Farewell Hope Street

We have just a couple more days left in this house.  The place where we became a family is slowly becoming a bare-walled home lined with boxes and dishes waiting to be packed.  Little of "us" seems to be here anymore.

As we prepare for this Great Transition of 2015, our move to Memphis, I am putting up some pictures of the house we have been blessed by so much.  It's important for our kids to have pictures or physical memories of their past, a baby blanket, or stuffed animal.  Or for my daughter, who is 6, a pink toddler-sized booster seat that she used the first year home here with us!  We had to rescue it from the Goodwill pile the other day because it was "so special" to her :)  I think she wanted a piece of her past and her story to go with us to the new home since she has so very little from her early years.  These kinds of transitional objects are so important for kids from hard places.

Me, I wish I could take our kitchen with us!  We worked on transforming our 80s laminate kitchen with blue and purple wallpaper (see before pictures!) into exactly our style.  The transformation didn't happen immediately and it went in several stages as most home projects go.  But our kitchen reno represents other transformations we had here in this home, something worn and burdened into functional and flourishing, kind of like our little family.  We created it together and worked on it as a family, finding surprises and having to problem solve along the way.

So this is me "taking our home" with me and keeping the memory, a memorial stone, of what God did here.  Not just within the walls but within our hearts together as a family.

I haven't formally documented all our hard work in our Hope Street Home so bear with all the pictures!  I know a house is not a home without my family in it, but we will miss you Hope Street home and the wonderful street we have lived on the past few years.  Cannot wait to make new memories in our new house in Memphis!

(And I promise to blog some recipes soon once we get re-settled!)

Our DIY Kitchen!

This was our kitchen before, all that linoleum and laminate!

Please don't judge the laundry area in the Before ;)

Our deck space outside.  Many birthday parties were had here! 

Oh Farm Sink, how I will miss you!

Laundry area transformed into a second sink/ bar area

Girls' room from two years ago.

This room was another renovation we did.  So many dark rooms we were able to bring some light into!

Master

One of my favorite parts about our last little bit here on Hope Street is living near the Amazing Ashley Woodson-Bailey.  This is one of her prints.

Sweet Bubs' Room minus most of his toys!