It's all just family history now...

The last few months have been difficult for the family.  Following the passing of both of my hubby's grandparents, within five months of each other, there has been a lot to deal with...emotionally and physically. Now has come the time to put their property on the market, and we recently spent the day cleaning out all of their belongings, getting it ready for sale.

Just before we drove away from there for the last time, I snapped this photo. It makes me so sad knowing that we'll never be going there ever again. We've had so many wonderful family gatherings there, and I will definitely miss visiting their home. I have very fond memories of sitting in the front yard under the magnolia and frangipani trees as the kids ran around on the lawn.  Poppy George had a comfy chair on the front porch, and he would watch us all with a smile on his face.

My hubby's grandfather and great grandfather were both shoe makers, and they owned and worked from this classic building located in Redfern, NSW, which proudly has the family name right there on the top. Now that Poppy George has passed away, it looks like it will be leaving the family in the near future. Before the developers get in there, I wanted to capture a photo...a part of Sydney history.

Andrew brought home a couple of shoe lasts that his grandfather used when making his basket shoes. They still have all the nails still in there that were used as guides.  I like to touch the nails when I walk past and imagine how hard George must have worked weaving his magic. We will treasure these forever, and they are now on display in our home.

Sorting through all of the grandparents belongings, has really made me think about the amount of stuff we keep in our own home. They're just things. I'm going to really try to pare back what we own, and only keep the meaningful stuff.