We got news yesterday that our house plans are finished. The builder, developer, and space planner are all in the same family, so we were really excited about them drawing up our house plans to fit the lot we selected.

Hopefully we will see the plans at some point today, and then we’ll get together to either finalize them, tweak them or regroup.

In our discussions, and throughout all of our house-hunting, one thing became more and more clear. We were willing to sacrifice square footage to have a house with great space for the whole family.

And when we sat down to give our “wish list,” we had a few small things that we wanted, like a playroom, a certain number of bedrooms, and a walk-in pantry. But we actually had more items that we didn’t want.

I think my exact words were, “I don’t want any ‘untouchable rooms.’ My boys live in the house. They will live in every single room of the house.”

So what this meant to us is that we didn’t want a formal living room or a master sitting room. Or really any kind of space that wasn’t kid-friendly. (Except for the master bedroom, which is kid-free. Except early in the morning for watching cartoons and playing in the bathroom floor while we get ready.) It’s not that I wouldn’t put those more formal rooms in my dream house, but this house is our real world house. And we have children who love to be in the same room with their mommy and daddy.

We make messes and we have fun making messes. We pick up our toys before naps and before bed, but not all throughout the day. We can see ourselves painting on the porch and playing with shaving cream in the bathroom mirror. And not wasting time feeling stressed about a stain.

This house of ours, when it is finished, is going to be a place where we are always living. This house is for growing boys- and maybe, hopefully, another baby someday. I expect it to look like little boys live there. And that’s what we’ve hoped for.

Because when they’re grown up, I want them to remember me as the mom who could let the messes go, and wasn’t always on them to keep our house looking magazine-perfect. I want them to remember that I was willing to initiate a big mess just to make a memory. And I want them to remember that they felt at home and comfortable in the home where they grew up.

Here’s to a smooth process and a messy, fun, wild, loud life in our next home.

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.