Something significant happened last week: my parents sold the house I grew up in.
They’d been planning this move for some time, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. It’s also not as sad as it might sound — they’re selling so they can relocate to Richmond. Right now they live about two hours away in Northern Virginia. Both retired, they’ve been looking to downsize, and Richmond made sense for many reasons, including that four of their five grandchildren live there. All things considered, we’re genuinely happy about the decision.
Still, closing this chapter feels momentous, so indulge me in a little nostalgia.
My parents moved into that house in 1979 (forgive the not-so-great winter photo above). It was new construction then, and they — along with my two older sisters — were the first occupants. If you’re counting, that was two years before I was born, so it’s the house that welcomed me (and later my younger sister) home from the hospital. Over the 32 years they lived there, so much happened: family holidays, milestones, and my mom’s tradition of taking first-day-of-school and birthday photos on the porch. You can even spot a homemade banner taped to the storm door in some pictures.
When they accepted a buyer’s offer early last month, we seized the chance to gather for one last family portrait at the house. My sister Emily recreated our mom’s birthday-sign tradition so we could pose next to it. Here’s the original six Petersiks (aka the “Petersix”)…
…and here we are again with our expanded family of spouses and children. It was pouring rain during the shoot, but my brother-in-law, a professional photographer, handled it like a pro.
To mark the occasion, my sisters and I wanted to give our parents something special. After tossing around a few ideas, we decided on a painting of the house’s front door. They already had a pen-and-ink sketch, and following suggestions from friends on social media, we commissioned a piece from artist Kal Barteski who creates a charming series called T+A — tiny and awesome. I sent Kal a photo of the door…
…and a couple of weeks later (and $100 split four ways among us) this arrived. Tiny and awesome, indeed.
The piece measures 5 x 7 inches, so it’s not that tiny, but it’s intimate. Kal paints on thin onion-skin parchment, which gives the artwork a slight waviness and texture. I was surprised at first, but learning that the material makes each piece feel like an original rather than a print made it endearing.
The onion-skin paper is translucent, so Kal often suggests matting the painting over colored or patterned paper to add depth and personality. We tried a few options but ultimately chose white cardstock, thinking my parents would prefer a clean, classic look.
We presented the painting this week and they loved it. Mission accomplished.
As for the sale itself, my parents were fortunate. Before the house officially listed on March 1, they held a preview showing at the end of February and received an acceptable offer on the spot. Not bad. The sale moved faster than any of us expected, so they have roughly six weeks before they can officially move into their new Richmond home. In the interim, they’ll shuttle between their Delaware beach house, my sister’s place in Northern Virginia, and my sister’s home in Richmond. We’re all looking forward to the day they can officially call Richmond home.
Psst — The babyproofing adventures continue over on BabyCenter where we’re sharing how we anchored a giant wall mirror in our bedroom (it wasn’t rocket science).