John and I have realized that our Florida road trip has somehow given us a little house perspective. As much as we’ve been loving the new house (nearly two months after our move I still find myself going up the stairs and whispering “duuuuude, we have a second floor”) and as much as we’ve been feeling more settled with every wall that we de-wallpaper and paint, leaving our second house was definitely bittersweet.
It’s kind of hard to explain, but somehow while traveling it’s more obvious to us that we still remember every nook and cranny of that place, and our new house still feels sort of unfamiliar and mysterious. We don’t quite remember every light switch location or which way each door swings yet. So on one hand our old house is sort of glorified in our mind as “the one we know so well” yet we have that early dating excitement for the new house. We’re smitten, even though there’s tons of work to do and we’re just getting to know each other.
I find myself sitting on the beach wondering what’s going on at our new house. Is it raining there? Are there deer playing poker in the sunroom? And then my thoughts jump to how a new family lives in our old house now, which also feels kind of strange yet sweet. I’m glad it’s not lonely. (I know that makes me sound crazy, but I’m ok with it)
That’s why I’m so glad that one of the last things that we did before we started packing up was to make a video for Clara to remember the house by – just like we did when we left our first house. And this time instead of being a little lump in our arms like she was for the first one, she could actually chat and run around and do three year old things. She loved the idea of making a video of the house so she could re-watch it whenever she wanted, but she started out a little shy… so it was especially cute to see her get really into it as we went (she started telling us what rooms to go to, what to look at in each space, and saying funny things like “we’re in New Jersey” when I asked her what room we were in).
Since I know not everyone can watch videos, here’s a bit of what’s covered: John and Clara play “airplane” in the office, there’s some dolly-doctoring in the sunroom, I get bossed around in the hallway (“we have to show this one!”), I get bossed around in Clara’s nursery (apparently it was the baby’s nap time), a bit of frog-dress-up goes on, there’s some jumping on the guest bed, and some Clara-throwing in our bed. Oh yeah, and we stand in the bathtub together. Totally normal stuff. There’s also some Gangnam Style dancing at one point. And it’s possibly the only video in the history of videos to features the sentence “that’s not your cousin, it’s a llama.”
So much happened in our second house, and it was an especially huge part of Clara’s life since she was just seven months old when we moved in.
It’s where she learned to crawl, walk, and talk. And it’s where she has celebrated all three of her birthdays as well as three Christmases…
We’re so glad to have a bunch of photos (along with a fair amount of video documentation) thanks to this little house diary of ours. My absolute favorite memory of that entire place was this odd little nook that we had in our living room where Clara loved to hide:
Thankfully, she has since declared that her new closet is her “favoritest hiding spot in the big wide world.”
Love that bean. Love that house. Love you guys for sharing in the sappy stuff. Now somebody get me a tissue so I don’t ugly-cry my sunscreen off.
*We would have posted this sooner, but John’s computer had a freak out while editing it a few weeks after we moved, and nearly wiped out all of our photos/videos. So here’s the obligatory “remember to back up your computer so you don’t find yourself screaming into a pillow for twenty hours!” warning (which is the only thing that saved this and countless other photos/vids from disappearing into the computer crash abyss forever). For those wondering, we use a combination of amazon.cloud and external hard drives to back up our would-cry-if-we-lost-them photos and videos.
Ashley S says
I’m sure you’ve been asked this before, so I apologize for repeating someone (but it would be nearly impossible to read all million comments you guys get – I don’t know how you do it)…
Would you guys be open to going back to your previous houses and seeing how the new owners have ‘made it their own’ and what changes have been made?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes we’d love to house crash them if they’ll have us! We are working on setting something up with the new buyer of our first house. So excited!
xo,
s
Diana says
J&S&C&B
I don’t even know if I’m doing this right (52 yrs old & tech impaired) but I wanted to write to you. I have just finished reading your blog from the very beginning backwards! All 800something posts. Ive never even read a blog..but I found you somehow, started reading, was enchanted with your decorating and your outlook on life and your precious family. I am a wanna-be decorator and you have given me the inspiration and some of the bravery I need to just try!! I’ve gazed at magazines long enough. :)
I read your blog like a book…enjoying each page, crying with you re: Clara’s birth..and just tearing up as you would celebrate each happy thing in your life. When I finished I joined the blog, signed up for the current prize give-a-way and went out and bought your book!! Thanks for all of the inspiration and helpful advice.
