This whole week I was so mad at myself for offering to work when I have so much to get done. Tonight at work (as I was closing) I was vacuuming the back hall when it hit me. I've been working at David's Bridal on all of my school breaks and other random weekends for 4 years now. I've laughed in these hallways, I've cried in these hallways (it's tough working in a bridal shop and seeing everyone so happy when your relationship is in a rough spot). I've made memories here. From crazy people, to heartwarming love stories that you were sure were only true in fairytales. I've loved my time there.
After work I went to spend some time with my grandparents. The reality is that when I was little we traveled to PA multiple times a year to visit all of our family there. I remember weeks spent with my grandparents over the summer and never wanting to go home. When I was in elementary school my Dad's parents moved to Richmond. Looking back I can say that this is one of the decisions that has had one of the biggest impacts on my life. I grew up as close to my grandparents as I was my parents (even closer sometimes because I could vent to them about my frustrations with my parents). Whenever I was away at college I missed them just as much as the rest of my immediate family (like the ones that I lived at home with). There is no doubt in my mind that I would have been close to my aunts and uncles, but I often think that our closeness is a direct result of my Grandparents being in town too. My Mamie and Pop-Pop always had everyone together for birthday dinners as well as random impromptu dinners too. My family is the exception to the rule. We're all so close and often it is something that I don't think twice about because it is so normal to me. Moving away to WV won't only be hard because I'll miss my parents and sisters, but I will also miss the rest of my family that is now in VA because over the past 23 years they have all been my support system. I roll deep...what can I say?
I got some quality time in with the grandparents then headed over to my sister's house. She's making cookies for the wedding (yum!) and since I hadn't had dinner I got to taste test some of them! So excited that she wanted to undertake this huge task!
Finally the night ended over at my neighbor's back deck. Let me set the scene for you. The neighborhood that I grew up in was the West End of Richmond for my parent's generation. So most of the people that live in this neighborhood are my Grandparent's age. Except for two houses which are diagonal from each other (and happen to have almost the exact same set-up). We have five kids, our neighbors have 4. The craziness that ensues from that alone makes up for the fact that most of the rest of the street is 75+ years old. There have been couches and chairs moved from house to house. There has been laundry done at their house when our washer broke, and their laundry dried at our house when their dryer breaks. Casseroles have been baked in both ovens at the same time for an event at one house or the other, and it is not out of the ordinary to get phone calls on nice spring and summer evenings saying "I've got the meat for the grill" "ok, then I've got the sides and drinks". Somehow we manage to eat together on a regular basis. It was a great way to end a crazy day spending time with fun neighbors!
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