And on Valentine's day, we moved.

I know I'm behind on the new home updates (and the old home projects) but life keeps whirling by.
And last week, we finally moved!

It's a funny thing spending a year building a new home, watching it every step of the way, anticipating the time when you'll be there, kind of longing for the next big thing.

And then when the big day comes and all that's left in the old house is your tiny daughter, slurping down a lemonberry slush the size of her head....you suddenly realize how good this home was too you....and how--just like a favorite college roommate of 4 years--you're really going to miss her blue personality and smooth blonde feet. 

I honestly didn't think I'd be so sad saying goodbye to our first home.  I mean, it's just 3 miles down the road.  I can drive by any time.  But even typing this makes me a little teary eyed.  Maybe because I see how much we've grown as a family and how MADE has grown as a blog here in this house.  And it makes me think back to how it was when we first moved in..... 

...and the moving truck didn't show up for 4 days, so we hung out in camping chairs with Grandma and Jenga.

I keep thinking how little the kids were then.  Owen was the same age that Clara is now.  And how personalities (and faces) never change....

Life seemed simpler, and yet harder in other ways.

Being in a new state and far from family, we learned to make new friends, explore new places, to steer clear of fire ants, to eat Texas BBQ at gas station restaurants.

We watched our place go from a house to a home.

 We watched Lucy's feet touch the ground,

and Owen's knees pass up the handlebars.

 We had ice cream on the back porch,

 and pirate adventures.

 And then one day, there were three.

 This will always be the house that Clara came home to.

  and where she grew into the spunky little two-year-old we love.

Some things will come with us to the next house.

 And some time-outs we'll leave behind.

And we have you--little blue house--to Thank for the good ride.

Of course I still have many home improvement posts to share here on MADE, so I guess it's not an official goodbye yet.

It's just time to make new memories at the new house.
But with the same old hearts.

More to come!