Diana
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Diana, you’re so sweet!
xo,
s
Elaine - visual meringue says
This is so great. Thank you so much for allowing all of us to come along for the ride. Your blog is such a highlight in my day. I read it every morning and pm (if a post) and make sure I don’t miss any! Your family is just so adorable and fun. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. Looks like you are having a fabulous time if the pics you are posting are any indication! :)
Crystal V says
I haven’t looked through the comments to see if anyone else mentioned this but….YOU GUYS…seriously, this video shows how beautiful the kitchen turned out more than any other photograph or video you’ve posted. That gleaming penny tile and those colors *swoon*
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Crystal!
xo,
s
jeannette says
i agree about how beautiful the kitchen looks in the vid….still missing your deck and patio. not in a creepy way. snif.
Kim Wethe Rily says
Dang, guys, you’re making ME tear up, especially since for us, it was kind of an abrupt, “we’re moving!” BTW, no way have you already lived there for two months!
Just reminds me how little time our kids are little for. Max is 4, Sammie is about to start SECOND GRADE! I love how excited and happy Clara is (at least on camera) and I ran into someone with a 2 month old BABY yesterday and I still remember my munchkins being that small.
BTW, have you ever Google mapped old houses? There are several old houses I’ve lived in and even though they may not be 100% current, I like seeing the old houses I’ve lived in and how they’ve changed.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes we love doing that! Even the old landscaping is fun to see!
xo,
s
Amy @ a new old house says
Such a sweet way to remember the old house!
We moved 2 years ago, and sometimes if I’m planning to do something (like if I’m at work thinking “I’ll bake cookies tonight”) I picture the kitchen of the old house instead of the new one, then I catch myself.
It’s happening less frequently as we remodel the new house to make it our “own”. But it’s still a wierd sensation to remember that the old one isn’t ours anymore!
Wrenaria says
Oh man, computer crashes are the worst. I have my hard drives in RAID array, meaning I have two hard drives that mirror each other in real time, so if one dies the other works as my backup and nothing is lost. Even so, the idea of one dying still stresses me out.
Glad you guys didn’t lose your files!
Sheena says
So precious! I love how bouncy she is! :)
Amy says
We’re in love with Backblaze backup service. $5/month, made specifically for Mac users, files are accessible from anywhere (even my phone), and it’s already saved us several times. Hope you’re having a great trip!
Maggie Baker says
That is so sweet. My husband and I just purchased our first home where we hope to create memories… your video made me wanna make sure I document every little detail of our new adventure! Thanks, Sherry! :)
Elyse says
I’ve been an avid read of YHL for years, but am more of a lurker than a commenter. Today’s post was so touching that I just had to pop in and say what a sweet family you have! Thanks for opening your lives to us. And have a wonderful vacation–you deserve it!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Elyse!
xo,
s
Lexie says
“That’s not your cousin, it’s a llama!”
The best!
Henna // HENNA BLOSSOM blog says
Aww, I LOOOOOOVE this post. It’s so sweet. Wow, the time flew by…but it’s been a lifetime for Clara just about! :) So great to save all these memories.
It’s going to be so hard if we ever decide to move because we actually bought the house I grew up in and my son is about to celebrate his second birthday here (which was the first birthday I celebrated in this house as a kid). It’s so special to have that connection to your childhood and I’m so glad you have saved it for Clara!
xo
Megan says
Adorable! I did the same thing when I moved out of my apartment in July. I’d lived there 7.5 years and had been through quite a lot there, some great, some not so great. But it definitely felt like a hug from an old friend every time I walked through the door. The new place isn’t feeling like that just yet but it’s only been a month so I’m giving us some time to get to know each other.
