Mixing it up.

For the last five years, Grandma and Grandpa, aka Linda and Jeff, have been living with us. They arrived when Lauren was two, and were there for the birth of Mark and Katie. None of my kids know what it is like to not live with Grandma and Grandpa. Several months ago, we, (the adults) decided that it was time for everyone to have their own space. Thus the process of house hunting began. Jeff and Linda found a house near by that was still within our ward. It was a bittersweet day on Tuesday when they began moving out. That night the house was oddly quiet in a way I have never felt before.

The next day I began the process of moving into areas of my house that were previously occupied by Grandma and Grandpa and company. The house still feels quiet and their presence is missed, but it has been fun to explore new space.

One of the first new spaces to be explored was Aunt Courtney's former bedroom. Rick and I waited until the night before the move to tell Lauren she would get a new bedroom. She had been coveting Courtney's room since the move was announced, but we thought it would be nice to surprise her, to ease the discomfort she would experience with Grandma and Grandpa leaving. She forgot that Grandma and Grandpa were moving because she was so excited about the prospect of her new room.

This is Lauren's super girly bed. I have ordered decorative lettering to go above the flowers that says, "The princess sleeps here." Its fitting because it really is a princess bed, and the girl who sleeps in it is a princess.

The bedroom has its own bathroom. You can't see the shower curtain very well, but it is white with orange, hot pink and light pink dots. We picked out orange towels to coordinate.

Lauren now has a fancy dresser to keep her clothes in as well as a TV. She is most upset that mommy is not wiling to hook the TV up, and will only allow DVDs to be watched.

Not to be out done by his older sister, Mark wanted to show off his train bedroom which I put together several months ago.

More train stuff, with Katie wondering what she can get her hands on.

Finally Katie did not want to be left out and wanted you to see where she spends 12 hours a day.

This is Katie's dresser, complete with her cute name that Aunt Arianne made for her.

Finally this is Lauren's old bedroom. It will be sadly lonely for a year or two until Katie is ready to upgrade.

Its hard to say what is more fun, mommy decorating the bedrooms, or the kids enjoying the fruits of mommy's labor?