So our move to Michigan was BIG...big house, big family, big truck, big distance, big adjustment. And we worked hard to make it an adventure and ensure that the children adjusted as best as could be. A major goal was to choose a neighborhood for them, hopefully with other children. And we did! We're on a private cul-de-sac road and the children run loose! There are several families for them to play with and we've already had sleepovers and play dates and impromptu visits as new friends are walking by. Out kids are safe, have room to ride bikes and scooters, and have been exploring the joys of living near the woods!
So with that goal met, I also wanted to make the new house THEIR house. So we kept most of what they already had and added in some fun new accessories, allowing the kids to each pick their own theme for their rooms.
One of the biggest changes was that the girls were going to each have their own rooms - Tater, being almost a teenager, was thrilled while Sassy is still missing her sister (although she will never really admit that!!!). The boys are still sharing but they still had the chance for separate interests to fit in their room!
So Miss Sass is up first. And in all her girly-ness, she picked a Paris theme! The room was already painted the periwinkle color and we picked bedding in soft pink and white to tone it down a bit :). Her window is so pretty and has dark-out blinds AND curtains (in the summer it is light until almost 10:00pm and this momma needs these kids to SLEEP!!!). We had wood floors installed in all three main floor bedrooms (ugh- allergies!) and Sassy's rug is from Walmart. Her furniture is IKEA and her bedding and artwork is from Homegoods and TJMaxx. Since I took these pictures, we have upgraded her bed to white bunkbeds (from Walmart!) so I'll have to post a picture soon - it was her 9th birthday request :)
Her closet came with an organization system installed and it easily holds all her hanging clothes and shoes as well as some small toys she's allowed to keep in her room. The pink wall-mounted doll house is from Target and she uses it for her Shopkins. The wooden doll house is IKEA and she has several mixed sets of wooden furniture and dolls that she uses in it.
Here you can see a glimpse of her vaulted ceiling - it all works together to make it just the cutest little girl's room :)
This rocker was an antique find that I couldn't resist! And she just had to have that mirror!
And on to the boys' room! The bunkbeds are from Walmart and we had them at the old house. They are metal but look like wood - we love them! The biggest difference between the two houses is that in the old house, Bruiser couldn't even sit up in the top bunk because of low ceilings - here he can't even touch the ceiling!!!
Because of the bunkbeds, the boys could each pick their theme and we decorated around their beds. Bruiser, of course, went with Star Wars - which was perfect because he already had most of the things! His comforter and sheets are from Amazon. The framed subway art was printed off Pinterest. Not shown is the giant picture periodic table of the elements - it was in Daddy's old office and Bruiser decided to claim it at the new house.
Bubba picked dinosaurs! His bedding also came from Amazon and his art work is from Hobby Lobby. I loved that I was able give each boy their own touch on the room but still make it all look put together!
(See the wreath hanging on the right side? That's the wreath my mom had made for the baptismal font for Bruiser and then all the other boys (cousins too!) used for their baptisms. It's so special to me - and them!)
This room was lime green with monkey decals on the walls when we bought the house - I think it was their son's nursery. We immediately changed it to gray (can't remember the SW color) and I added neutral striped black-out curtains to tie their themes together. That corner shelf was a curbside find in our old neighborhood and holds treasures and memories. The green shelf is from IKEA and holds Bruiser's books. The frames are the front page from my dad's newspaper (he's the editor) on the day each boy was born - frames are from Target. The bin of stuffed animals (ugh- I hate them!) is from Amazon.
The shelves Daddy made off anawhite.com and I'm sure can guess where that chair is from :)
The dresser and shelf are from IKEA...and we've now added a hamster to that shelf :)
And this little desk and chair are an antique store find - so cute!
And finally, the big girl's room :). This room was a rusty color that we also painted gray. Her room is separated from the others and definitely gives the vibe of teenager! She went with a color scheme more than a theme, although her bedding, from Homegoods, has butterflies. Her furniture is also all IKEA. The wall art is a mix of Homegoods, Hobby Lobby, and homemade.
You can see her framed newspaper from her birth day here!
And right by the star light you can see her baptism wreath :)
You'll see in a future post that we have a very large rec room/playroom, so we tried to keep most toys out of their bedrooms. There are plenty of books, a few small toys that are special or favorite to them - but the rest of the INSANE amount of toys we own are in the basement playroom! Each child had their own way of making the space their own and we had so much fun setting them up and seeing it all unfold after several months of planning. The very first things we set up were the kids' bedrooms - it gave them a safe space to go while the rest of the house was in shambles and nothing was familiar.
The biggest focus for us during the move was making sure the kids adjusted well and settled in - and they amazed us!!! The school year has been great for all four of them. Friends have been made, they know expectations and routines, and they are happy! The first day was a little rough for the 7th grader and she broke hearts when she shared that she ate lunch alone (and not just Mommy and Daddy's - her aunt and uncle were so upset for her!). But on day #2 she was invited into a group and is already planning sleepovers and getting invites to birthday and holiday parties. We hear all the time how kind and respectful our children are and it is so rewarding to hear how our hard work has paid off...now if Bubba would only just fall into step with his big siblings...lol!
We've been here for just 4 months but it's hard to remember our old life. We miss all our friends and the familiarity of "home" but the transition could not have been better! We learning the small town life - especially in summer resort town that becomes that much closer knit in the off season...oh, and how to stay warm in this frigid tundra!!!
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