where their darling Grandma Rose spent her final days on earth. Several grandchildren have joined the Bluemel Family and filled this home with their laughter and joy. I know my 3 children created some very fond memories in this home over the years. From celebrating their birthdays~ To hiding inside the GINORMOUS orange tree in the backyard. And eating blackberries straight off the blackberry bush. Finding cups filled with gold on St. Patty's Day And on Easter collecting colorful Easter eggs that had been dropped all over the yard by the Easter Bunny himself. Or how about my little Miss Katie helping her Nana cook our Thanksgiving Feast each year since she was 18 months old. It has been fun watching how much Katie has grown-- just by looking at photos of her sitting on the kitchen counter right next to her Nana baking pies, making homemade rolls, and all the fixings that make Thanksgiving such a favorite holiday. All the grandchildren treasure the evening walks they went on with their Nana around the neighborhood. To visit the "spooky bridge" and water fountain. There were many basketball games played on the driveway. Except, since Little Miss Megan was too small to join in an energetic game of basketball, she would go find her Gramps~ and he would willingly put on her favorite movie, Rudolf. Time and time again. Rudolf was played year 'round in the Bluemel home. The children had countless fun sleepovers at Nana & Gramps' house. They watched movies together. Read books and played games. Art was created. Blocks were stacked. And dominoes stretched from one end of the house to the other. And most importantly, everyone laughed together... often. We always had a good time when we visited. And we always looked forward to our weekend visits to the Valley. Because it was a home filled with love. Each person that entered the Bluemel Home on Garden Grove Avenue always felt welcome, cared for, and loved. Regardless if they were "family" or not. Nana & Gramps opened their home to many. The memories made in the Bluemel Home in Tarzana will last a lifetime. And we will forever miss this place we called "HOME" for so long. Today as I sit here writing this, my mother and father-in-law are unpacking boxes, organizing shelves, and setting up rooms. They're making a new home for themselves in a little town in Ohio, outside of Columbus. A new chapter in their lives has been opened. And an exciting adventure awaits them. Thankfully we live in an era of technology. Which will help us to stay close~despite the distance that separates us physically. We will blog. Facebook. Skype. Text. And talk on the phone~ A LOT! What would we do without these marvelous modern marvels? I guess we'd go back to sending postcards. handwritten letters. And photos through snail mail. This is just so much easier.