We're Moving to Tennessee! | Lone Star Looking Glass

I’ve been sitting on a secret for several months now. One that I’ve been bursting at the seams to tell y’all … but also one I was hesitant to spill until all the cards finally fell into place. Well now that they finally have, it’s time to share:

We’re moving back home to Tennessee!

Where in Tennessee:

After six utterly amazing wonderful and life-changing years in Texas, it seems that fate is calling us home to Tennessee. Memphis, to be exact. We will be living just a few miles from my childhood home and minutes away from dozens of family members and very close friends. Tennessee has always been home and has had our hearts our whole lives. It’s where Patrick and I were both born and raised, where we met and fell in love.

Why We’re Now Leaving Texas:

Our move to Texas in 2013 was such a surprising adventure. We fell hard for the lone star state. Can’t ya tell!? We quickly turned into breakfast taco-eating, cowboy boot wearing, rodeo lovers and felt at home here in Houston in an instant. I never actually imagined us leaving Texas – it has been so good to us! That is … until we had Annie and big pieces of our lives were put in perspective.

The number one reason we’re moving back home is to be closer to family. Raising a child 567 miles from your closest blood relatives is the hardest thing imaginable. I’ve been so incredibly blessed that family on both sides have been able to travel to us (and us to them) frequently. But sometimes they aren’t able to make big events and we find it’s the saddest thing that we’re throwing Annie’s first birthday party and not a single family member is able to make the trek down. Or it’s Christmas morning (Annie’s first Christmas to be exact) and it’s just the three of us FaceTiming family from afar because we aren’t able to get away due to various work obligations.

The Hardest Thing To Leave Behind:

I can’t tell you how many wonderful friends we’ve made here in Houston that has made these big events all the more special. Family members might not have celebrated birthdays and holidays with us, but we’ve rung these occasions in big with our Houston family and I’m going to miss these friends of ours dearly! Not having any family nearby makes you lean on your best friends more than ever. The relationships we’ve created here are so dear to me and I know we will work our hardest to keep these long-distance friendships strong in years to come.

When Life Events Put Things into Perspective:

Aside from wanting to be closer to both sides of our family, another really really big reason we’re heading back to Tennessee is to be closer to my dear ol’ dad. I haven’t mentioned this on here hardly at all, but my dad is fighting cancer right now and it’s tough. Cancer sucks!! As I’m sure anyone who’s been close to somebody fighting the battle knows. He was diagnosed over four years ago and as time has gone on I’ve found that I don’t want to miss a moment of the time that I do have with my family. Along with having a child of my own, my dad’s diagnosis has made me realize how precious life truly is and what really matters the most. What is the point in living if you can’t spend your days with those you love?

Our move to Memphis not only will bring us closer to my side of the family, but it will cut the drive time to my in-laws in Knoxville in half. Turning what was an impossibility of a road trip to see them into something we can swing over a weekend. My sisters-in-law and several cousins of mine will be three hours away and we’re already planning visits together in the coming weeks. What was once a one-to-two time a year (if we were lucky) reunion is going to be so frequent that I just can’t handle how excited I am about it all!

Fate Put Everything into Motion:

Moving back to Tennessee has been something we’ve always talked about but never actually dreamed that would happen. We were so content in Texas! It wasn’t until we were traveling together as a family earlier this year when a conversation came up and we just realized that there was no guarantee to the time we have left with our loved ones. Talking about moving to Memphis just made sense all of a sudden. It was like a lightbulb went off for both of us and we realized it was time to go home.

Making a big move like this happen takes A LOT of cards to fall into place oh-so-perfectly. For me, once we made the decision, I wanted to get to Memphis as fast as possible to have more time with family. But with Patrick’s career and being locked in our lease until October of this year, that was not a reality. Our plan was to see where we were when our lease ended this fall and make some sort of big life decision then.

We never bought a home in Houston because we never knew where in the city we wanted to plant roots. We toyed with moving back to The Heights to The Woodlands to Pearland to Katy. We had no idea where we wanted to eventually settle in our city. Our rental homes have been wonderful but it is because we rented that fate decided to give us a push, knowing we were meant to be making a big change. (When I say “fate” it really is a God-thing. So many pieces of our plans just worked their way out in such wild and crazy ways that it’s so obvious that a higher hand put it all in motion. Our prayers were answered on this and I couldn’t be more thankful!!)

Right around the time that my dad started a trial chemotherapy treatment in San Antonio this spring, our landlord messaged saying they wanted to sell our house ASAP. The told us we could be out anytime before our lease ended and an early termination wouldn’t be an issue. Prior to this, we just assumed if we didn’t get our ducks in a row, we’d just extend our lease. (Even if we were more than ready to get back to Tennessee … this option just felt safer/easier.) We went from daydreaming about making a move to realizing … we need to make a move.

Patrick has an amazing job and a position that he truly loves so much. We were torn for months & months on what to do about his work. Obviously, neither of us wanted him to leave his company but both of us knew we needed to be in Memphis. I’m so happy to share that he will still be working with his company here in Houston but out of our home in Tennessee. This is another piece of the puzzle that fell so perfectly in place … I still can’t even believe it happened!

// & for those interested in outfit details, click the links for my dress, Annie’s dress, my boots, Patrick’s boots, & Annie’s sandals. //

It’s Time to Settle into a New Home:

With that news, we were ready to find a home and settle our little family in Memphis. After renting for six years, oh my goodness we are so over not being the owners of our home!! And I’m so happy to share that we found a house in Memphis that is as cute-as-can-be that we will be moving into next week. AHh!! Our journey in finding this home is a serious WILD one that I plan on going into more detail with yall very soon.

Finding our new home in Memphis made everything feel so real. When I shared the news that we were coming back to Tennessee they were over the moon/ so happy! It’s going to be the best thing for us to be up there with and for everyone, especially for my parents, at this time in our lives.

But until we make our big move … I am taking advantage of the next 24 hours in Texas to squeeze all of my friend’s necks, eat all the tacos, and pack in as much of the lone star state as possible.

But don’t worry, the “Lone Star” in Lone Star Looking Glass isn’t going anywhere! Texas, I’ll be back soon!

Texas has seeped itself into my core and I plan to come back and visit as much as I possibly can. After all, I founded my business after being inspired by the lone star state. The name Lone Star Looking Glass is a nod to being a mirror of my life in Texas & beyond. I may not live in Texas anymore but Texas has changed who I am through and through. My tastes in fashion, decor, travel, adventure, life, motherhood – all of it has been influenced by these past years in Texas and I’m so excited to bring this new version of myself back to Tennessee.

So many of my friends have asked if I will be changing the name of my blog when I move. No way!! I love the name, it’s who I am and still the basis of the content I create. I think I’m just going to have to plan many a trip back here to get my lone star state fill! … Starting with a visit just next month. Tennessee is my heart and my home but I’m serious y’all when I say that you can’t keep me away from Texas!

And you never know, fate could just bring us back down here when the time is right too. We’re always up for an adventure!

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For those of you who have been following along since day 1 or have picked up on my family’s adventures any time since then, thank you so so much for sharing in this journey with me! I remember being so nervous to put my life online that November day six years ago. I never dreamed blogging would turn into what it has and I’m so thankful for this wild ride I plunged myself into. I’ve been a bit nervous to share this news with you all as it is going to be such a big change – but I’m sure it will be an exciting one! So here’s to the next chapter, and sharing with you all our adventures as we settle into our new home and life in Tennessee.