FWIW, I remember every nook and cranny of the house I lived in from age 1 – 5. I can close my eyes and walk through it like I’m replaying a video even though we didn’t have them back in the dark ages! I can even tell you what was on the walls and furniture. Freaks my mom out b/c I remember more than she does! But it’s so fun to take that walk down memory lane. Thrilled that Clara will be able to as well.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so cool! I moved a bunch growing up but I only remember select things from each place.
xo,
s
Cadie says
What a special thing to do! You are making great memories and Clara will cherish them forever. I got very sappy reading this/watching the video!
Eri says
Sweet, sweet idea. Heartwarming to imagine Clara’s reaction when she watches this video in the future.
Whenever I watch your videos I really love the way you guys talk to the girl. I noticed you’ve listed Faber’s book on the sidebar, that is a GREAT book, so are her other books. But too often it’s difficult to implement, lol! I admire you guys are doing it so naturally.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Eri, you’re so sweet.
xo
s
Ali says
Oh that picture melts my heart!!! Perhaps because I’m at work missing my 8 month old baby boy! :) Will definitely remember to make our own little video when we decide to move to capture our first house love <3
Dayna says
Love Clara’s little hiding spot! I think it would be so cool if you made a little “trap door” from her closet into the attic room, after you’ve converted it to a bunk room of course! Then she’d have her own secret passage way – I always dreamed of those when I was a kid!
YoungHouseLove says
That would be fun!
xo,
s
Carol says
When my daughter’s best friend moved away from our town in the 4th grade, we made her a memory book. We took photos of her house and ours, our neighborhood and their school. She loved it.
Kiki says
This is such a sweet idea! Home videos are the best and I so wish my parents had done something like this for our first house. I was only four or so when we moved and sadly, I have no recollections of anything in that house!
Karin Purugganan says
Love Clara’s sound machine! It looks so cute, where is it from? Great video and wonderful memories for you all!!!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s from HH Gregg I think.
xo,
s
Maggie says
So sweet! I love your little family :)
We just moved from our almost-hometown Seattle (it was ‘the city’ growing up) to California for a great job opportunity for my fiance… we’re crashing in a temporary corporate apartment until our new lease kicks in (so ready to have my stuff back!). It was time to leave our last apartment because it was a little too small for us, but also bittersweet because my fiance proposed in the living room there! We had a nice long hug in the doorway as we were leaving for the last time.
Maria@TheBrooklynFig says
I just feel the need to say thank you- thank you for such an amazing idea. We don’t have children yet but when we do, this is something we’d love to do for them. I’m sure Clara will appreciate these videos (and the blog posts) so much when she’s older!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Maria!
xo
s
bethany says
getting a little misty here…. can I blame it on the hormones? Baby O’Brien is due in 56 days and I can’t wait to start making memories like these at Casa O’Brien. Thanks for sharing!
YoungHouseLove says
I love the count down. Congrats!
xo,
s
Yevette says
This is off-subject but do you remember where the “I love Daddy, I love Everybody, Iam loved,etc” onesie that 7 month Clara has on came from??
YoungHouseLove says
That was a hand me down from her cousin Elsa, but I think the maker was Carter’s.
xo
s
Elise says
Sher Dog-
I love how you’re touching Clara’s hair like 98% percent of the time you’re on camera. I’d probably be touching it too if I were there!
Cuteness!
kristen says
it’s not your site, it’s feedly. any post i read that randomly cuts off, i assume it’s a video and go straight to the post on the blog.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Kristen! It seems like it happens whenever we use the old youtube embed code, so when it’s updated it works (but sometimes not retroactively).
xo
s
Anne says
As I started to read this post Michael Franti and Spearhead’s song, “Life is Better With You” came on the radio. It was the perfect song to have on in the background and seriously made me tear up a bit…I hope that’s not weird?! It made me think of my own little one, who will be a year old in just two short months. I think of the memories we’re creating in our new house and how her growing up is happening so fast! If we move some day (right now we’re very happy where we are)I love the idea of documenting your memories on video :)It will be fun to look back years from now!
