Trading Spaces... Henry style!

Chris and I spent the last weekend changing rooms around in the house. The girls had outgrown what was their bedroom, and we had downsized enough to fit in it! So on last Wednesday I loaded up the girls and away we went to Virginia to have my parents babysit them for the weekend. I came right back home the same day b/c I just couldn't put off what I already knew was going to difficult for me. I had never been away from them for this amount of time. I knew they were in good hands, I guess it is just a Mommy thing!

Before I really begin I have to tell this story of our last painting adventure. Chris is color blind. I am talking full on color blind. A few years ago when we first painted our bedroom he told me I could paint the room a shade of purple. I didn't want Barney purple, just a nice pretty shade. We get to the paint store and he totally backs out on me. When I lovingly reminded him that he wouldn't be able to really tell anyway he went on to say that he didn't like the sound of it. Hand to God true story. We left the paint store with a blue that reminded me of a prison cell. Not so relaxing. He knew I wasn't overly thrilled with it, but what can you do it was already up. This time I was ready for battle and was going to die on my big purple hill if needed. Thankfully, I think he felt it coming and was ready for it.

On with the story...Chris and I always do much better when we have a plan. Well as of Friday night we still didn't have a clear view of what we were going to do to the girl's room. We just kept on painting and prayed that we would have some sort of creative idea other then pink on pink. Thankfully, when standing in the local A C Moore on the verge of total breakdown, it all became clear. We came up with what now looking back should have been a no brainer!

We decided during a Walt Disney Vacation in 2005 that we were going to move in the direction of adoption. That decision came during the firework display at Magic Kingdom. We made our wish.... and through a little sweat,tears, blood(no really there was!) we made it come true. What better theme for a little girl, and we have a deep connection to it.

Ohhh I did indeed get my pretty shade of purple. I was a little afraid though b/c the girl's room was a forest theme before and the trim was a deep grass green. While the room was drying before we did the trim, it looked like an Easter egg! We got a good laugh out of it. But now that everything is white it really looks nice.

AS for the girl's room Chris and I both LOVE it! Once we got our mojo going with it we ran with it, and it turned out better then we could have ever dreamed! It isn't as you would think. I didn't want to use any of the Disney Princess's or really anything like that. I wanted something that they could be in now @ 2 years, and 5 months, and something they could still be in @ 10 and 8 years.

The girl's came home on Tuesday. Lily was aware that something had happened with her room, but she didn't totally get it. Ohhhh she got it when we got home though!!! She went into the room that was their's and she said "ohhhhh oom." I told her that room was now where Mommy and Daddy are going to sleep. I had Charlotte on my hip and then went to the door of their new room. I open the door a little bit and asked her to open it the rest of the way. Her eyes got so BIG!! I told her that this was her and Charlotte's new room. She touched the walls, and just looked amazed. It was worth every minute of hard work for that look.

Here is the best part, we put up a mural of Cinderella's Castle on the wall over the changing table/Charlotte's dresser. She asked to go up and ran her hand over it. I told her it was a special princess castle. She said back to rinces dassle. The whole time she had a look of awe on her face. Later that night I was putting on her PJ's. They were new pink ruffle Princess like PJ's. When I got her dressed, I said "ohhh pretty Lily, you look just like a princess!" She sat back down on her knees and very slowly ran her hand over her new PJ's and said very softly... rinces.

I did keep a piece of their nursery, that was harder to take down then I thought it would be. Chris and I talked a lot about the weekend we put it up. We didn't even have Lily's referral yet, we had the referral for Matthew. It was bittersweet to think about. Chris saw how hard it was turning out to be so he suggested that I keep something from the room. I decided to keep a decal of Lumpy and his Momma. We have framed it so it can stay nice.
















Chris and I also wanted to say a quick Thank you to both sets of Grandparents. Grandpa and Grandma thank you for helping Chris put up the new door that made this move possible. Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop thank you for keeping the girls this weekend. All four of you mean the world to us!!