So long, farewell...

This weekend was filled with bittersweet emotions. We moved out of our home...the first home we bought; the one we moved into when Katelyn was just 5 months old; the one where Vanessa and Paige were brought home too; the one that took so much of our blood, sweet and hard work to make it beautiful; the one that had an Olympic-size swimming pool in the backyard and not a single tree around; the one that was visited by a friendly ghost named Herb; the one where we became a family and created so many memories.

Good-bye home...

Although I am really excited about our new home and all that it offers us, I am going to miss this one. Although it wasn't perfect, we made it ours and were very blessed to have a roof over our heads. I remember the day we picked Katelyn's yellow paint, because it was sunny and warm. I still smile thinking about Vanessa's awesome purple and green room that matched her bedding so perfectly. I remember falling in love with being pregnant again for the third time and finding out it was a little girl (we had surprises with the first two pregnancies) and painting her room shades of pink. I loved the kitchen, especially since I got to pick everything to go in it. I loved the wood floors that Bill and my dad installed beautifully.

Honestly, there are so many things that I love about this house, but mostly, what I love most are the memories that we created in the years living there. Houses are just things. Yes, having a roof to live under is rather important, but it is just a thing. As we packed our entire lives into a portable storage box, and with the uncertainty on how the items will survive (or not) during shipping, we were once again reminded that all of those items are not what is important. If they break, they break...it's not the end of the world. But having my family together, happy, safe, healthy and excited to be together is invaluable.

Awhile back, Katelyn made this clay figurine. It's our family and I have it on my night-stand in our temporary home reminding me that no matter how crazy life gets, my family is what is most important to me.