Rebecca says
When my parents said they were moving out of my childhood home (mind you I was in my young 20s) I got so sentimental over it. I took tons of pictures of just the house in case I ever forgot something. Turns out my brother and his wife just ended up moving in so I still get to visit. It’s different now but still my childhood home :). Hopefully we’ll never move from our house but I’ll have to keep this in mind for future kiddos to help them remember and reminisce.
Crystal says
I think the hardest part of moving is always leaving the memories behind. My second daughter was born in the dining room of our old house and moving from there was so so hard.
jeannette says
clara in her hidey hole!!! a child’s eye-view of a place i didn’t know was there. the video also gives a sense of how cushy your master BR was there. so beautiful. as is the gentle way john sets her down.
i remember every nook and cranny of my grandma’s house and also the house we lived in when i was a teenager. i still dream about it every two or three months or so, not having lived there or been back in nearly 40 years. so clara will love these vids of the magnificent voyage from 7 mos. to three. lucky baby grrrrl.
Andrea says
Aww this post made me cry and I didn’t even watch the video! I think it’s because I have moved around so much in my life and when I was growing up. So I know the feeling of leaving a home behind – a place where you made many memories. Our last move (a year ago) was particularly hard because we moved out of our first home to go to the other side of the country. My husband and I cried so much our last day there. I still remeber everything in that house. It’s made worse by the fact that I could always go back to that house since we are renting it out now. It means my new apartment never feels quite like home. I’m just not settled here yet and my mind knows my real home is still back in our other state. I do sort of wish we sold it so I could move on and have a clean break.
jeannette says
here is a poem that begins to touch on what home means to me, and what you’re touching in in your post. larkin struggled hard all his life to be cynical, which is sort of chic but really stupid. stupid he was not, though he could be cutting. just ignore those parts.
Home is so Sad
by Philip Larkin
Home is so sad. It stays as it was left,
Shaped to the comfort of the last to go
As if to win them back. Instead, bereft
Of anyone to please, it withers so,
Having no heart to put aside the theft
And turn again to what it started as,
A joyous shot at how things ought to be,
Long fallen wide. You can see how it was:
Look at the pictures and the cutlery.
The music in the piano stool. That vase.
YoungHouseLove says
Loved the poem Jeannette.
xo
s
Nicky says
Clara is seriously the only kid that has ever made me want kids of my own.
By the way, I absolutely adored your old house! Well, the first two actually. I am really excited to see how the new one is going to evolve!
Gwen, The Makerista says
We haven’t moved since we’ve been married, but it’s coming down the bend, and I can only imagine the mix of emotions, especially with the kids! I’m sure our children will miss their “home” but hopefully it will be a pretty smooth transition. This was fun to see and I’m sure when she is older she will really appreciate this!
Angela says
What a sweet video! We’ll be moving soon and I’ll definitely steal this idea. We’re in the military so I guess we’ll make lots of videos like this one =)
Katelyn says
Where’s Burger?
YoungHouseLove says
I think he was in his crate sleeping (he likes to go in there sometimes when we leave the door open).
xo
s
Erin says
Currently going through the process of prepping our first home to sell (just posted a word vomit long blog post about it!), and it is so bittersweet. Mostly right now I’m focusing on completely FREAKING OUT about the projects themselves and if we’ll finish and if our house will sell and blah blah blah, but when I stop to think about actually leaving the only home we’ve ever known, where we came after getting married, where we did SO much work to make the house ours, where we brought home both of my babies… oh man. I just can’t even. I will definitely be doing a video like this with my 3.5 year old daughter and if I can even hold the camera without bawling I’ll be impressed. Things like having a family of 4 in a house with 2 bedrooms and one bathroom and less than 1100 square feet of space mean that we do really need to move, but still. I am sad about it! Especially since we aren’t buying until after we sell so now it all feels very uncertain and not real. Anyway, thanks for sharing the ups and downs of all of this. Love reading your stories and getting inspiration from you all!!
