House Blessings

This morning I came out of my room to the most beautiful sun 

shining through the windows throughout our house. 

Somedays, it's still hard to believe we live in this amazing place. So beautiful. 

A couple days ago a girlfriend came with her kids to visit. 

I hadn't showered yet when she got here, and she told me to 

go ahead because he loves to just sit and enjoy the house. 

I feel the same way. I love to sit in one place and look around at out home. 

I love the house itself, with the walls of windows showing out to the woods 

and the clean line architecture… 

This morning, I decided to take my phone and get some snapshots of my favorite things - 

a list of our house blessings, I guess: 

This is a chair we had custom made for this house. 

I love this chair.

I love that Apple has claimed it for herself (proving she has exquisite taste), 

I love the story Greg made up (while we waited months for this chair to arrive) 

about a little old man with arthritis from distant lands across the sea,

who worked so hard on making this chair, carefully hand stitching each thread...

I think of these things when I see this chair, and I smile. 

We have had this metal box planter forever. Probably 12+ years.

I love it. And I love the plant in it, which we have also had for 

longer than any other plant we own. 

It makes the kitchen sink feel like a visit, not just a dishwashing station. 

My best friend in high school had huge cacti growing 

in their bay window seat. They had been growing them for over a decade.

When I bought these 7 years ago, the tallest one was 4". 

I am always so proud how tall they are now, and all the growing they continue to do. 

They remind me of her and her family, and that I can.

I never knew a specific Bible book would mean more to me than another.

This is the Bible that Greg and I have made our "God place" together of. 

It lays on the dining room table or next to our bed.

We read from it and enjoy the interpretations below the passages.

I'm amazed how far we've come in our marriage, 

and I'm grateful that we both know it's all because of God.

I love our screen room, even though there are still things from 

our winter decor out there as Spring is springing.

I look forward to completing a summer theme and using it in the warmth.

My mom had a thing for bowls, and I have a similar kind of things for pillows.

I love our newest four that are not only beautiful

but fall perfectly together in the coming color scheme of our screen room.

Our red wire basket is so me. 

And I love the white blankie inside of it.

There's something about a sweet place to keep the things we use and love.

Our family plays a lot of board, card, and dice games.

This is the stack of our current faves.

I love that we don't have them hidden away someplace. 

They are just out in the open with a school bin and a lego bucket.

A house well lived in…  

Zeek likes to have his schedule laid out visually for him.

Right now we have May hanging, 

and two of my favorite days are coming up soon!

I enjoy reading this Amish book series. 

It's not about personal growth or homeschooling, parenting, being a wife...

It's just for peace, quiet and pleasure.

Something just for me.

I love that Zeek is old enough to really help me. 

He easily cut this project time in half.

I wanted this in this space for years. 

I remember when I found the barn doors for sale - 

when Sarita, Zeek and I went out to the shop to cut our first piece - 

when I brought home the hooks and put them on - 

when Robert helped me hang it just so.

And I love our bench, the wood floor and rugs,

the yellow door, old bi-fold closet doors, 

and all the light that streams into this wide open entrance way. 

I love being a homeschooling family. 

I love the charts and goals and lists we keep. 

I'm reminded of the dreams we put to rest 

and how much greater it's been to awaken to them in our reality

these past nine years.

I love our Xbox One. 

I love being able to tell my TV what to do with my voice.

I also love the Golf, 

and Greg's favorite blanket, "pink". 

After 4 years, with the exception of a few winters, 

we finally have our mantel "decorated" with things that are so very us. 

I love when I have friends over the night before

and wake up to the remnants of our fun the next day.

I love this rug.

Every time I walk into it I am surprised, as if it's new. 

It's so beautiful and fits my heart just right.

I love that when my husband is down I don't ignore him anymore - 

I'm not annoyed with him - 

I don't try to talk him out of it like he's being lame, the way I used to.

I love that I love him so much I can really hear him -

I find a way to understand his perspective - 

I make it my mission to do everything I can to see him smile again.

I love being in love with this man. 

On Mother's Day Zeek picked his own gift and card out for me. 

He also came in with this flower and these red stones he found in the yard, 

he got out a small vase, filled it with water and presented it to me.

I love it.

I love that we have our own art on display.

I love scentsys. 

The relaxing, the fun of a little something special added, 

the new smells in each room… 

yum! 

I love that this worked,

and that we have window ledges wide enough to support it.

Ralph warms my heart -

when he almost died, I wondered why God ever let him come

 so close to death in the first place, if He was going to save him anyway.

Now, when I walk by him and I not only love him, 

but I know how blessed I am because I almost lost him,

I know exactly why God let it happen like it did.

The same with Zeek.

The same with this house.

The same with Greg and I.

The same with who is coming to be a part of us.

I love these things in our life that have and only could have come straight from His Hands.