Omaha, Adieu

The summer of 2025 will always be remembered as the time when my parents sold their home in Omaha and moved to Salt Lake. We are delighted to have them close by. NomiAnn and Papa Kay have been tremendously helpful in chauffeuring kids, plus it's just fun to connect more regularly.  Even so, we will all miss this home at 16191 Capitol Avenue.  It is filled with so many happy memories.

Callie and I took turns heading out to Omaha this summer to help my parents sort and pack.  Ah, the sunflower bathroom!

Plenty to organize in the garage.  (Our current "garage" is a far more pitiable state.)

While we worked hard, we also took breaks to play and enjoy all that Nebraska has to offer.  Here we are listening to the Omaha Symphony at a free outdoor concert downtown.

We even got to see fireworks since it was the Fourth of July.

Packing up the pfaltzgraff, china, and oh-so-many egg cups.  After thirty years living in a home, you collect a lot.

My parents had to make lots of hard decisions about what to leave and what to take.  They ended up giving away the beautiful hutch in the back of this picture.  I remember driving it in a trailer all the way from my Uncle Fred's home back to Nebraska via multiple stops on an East coast college tour.  Don't worry Mom--you've got this!  As your wrapper states: "You made it this far, keep going..."  (So does that apply to when I've eaten 3/4 of the bag of chocolates?)

Slipping away from the house to walk to Papa Kay's favorite bench at Fontanelle Forest.  Peaceful and serene, this is a special spot.

On the other hand, our trip to the dump was unique, but kind of the antithesis.  Also, it really did stink.

Congratulating ourselves for all our hard work with dinner at Cheddars.

We even splurged on ice cream from the helado shop that just popped up at 156th and Dodge where the dry cleaner used to be.

In the process of moving and sorting, we found plenty of things that I had left over the years--like my wedding dress.  Simple but elegant, I still think it's lovely.  However, I realized that all of my daughters are taller than I am and no one will be able to wear it.  In the end, I gave my Mom permission to donate.  I hope someone finds it and loves it.

Photos from around the house.  Callie's room (at least until I moved out.)

My room, until it became the kids' dormitory.

Kestutis's room/Jason and my room once we got married.

Family photo gallery

NomiAnn and Papa Kay's room

It's hard to recognize the music room with so many boxes.

Working on the kitchen.

The oversized furniture didn't fit into the new basement, so the couch now lives at our house.

Their lovely deck.

The treehouse.  I wonder if we should share the oath with the new little girls who live here.  Oh, such great memories!

The best spot to zipline and swing.

I hardly recognize this basement!

Spoiler alert: NomiAnn's new sewing area is even better.

We didn't make it out to the very backyard often, but there was a firepit waiting for us when we did.

Also, a jungle.  Technically the property extended halfway into the ravine, so this tangle was all ours.

As beautiful as the yard is, it's easy to see how it was a LOT to take care of, especially when the garden was in full motion.

Blue and white casita, you were so good to us.  Thanks for providing such a lovely place to call home.  I hope the new family loves you just as much as we do.

Before dropping me off at the airport, my parents took me for one more trip to the zoo.  I couldn't bid farewell to Omaha without it!

When the weather is hot, I highly recommend the aquarium.

Bidding farewell to the Giant Pacific Octopus.  There was a sign indicating that she was in senescence--the final stage of her life where she stops eating and cares for her eggs.

I'm glad my parents didn't have to stop eating after having me.

Love you Mom and Dad!

***Addendum:

Several weeks after I left, Jason flew out to help drive back the first of two moving trucks.

Entering a new phase.  Even when change is wanted, saying goodbye is hard.

This home was one of the first built in the neighborhood.  We planted all the trees and had to pick up our mail several blocks away because they didn't deliver to the individual houses yet.  You could make a left-hand turn into the neighborhood from Dodge street, which was a two-lane road.  Some day I'd love to find the photos of when we moved in and compare them side by side.  Much has changed, but I'm glad that our family is a close knit as ever.