I have been married for 7 years and in 7 years we have moved over 10 times. I know this sounds crazy, but that was the NFL life for us. We lived where we played and then we lived somewhere else during the off season. For me however this didn't include the moves I made when I was single working as a reporter. When we got pregnant with our first son we had bought a home in Atlanta, but I had always envisioned raising my babies around family. We decided to put our house on the market and it literally sold in 3 days. These 3 days happened to fall exactly around the time our little boy decided to come 3 weeks early.
After moving so much there were some things I no longer wanted to do. I didn't want to hang photographs or decorate a temporary dwelling. When we got pregnant with our second baby we decided to buy a house in California. It was an older home, but much of the nesting stage really pushed me to do a lot of remodeling and making this home as nice and comfortable as possible. I loved our house and the feelings it evoked when I walked through the door, but I still had a feeling this wasn't our forever home. Sure enough as soon as the baby turned two we sold that house and moved again.
The feeling I had from years past became fresh again. I no longer had a desire to really invest so much of me into a temporary place. I just kept dreaming and hoping that "one day" we would build our "forever home" and finally begin our lives there. The present moment was good, but never good enough as it could be in the near future. As I've shared in my previous posts when my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Multiple Myeloma it literally turned my world upside down. I remember the Doctor telling me that a similar patient in the condition my dad was in only lived for a month. In that moment tomorrow took on a whole new meaning.
While I wanted tomorrow to come and for my dad to still be here I also felt that the only thing I really had was today. All the plans and dreams I had in my heart for the future really were just plans not the reality. A reality that made me unappreciate what I had in front of me. The conversations with my dad and those I loved just felt different now. I begin to realize what it truly means to be present in every moment. To pursue and appreciate my life in a different way. During this time one of my best friends spoke some words of encouragement that changed my mindset forever.
She said, "When you walk into your home it should rise up to greet you. You can't live like you are waiting for tomorrow or for what's next. You have to create your best beautiful life now, because by doing that you are showing God gratitude for what's now and he will then pour out your bigger blessings for tomorrow. You have to live your best life now, because now is all we really have! Hang your curtains and hang your pictures in your new home because in reality that is your dream in the moment of your husband and beautiful baby boys- they will never be these ages again! and as life continues to grow and we grow with it our dreams too will grow. This is not your final home but it's your dream for today! "
She inspired me more than ever to truly live in this very moment of life. To decorate and make my home exactly as I want it. To have fun with my kids rooms. To add small inexpensive touches that personalize who they are at this stage in their lives. Because even though this isn't our forever home, its the place we call home right now.
I hope that you too realize just how important it is to live for today. That social media shouldn't keep you from being present in the life of those you love. That spending time with people is a privilege not just something we get to do.
 |
| Decided to keep the colors simple and soothing with a color paletter appropriate for boys and that works with the decor in the playroom which I will share in another post. |
 |
| Found an amazing Etsy shop from Dandy Funk that makes the most amazing custom pillows for your little ones. The quality is superb and it adds the extra personal touch to any room! |
 |
| I chose the boys birthday numbers to go along with this script. I love that as they transition into big kids I can use these pillows in a Sports theme inspired room. |
 |
| These Star Wars Mr. Potatoe head were a fun find! The boys can play with them and when they are finished they look just as nice on their shelves. |
 |
| I love Wooden toys so I decided to try and make my own Peg Dolls of the boys. This is my attempt of my Jericho Peg doll. It was a fun DIY project. I hand painted all of the details and just added the curls to make it look more realistic. |
 |
| Perfect Sign for this Boy Mom :) |
 |
| Just in case your wondering there are toys in that chest between the beds. It's a nice way to keep things looking clean and out of sight. |
 |
| Love the Rustic/Industrial look of this hanging pendant. |
 |
| The boys enjoying some quiet reading time in their shared room. |
