One of the very hardest things about moving to Ithaca will be leaving our sweet little home.
I don't know what it is about this place but from the first time I walked into it, there was this light and energy that just filled my soul with peace and joy. I've loved coming back to this house at the end of the day, week or after a few errands around town. It has been so good to us and filled our lives with so many priceless memories.
This post will probably be boring and drawn out to everyone but me, but I want my kids to remember the little yellow house that welcomed them home from the hospital with arms wide open and was a source of comfort and stability to them from that day on.
The Kitchen
Here is where Garret discovered he could fly! He would climb up the kitchen counters onto the top of the bar and then launch himself onto the couch and shout "Superman!"
Both boys took their very first baths in our kitchen sink and many following.
The Living Room
Where Uncle Zac and Shawn lived for a summer. Poor fellas slept one on the guest bed and the other on this awfully uncomfortable couch. They endured a summer with a pregnant lady and a toddler who wanted all their attention and a lot of Shawn the Sheep on the side. We had 4 Christmas trees placed in the Corner by the shelf of dvds. Our first Christmas tree feel the evening of Christmas, but we learned from our mistake and the other three stood beautiful and proud until it was time to take them down.
Garret and Reid took their first steps in this living room and rolled for the very first time here as well. Late nights were spent here and early mornings.
The Dining Room
Many family meals were had in this room. My favorite memories were summer breakfasts together while we watched the birds play in the tree from our glass door. I've missed having muddy Sully prints all over the door but it is such a blessing to still go visit him at Grammy and Papa's house.
I loved this red wall! It was here when we moved in and the only thing I wanted was another coat of paint but for the color to stay the same.
The Guest Bathroom or the Boys Bathroom
Garret learned to use the potty here and both boys enjoyed thousands of baths here. Both Reid and Garret found the toilet paper for the very first time in this room and took a new role down to nothing in a few short minutes.
Guest Bedroom
Nothing glamorous and usually gets way warmer than the rest of the house so our guests were always quite toasty-but it was comfortable and nice for people to come visit and have a bit of their own space. Both mother and mother-in-law stayed in here helping when new babies first arrived in the home. Those babies were smothered with hugs and kisses from their grandmothers as they lay safely in the little yellow home.
Right at the top of the stairs was this Sitting Room
I loved this room and am sitting at it this very moment. It has such great light in it and was a favorite place to for the boys and I to play. We danced around to music here, built forts with the green couch cushions and made train tracks on the open floor.
Just another angle of the sitting room. Some of the pictures might seem pointless but I just never want to forget how everything looked and felt from every angle.
Upstairs Bathroom
Not the best picture of this bathroom but I remember the first time we came into this house with my brother Beau and his family. My sweet niece feel in love with the linen closet doors. She just thought it was the greatest thing that they were short. She kept saying "They're doors just for me." Even she felt like there were things in this home that were "just for her." I can't even count the number of things I feel that way about.
Master Bedroom
I love this room! Every spring birds build nests under our windows and so usually around 6am every morning we would begin to hear scratching around and soft chirping. It always made spring just feel fresh and new. It definitely was an early wake-up call, especially when we didin't have any kids yet, but it was too sweet to be annoyed. Ace and Garret got me that little window seat for my first Mother's Day gift. We had to squeeze it in there pretty tightly so it now stays with the house, but I loved sitting on the bench looking out on my beautiful corner of Colorado and just taking in all the blessing that are my life.
Garret's Room
I loved watching this room transform from an infants room, to a toddler room and lastly to a sweet little boys room. There are so many lovely memories in this room. Garret would stand on his train table and we would look out the window and count the cars until dad got home. Ace and I have both slept many hours in Garret's bed right along side him. On winters nights we would stand at the other window and watch the deer cross the road under the street light below. This room was full of life and magic and looking at it fills my eyes with happy and longing tears. Garret always loved his room and hopefully he will have a few memories of this room that will stay with him throughout his life.
Reid's Room
Reid's room, which started out as on office, is probably the room we spent the least amount of time in. Reid has ALWAYS slept like a champ and so there were very few early morning hours spent in here. And when you have an older brother who is jumping off his train table and his bed and his dresser, you find yourself drawn to his room more than your own. But my favorite memories of this room were mornings coming in to find a sweet blond headed boy. I was usually so rested and alert when I came in because Baby Reid allowed me to get a full nights rest (don't worry he usually made up for it with his adorable and frustrating sass the rest of the day). I also remember when I was pregnant with Reid and this room was still an office. Ace was out of town for a few days and I stayed up until 2 am pulling off a successful Downton Abbey Marathon. I immediately regretted that when I had to get up around 6 am to a rested and rambunctious nearly two year old.
This move will be hard in so many ways, and leaving this house is one of the things at the top of the list. However, I also am very aware of the many blessings being poured into my little families life all to make this journey possible. Heavenly Father is very aware of our needs and responsibilities. As we have sought his guidance in making all these life changing decisions, He has placed us on an incredible path and helped to relieve our stresses and make our hearts ache less as we are filled with gratitude.
I LOVE this little yellow house and am so grateful that at one time it was all mine!
