Rep. Jay Barnes has spent the past eight years representing Jefferson City in the General Assembly.
And that was enough, the Republican told the chamber during an emotional goodbye speech Friday evening.
"It's been a really long eight years," Barnes said. "And it's gone by in a flash."
The building is a study in contradictions, he said. There were days when he loved the place and days he hated it. But he said he made friendships as he worked with men and women from both sides of the political aisle.
Barnes is one of the three Jefferson City lawmakers who said farewell to their current seats at the close of the 99th General Assembly. Mike Bernskoetter is leaving the House to vie for Mike Kehoe's Senate seat. Kehoe is prohibited from running for re-election due to term limits.
As an attorney, Barnes has been at the forefront of several legal issues in state government.
As a freshman representative in 2011, Barnes was named chairman of an interim committee to look into state government fraud, oversight and abuse connected with Mamtek US Inc., a company which promised to build a sweetener plant in Moberly using about $17 million in state tax credits, job training assistance, a community development block grant and more than $35 million in local bonds.
Nothing ever developed. Convicted of stealing and securities fraud in 2014, Mamtek's owner was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Barnes represented the "Medicaid 23" in a 2016 Cole County trial after their May 6, 2014, arrests during demonstrations at the state Capitol.
More than 300 demonstrators, led by clergy, rallied in the Rotunda, then went to the state Senate's upper gallery to urge lawmakers to expand Medicaid assistance to poor Missourians.
Police arrested 23 of the protesters after their singing, praying and chanting was loud enough to force senators to stop their debate because they couldn't hear each other.
Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson charged them with trespassing and obstructing government operations, both misdemeanors, and a Cole County jury convicted each of the defendants only of trespassing.
Before they could appeal, then-Gov. Jay Nixon offered them pardons.
And this year, following a St. Louis grand jury's indictment of Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony invasion of privacy charge, Barnes was named chairman of a special committee formed to look into the governor's legal situation.
The House and Senate began a special session Friday night, so the committee could finish its work and recommend whether the full House should consider impeaching the governor so that, if convicted of impeachment allegations, he could be removed from office.
Barnes said he had a serious health scare during his second year in the House. For two weeks, things were "pretty scary;" after it was over, he resolved to smile every day.
"No matter how hard or stressful things got, I was going to smile and enjoy that we live in a wonderful place and a wonderful world," he said. "I believe that when things are the most stressful, even just faking a smile can make you feel better."
Last year, there was the question of whether he would run for the state Senate.
First he was out. Then he was in, he said. Then he was back out. Then he was all in. Then he was on the fence.
Ultimately, Barnes decided he didn't want to run.
"What I want to do is go back to being the best husband and father and lawyer I can be," Barnes said.
The decision was eased by Rep. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, who decided to take on the Senate race.
"Thank God Mike Bernskoetter exists," Barnes said in his speech, "so I can make the decision not to run for the Senate."
Bernskoetter filed for the race in February and won't be opposed in the primary.
He has been focused for several years on raising state employee pay - something lawmakers were able to do this session.
Missouri's state employees rank last among the states in average employee pay.
Under the budget for the business year that begins July 1, employees making under $70,000 will get an additional $700 a year, and those making more than $70,000 will get a 1 percent raise starting next Jan 1.
In the Senate on Friday evening, when Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, talked about his eight years in the Senate, his only mention of his own experiences was the comment: "It's been a pleasure to be in this building."
Lawmakers gave a 15-second standing ovation during Kehoe's remarks, and at his request, for "'St.' Carolyn (Loethen), who has been around the Capitol forever, and will be retiring at the end of the year."
Loethen has been the "face" of Kehoe's office - the person people meet when they walk in the door and the person who keeps the office organized.
Kehoe - who has been the majority floor leader for the last couple of years, managing the order for the Senate's debating bills - also talked about the other staff people who have helped his office operate from one year to the next.
There was Casey Hogg, he said. "She quit but, thank goodness, (Sen. Sandy Crawford, R-Buffalo) picked her up.
There was Drew Dampf, "but he quit" to work for Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby.
"We're fortunate to have Halie (Dampf), our great intern with us this year," Kehoe said, "who is Drew's much smarter cousin."
And he thanked Adam Gresham, Kehoe's legislative assistant.