Lindsey says
Have you read the book The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton? It was one of my absolute favorites as a child. I bought a copy of it years ago, pre kids, to have on hand for someday.
Then someday arrived and we were looking to settle down and found out a particularly sad bit of history about a house (murder, eek). I was wavering big time about wanting to actually live there, even though I loved the house and felt drawn to it… until I realized that the house was just sad after what happened and needed a happy family to come live in it and cheer it up… JUST LIKE IN THE BOOK THE LITTLE HOUSE! So, while my story is a bit more macabre than your “I miss my other house!” story, I’m saying all this to point out that I understand what you mean about not wanting the house to be sad.
So now we can feel weird about admitting that kind of stuff on the internet together, haha.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet. I love that perspective.
xo
s
Courtney {a thoughtful place} says
So sweet. We had such a hard time moving from our first home. Every corner had our blood, sweat, tears and memories. As much as I would love to have more space, now I can’t imagine leaving this home. Thanks for sharing.
Destiny says
I just think you are the sweetest most thoughtful family, and what a great tribute the way you live your lives is to the families you came from…
rebecca smith says
Cute vid! Do you have a link to that sound machine? It looks great and I know my sister could do with something similar for her sprog!
YoungHouseLove says
We got our sat h.h. gregg, but here’s a link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/iHome-iP15W2C-Changing-30-Pin-Speaker/dp/B004I8WH74/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376000642&sr=8-2&keywords=ipod+dock+change+colors
-John
Julianne says
Definitely a lot of love, sweat & hard work went into that last gorgeous house, but home is where the heart is. I just know, that over time, your current home will hold a new, wonderful & warm place in your heart, right next to your beautiful memories of your last home. :0)
Christi says
Okay, way to make me cry today! We just purchased our third house and are expecting a baby in erly 2014 so I keep thinking of bringing it home, it’s first room, first steps, etc. I love how you have incorporated Clara into your move/ business. What fun she will have later looking back! Okay, off to cry some more! Enjoy your vacation!
Renae says
Carbonite. It’s essential to keeping your files safe. My photographer friend had to use it and it saved everything! $59/yr. totally with it!
Kristie says
That is one beautiful kitchen. White does miracles, make every space look bigger. I feel like spray painting my dining table and chairs white right now :) Somebody please take away the spray paint from me. Oh and the Christmas trees are gorgeous. I’m so looking forward to Christmas.
Katrina says
I love your “sappy” family posts. Keeps it real and reminds us all of what is truly important! Sweet post!
Ansleigh says
Loved the video.. and Clara’s play lettuce! Sorry if you already mentioned it, but where did you find that? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Someone made it / brought it to us at a book signing. We think it’s homemade from felt and velcro. Maybe there’s a tutorial on Pinterest?
-John
Sayward says
Even if it is homemade, it looks exactly like the play lettuce from IKEA. There’s a vegetable kit with a felt carrot, garlic, head of lettuce, etc. They actually sell a few felt/velcro food kids. My 2.5 year old niece LOVES them.
amyks says
What?!? Clara was only 7 months old when you moved into house #2, and she was 3 when you moved out! Holy cow, time certainly did fly being an observer on your renovations! Seems like only yesterday… So glad you guys were able to squeeze a vacation in, you really deserve it!!!
Shohan says
Good idea to make a souvenir of the previous home! I wonder what the new owners of both your previous homes are doing with the place. Did they change something? What kind of customization they added? :-)
By the way maybe you knew already this but your book is featured on the Oprah website. Just received the newsletter showing the best advice for this summer and there you go:
http://www.oprah.com/money/Affordable-Room-Makeovers-Decorating-Ideas/4
YoungHouseLove says
Ahh! That’s so cool. Thanks for the link. As for the new owners, we’d love to House Crash our former homes if they’ll have us someday. Would be so much fun to see how they’ve evolved.
xo
s