Our home

I do not have a photogenic house. Not Instagram worthy whatsoever! Aaron and I would love to be homeowners soon. Sooner than later anyway. We have a lot of plans. But in the meantime, we live in this house and it has a lot of old house issues. Unglamorous and devoid of character. 

But I love this home. I feel sad to think of ever leaving it. I love each room. I love the things we’ve filled them with. Sentimental. And grateful. We have a lot. We lack nothing. I look around each room and see things that were given to us. Things that God provided. When the wind and snow and rain howl outside, we are so cozy inside. I love blankets and twinkle lights and have them everywhere. I simmer cinnamon on the stove almost every day, year around. My mom always did that and it takes me back to childhood memories of her. Most of our things have special memories attached. And this home has housed me through some of the worst hardships and the greatest joys. When I feel discontent and start to think that I need more or better, it’s a good thing for me to walk throughout my house and look at what we have. It helps me to be thankful and nip the discontentment.

Stove simmer. If you’re doing it right, the pot should look disgusting.

Never ending!

The one house plant I haven’t killed.

I am not a photographer, and I have been completely unable to capture our home in the way I view it. It’s difficult for me to put a feeling into a photo. But I am 100% able to capture the flaws! Guaranteed that my camera will focus on the old flooring or the stained ceiling! 

Luna wearing her overalls around her neck will always be a favorite memory. She felt so beautiful.

Luna wondering why I cut her bangs so short. Also our new couch! No couch cover! I am so thankful!

When Aaron and I got married, I had already lived in this house for years. It reflected me, not Aaron at all. I wanted him to have a room that was all about him. So I converted one of our two guest rooms into a tv room. I decorated it for him only. He loves Starwars and Dragonball Z and Sword Art Online. I don’t love any of those things haha! But I filled this room with those things for him and it has been the best room in our house. It’s our hangout room. Our family room. This room also has about 3 miles of wires and cords in it. What is it with guys and cords? Aaron loves them. The bigger the tangled pile of cords, the better. I’ve asked him about getting rid of the cords we don’t use. He looks at me like I’ve LOST MY MIND and says,”Babe what if I need this one day?” So we’ve compromised and kept 100% of the cords.

This magical girl.

When I got pregnant with Luna, I didn’t plan to decorate a room for her at all. We had a guest room and her crib would go in there. Yeah well, that lasted for a few months and then I nested hardcore and redecorated it. I wanted to redecorate it so badly, I pretty much foamed at the mouth looking at rugs and curtains online. I love her room and her closet is especially my favorite. I would stand in the center of her room while I was pregnant and just imagine what it would be like to have her there. I would touch each thing in her closet and marvel at the amount of things gifted to us. In love. I still feel that way every time I walk into her room. That marveling feeling hasn’t gone away yet. I caught myself looking at big girl bedding the other day. Carebears, strawberries, and gingham. I can’t wait to see what she likes as she gets bigger.

This house is special because we live here. These walls are homey because we make it so.   As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Half the time I feel that I fail in that goal. I wake up and charge through the day. I don’t glorify the Lord in everything that I do. I lose my temper. I get impatient. I become discontent. I get depressed. I get anxious. I worry. I waste time. I’m selfish. I wonder why the heck I have to clean this dumb thing again. Why do I have to jump up and take care of things. Oh poor me.

But then I look around this house and am convicted. This blessing. I hear the sounds of Luna squealing over her daddy and playing with her toys and crashing her bottle into the wall to let me know she’s awake from her nap. I hear the sounds of Aaron singing in the shower, or hammering away in the garage, or laughing as he games with his brothers and dad. I smell the scents of laundry and cooking and coffee and cinnamon. And usually a poop diaper. I see the mix matched furniture and dishes and family photos everywhere. Toys scattered across the floors. Piles of clean laundry on the bed. Food crumbs and empty coffee mugs. 

Luna will always come and grab my legs if she’s awake, and I’ll pick up her chubby, warm body. Just squeezing her and knowing that this life is short. I want Luna to grow up and say to her kids one day,”Let’s go to mom and dad’s house today. It’s cozy there and loving and they love the Lord.”

I pray for that almost every time lay her down to bed at night, and again later when Aaron and I go in to check on her before we go to bed ourselves. We stand there over her crib watching her little sleeping face, with little stars dancing across the room from her light up bear, and thinking about how we can’t believe this is our life.

Pillow bed on the floor and movies. This was such a great day. 

Refusing to eat any solid foods. It’s all over her body and the floor, but none in her belly.

I can’t capture all of that in a photo of my house, but you get the idea.