Grammy and I moved into 44 Waterloo in February 2002.  Things were different back then, let me tell you why:

• Josh and Nicole, aka Mommy and Daddy, aka Auntie Nicole and Uncle Josh weren’t married yet.  They tied the knot four months later, in June, 2002.
• None of you Beaupre & Clickman grandchildren were born, can you imagine that?  It would be another 14 months before Ben, the first, came into our world.
• Tim and Tarah, aka Mommy and Daddy, aka Uncle Tim and Auntie Tarah, were dating.  They wouldn’t marry for another 28 months.
• The successful business Grammy and I started and successfully built – Beaupre & Co. Public Relations – was at its peak, three years after our company had been acquired (bought out ) by a big company in New York City.
• I was 48 years old and Grammy was 46.

Fast-forward 12 years to Sunday, June 22, 2014:

• All 7 of you, my beloved grandchildren, were together at 44 Waterloo for one final time.  The “big house” (8,000 square ft. across four floors) had been sold and Grammy and I were moving out in two days.
• why are we moving?  It’s too big and way too expensive and we want something manageable.
• Ben is 11 years old; Emma 8; Camden 8; Ainsley 6; Molly 6; Jack 3 and Madigan 2.  The big house was “Grammy and Papa’s house,” a place that will stay within your memory banks for most if not all of  your life (except Jack and Madigan).  Six of you literally went from tiny babies in diapers to self-functioning, independent spirits.

It’s impossible to remember everything we said and did together at 44 Waterloo.  Some of your memories will undoubtedly be shaped by the word “big” – after all it was a bit of a  monster with five bedrooms, four floors, seven bathrooms, a giant attic, a hot tub room, exercise room, massively gorgeous kitchen and a warm and inviting office (mine).  It had three decks and a big front porch.

The rooms you will probably remember best are the big “basement” (as you called it), aka family room aka Larry Bird room aka Man’s room.  And of course running across the beautiful kitchen and giant “Great Room” with the wood fireplace.

So many memories!

Sunday dinners, all together.  The sweeping views of the saltwater Piscataqua River from the kitchen and Great room.  ‘Hikes’ down to the “sitting rock” and ‘brook.’  Carefully walking down the 59 steps to go across the metal bridge to the big dock. Playing baseball, football, soccer on the front lawn.  Sitting on top of the pool table.  Me making “Papa Corn.” Playing baseball and football in the basement.  Playing “dogcatcher.” Playing “Smoke on the Water” (Loud) in the basement in between periods of our knee hockey games, strumming our fake guitars.

There are hundreds more.

It was a loud house that’s for sure – whenever we got together we noticed how the sound escalated because of the room size and high ceilings, especially the Great Room where the ceilings were over 20 feet high.

For our last get together, Grammy and I did four special things:

1. we had a “burn party” in the fire pit, burning boxes upon boxes of old business papers. Everyone joined in.  Jack, I think you liked it best!

2. we had our last Sunday dinner together at 44 Waterloo and everyone actually looked at me and the camera!

3.  we got together – the seven of you and me, and then I gave you these instructions: “We’re going to run through every single room in this house, across all four floors.  And while we’re running we are going to scream and holler and make all kinds of noise.”  And that’s what we did – starting with the Great Room floor, then into the basement, then to the third story, then to the attic.  It was a crazy, wild, funny way to say goodbye to 44 Waterloo, to Grammy and Papa’s house, to YOUR grandparents house.

4.  we took an official photo in front of the house:

The big house may be gone from our lives, but each of us will remember something special about it.  That’s the best part, isn’t it?  The memories we create.  That’s all any of us ever leave behind in the end.  Remember this – always.   Make sure when  people think about you they will be filled with positive, inspirational, kind, fun, uplifting thoughts.  Those are the best kind of memories because they fill people’s souls with warmth, sunshine and smiles.