We said goodbye to our first home today.

It had been a long time coming and, truthfully, I spent more time over the last year wishing that someone else would want our home than I did appreciating it for all it had been to us.

We were engaged when we closed on the house five years ago. I lived there while Todd lived with some friends, and he moved in after our wedding. A few days after I moved in, we were hanging out watching football and it started to snow. Boudreaux saw the snow flakes falling through the big windows in the front and he started barking. And we all ran out side to see the snow.

We saw two snows, we brought home two babies, we had three Christmases, we hosted countless guests. There was laughing, there was some fighting, there were tears, and there were trials. We built our marriage and our family while living in that home.

My mom reminded me of the time that she was staying with Hudson while I was out of town and she accidentally locked herself out of the house with 14 month old Hudson inside.

Then there was the time that we opened our back door and saw a rooster standing in the backyard. In downtown Columbia! Boudreaux took off after that rooster and chased it down the street. We still have no idea how that rooster got there.

It was a great home and the memories are endless.

We walked to restaurants, to football games, to baseball games, and all over the neighborhood.

I cried when I told the neighbors goodbye.

When the last box was moved out and I stood in my empty, cold kitchen, I looked around. The life was gone. The warmth was gone. Our home transformed before my eyes.

It may take a few months before I can gather the courage to drive by the house. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it. Another sweet family is making memories there.

And our family is moving on and preparing to make new memories. But seeing my empty house today, I realized that the house itself is just a shell. It’s a vessel for love and spirit and life.

I am so thankful that all of that love and spirit and life will be with us no matter where we live.

It’s been a while since we began this project, but Hudson’s big boy room is finally finished. We kind of worked in stages on this room as it started as a play room and then when we found out we were expecting Hayes, we decided to make it Hudson’s big boy room.

I’ve already blogged about the transition to the big boy bed, but now that his room is officially complete, I can share all of the photos with you.

I went through my mom to order the custom draperies with blackout lining. They’re light and have just the right amount of blue chambray detailing to make them boyish without looking too heavy. This is the view from inside the bedroom door.

One wall includes the dresser and the cafe shelves with all of Hudson’s memorabilia on display. The cafe shelves are from Ballard Designs and we originally purchased them to use in our former study. The study became the play room and the play room became Hudson’s room. These cafe shelves are one of our favorite home purchases. The black dresser is from Rooms to Go Kids. It was a great price– especially since we know Hudson probably won’t use this furniture for too many years.

His birth announcement and a bulletin board are also hanging on the wall. Some of our favorite Melissa and Doug toys, Jellycats stuffed animals, and special gifts are sitting on the shelves. And Hudson and “Melmo” are sitting on the floor.

The view from the window looking at the bed. Isn’t the bed rail the best accessory? We don’t think we’re quite ready to drop the rail, although the bedding would be much cuter without it! The daybed and trundle are also from Rooms to Go Kids.

The bedding includes five different fabrics and it was custom made with the help of my mom. I was so happy when I found these fabrics and my mom was able to find an adorable car and truck fabric that was young-boyish without looking heavy and super masculine.

The fabulous Kim Wheeler of Small Words did Hudson’s canvas to match the bedding.

Here are a couple of views of the cubbies that we had built. We had these built and designed back when the room was going to be a play room. I’m loving them even more now. We have so much vertical storage for all of Hudson’s DVDs, toys, and books. He can see what he wants to play with and just grabs it.

He has also gotten really good about putting things back where they belong!

A closet up of the fabrics that we used for Hudson’s bedding. I think it’s all so much fun and the colors are so happy for a little boy’s room.

I think this guy is pretty comfortable in his new room! So is Melmo.

The red cup is back at Starbucks and I wait all year for the Eggnog Latte. Yum yum. I had my first Eggnog Latte yesterday right before I picked Hudson up from school. It was perfection and as good as I remembered.

I realized I haven’t updated y’all on the U-Haul road trip with my mom! We had a great time together and made pretty good time. We got to stop in my hometown to have lunch with my aunt, cousin, and my cousin’s baby. It’s never long enough there and I always want to see more people when we go there. But this time we had to get back on the road immediately to hurry on down I-20. We spent the night with some great family friends in Birmingham on the first night and took our time leaving Birmingham the next morning. We were back in Columbia by 6:00 p.m. on Friday– and I left Columbia at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday.

The sectional looks great and gives us so much more seating. I’m still so excited about it when I walk into the room. We haven’t decided what throw pillows we want just yet, so we’re using some that I had in another room for now.

I’ve put up some before and after photos for you!

The side of our living room where we added the sectional. Before on top, after on bottom.

We moved our other sofa that we love so much to the other side of the room and moved all the chairs to TC’s office.

Another view of the side of the room with the new sectional– and the cute little chair in the corner. Fiona has now taken over that chair as her bed since she’s not allowed on the new sectional.

We’re getting ready for a fun play date with friends this afternoon! Hudson and I are both excited!