Home Sweet Home (November 2013 - ???)

Had you asked 6 months ago if we'd be moving houses, it would not have even been on our radar. It wasn't until we ran some numbers and realized that if we downsized, we would be able to shorten the amount of time before we bought another investment property, and then someone could help us pay off that mortgage of ours. So, in October we found ourselves selling our big house and moving into a smaller one. Strangely, I have to say, this house has felt like home right from the start. I can't really speak for my husband or kids, but for me... it feels good.

Without further ado, may I present to you, the many reasons why I love my home... drum roll please...

I love my family name welcoming me home everyday. I love my bistro sets on the front porch. They look like they're ready for a warm sunny summer afternoon. We still have our fire pit table in the backyard, but haven't had a chance to use it yet.

I love the occasional appearance of fairies, dragons and gnomes. I had gnomes in our old house too, but I have found that part of making this place feel like home was to renew the gnome presence to fit just right.

I love my Willow Tree figurines that match the time period of the photos in my picture frames. I have done this for a while now, but every time I choose which photos to display, matching them to the figurines makes my heart sing all over again.

I love love love my jars of felted rocks. Each rock was a gift from Ellie and Addie at a time when the only thoughtful thing they had to give me was a pebble from the playground. I had these at our old house, yes, but now they are displayed in an even better place of honor.

I love my living room, with the wall words that say "Life takes you to unexpected places. Love brings you home." I think it fits Michael and I perfectly, with the traveling we love to do, yet it's our home with the girls that means the most. I love my breeze of leaves, street lamp, church windows and, of course, my trunk (soon I'll have my big one back too, but right now it's being fixed up). Oh, and how could I forget? Our house has a heartbeat! I love love love my clock (from Michael's grandpa).

Our new house is smaller than our previous one, but functionally it has every room we need. I love the dining room, and as strange as it sounds, I even like the pretty guest bathroom.

We are making the most of our basement now, and of course the wall going down the stairs displays the cross-stitches of some of the places we've visited. We have an exercise area, that doubles as a home theater. In the back of the room, is our beloved library of books. In the corner sits my grandma's dresser, and on either side of the doors to the guest room, are my cherished stained glass photos. The only thing the basement doesn't have is a bathroom, but we plan to change that soon.

Did I mention the guest room? The furniture is from Michael's grandma. I have been wanting to fix up our guest room to be this nice for years now, but simply never got around to doing so. LOVE it. Where else is Michael going to allow me to have a shrine to the Eiffel Tower, complete with a bowl of heart rocks and a pillow that says "Je T'aime?" It's all about love, baby!

Upstairs, our master bedroom has a subtle cherry blossom theme and parenthood theme. It may not seem like much to you, but I assure you, there are items in this room that I bought to make it just right. Not since our house in Maryland have I given myself a room that is exactly what I want. I even like the view on my way out of our room. It says "Happily Ever After," but is tucked up into a corner, almost so that only Mommy and Daddy take notice of it.

And the girls? They have wonderfully adorable, yet simple, rooms. We didn't have to change the colors but the girls are in love. It's really quite amazing how quickly the rooms can go from being clean to being messy, and back again. Thankfully, they stay clean more often than not.

This house has far less wall space than our previous one, and so we had to be very picky about what we hung (some of our other wall decor treasures are being stored safely under the bed). I love everything in my home, but the thing that I am currently loving the most is our family tree. Michael commissioned this design, originally to be a tattoo for me, but it has become our family symbol. As cheesy as it is, this image has great significance to us. Even the girls know how special it is. Mommy and Daddy are the tree trunks, entwined into one tree. Ellie, born in the spring, is the cherry blossoms. Addie, born in the autumn, is the aspen leaves. As Addie puts it, "That's me on top of Mommy's shoulders and Ellie is on Daddy's shoulders." Perfect.

Who knows how long we will be here and what memories are in store for us. Already this is the house we lived in when Ellie learned how to dive. Chances are Addie will learn how to ride her bike here. But what other memories will be made here? Will this be where Ellie's first date comes to pick her up? Or maybe even where Addie learns how to drive? Ugh. Let's not think of such things. Only time will tell what treasured memories are hidden in these walls.

So where is Home? Home is where your treasures are. Home is where the heart is and my heart is happy here.