Saying goodbye to my Grandparent's house hasn't been easy.  My grandparent's built this house in the early 80's, so they lived in it my whole life.  My mom and her siblings have more memories in the house they grew up in that is up the street, but my grandparent's always owned this property of 10 or so acres.  They kept their horses here so my mom did grow up riding here still.  Kathy and Drew officially sold it last month.  I drove by recently on our way through to Boise (for Aunt Beth's funeral,) mostly just out of habit, and seeing someones else's belongings on the porch and in the garage was harder than I thought.  So I decided to sit down and go through old happier images instead.

As a baby and toddler we spent a lot of time here, and once we moved to Denver my parents made a point of visiting at least 1-2 times a year.  

1105 W. Pleasant View Drive

I will forever picture my grandparents standing here on the porch, just like this, with Sam at their feet. 

This is how I'll always remember the fields.  My grandpa owned this row of fields, down to the the highway, and I believe one lot past the highway, and the row next to it to the south, east?  I counted many many trains as they drove past...

Sam and Lil.  I grew up believing that Sam was the perfect dog.  He was so well tempered.  Didn't grow up with kids around but loved us and let us maul him nonetheless.

Playing in the fields.  This must have been when I was fairly little, I only vaguely remember when when the fences were like this.  

More recent picture, of a sunset from the back porch.

Driving Grandpa in the tractor.  He was so good at letting us help him and teaching us how to drive his machinery.  He was so proud of the pictures of my driving big loaders for Orem City. 

  My brothers made a point to tackle and destroy these snowmen shortly after I made them... they still think it's funny to this day...

From Google maps.

I haven't been able to locate any pictures of the grove.  I know there are some around somewhere, so I will add them later when I find them.  But this photo shows where the road of the new subdivisions ends, right at the grove, where we spent numerous hours and even had a few reunions.  There are a few trees near a canal here in Springville that must be the same breed as these in the grove, because every time I jog past them I get nostalgic goosebumps as it takes me back to this grove and playing in there as a kid.

(Above added later when I found these pictures.  Should've scanned them... oh well.)

My grandparent's house as of January 2015.  I wish I had taken these pictures a few years back when my Grandpa was still alive and the house was more like I remember it, before my Grandma got PSP and started needing medical equipment and had a hard time keeping up on the house.  But nevertheless, it is still their house and most of the furniture is still as I always will remember it.  

Growing up this office had two rows of ball caps all the way around it.  Grandpa collected them from places they'd visit.

Grandma's Bathroom 

This was Nana's room for a long time.  Then it became a sewing room, and then Grandma's TV room at the end.

Grandpa's bathroom.  It always spelled like Old Spice aftershave and scented matches.

That tall freezer always had ice cream drumsticks and those popsicles that looked like two sausage links hooked together...

Not sure why Hailee and I are already missing here...

There always used to be photos of Angie playing softball here.

My grandpa's guns and all the grandsons they willed them to- Jared, Matt, Nate, Tanner, and then Dad and Drew maybe?

Angie's bunk bed.  I've always loved it, and the log style of it.

Growing up that buffalo picture was out in the family room and in here was a big splotched paint painting that Doug did. 

This was always called the "ancestor" room.  The furniture set that was in here used to be Nana's I believe.  It was a dark stained wood.  There used to be photos on the wall of old ancestors.  I believe Mandie has the bedroom set now...

This was always called the "fish bathroom," as my grandma had decorated it with photos from their fishing excursions, along with towels with fish.  But this room had had these decorations for a few years now.

I remember coming down here to get some normal hard well water from that spout of the left.  The rest of the house's faucets all had soft water running through them. (Very soft water, I never liked showering at their house!)  And their blanket closet on the right.  I brought home a few of those, and have had a hard time washing them- they smell just like I always remember them smelling!

Pavilion my grandpa built just before he died.  He and Doug had just finished it that fall.  We planned to have family parties out there with him but never got the chance to.  :(

The shed. And subdivision that went in after Grandpa sold the property.

Maycock's house.  Lynn Maycock is my grandma's first cousin.  We spent many hours playing at their house, jumping and sleeping on their tramp, playing in their playhouse, etc.

The shed.  Jeff's dad ended up buying this huge flatbed trailer from the family, and we've already used it a few times, especially to get barnwood from the farm.  And that is my grandma's sadle that she willed to me.  I think she picked me because she knew that I had inherited their love of horses.

Even this old farm equipment is nostalgic.  I wish I had a picture of "Big Blue", my grandpa's big blue tractor he used to farm the alfalfa.  

I really wish I had pictures of the canal as I remember it.  Specifically the bridge.  There was the dirt lane from the main street (Pleasant View Drive) all the way down through the fields to the highway.  There was a wooden bridge that spanned this creek along that lane.  

Driving through the new subdivision to the highway I noticed this sign for the first time.  They named the subdivision "Country Fields."  I actually got teary eyed when I read it.  I felt that it was a very fitting name. 

I wish I had pictures of us snowmobiling in these fields.  I'll have to ask my mom, because I can picture one of Nana out in the fields riding one!  They sold the snowmobiles eventually to get horses again, and at some point while they had the horses they got 4-wheelers that we'd also ride in the fields and take up to the farm. 

This is the way I remember the pasture being when the horses were there.

Man I loved that my grandparents had horses!  Half of these pictures are taken early in the morning (hence the half asleep look)- I just couldn't wait to ride!  Grandpa taught me how to sadle and bridle them, and how to brush them off afterwards.  I got to where I could sadle and bridle and ride Rosie all on my own!

  

 Oh how I love and miss these guys!  Thank goodness for memories.  I hope I never lose them!!