Home Sweet Home

I love houses. I used to take walks in our old neighborhood and would smile each time I passed by one particular house. The house had a red door with their last name painted in beautiful script across the bottom.  It looked so cozy and comfortable and seemed to beckon to everyone that passed by.  I used to wish that the owner would come outside and say, "Why don't you come in and I'll show you around?"

This wasn't the house I used to walk by, but it has the same quality. (courtesy Pinterest)

 It fascinates me how people can create such a welcoming atmosphere with their exteriors and interiors. I'm one of those ladies that really does love to hear what paint color you used and why you happened to choose it. I love seeing pieces of furniture you have redone and the names of all your landscaping plants - which is probably why I enjoy reading home decorating blogs so much!

Doesn't this say, "Welcome!" (courtesy Pinterest via BHG)

I have a sort of strange side, too. At times when we've been driving down a less than desirable part of downtown Des Moines, I've spotted homes in disrepair. Or I've seen dingy looking apartment buildings with no yard at all for the kids there to play in and thought the same thing each time...what if we had to live somewhere like that? I've thought about that many times over the years along with, "What could I do to make it a home?"

I've even had conversations with the kids that happened to be with me on days like that ... "See that house? A person could make a home there if they were willing to clean it, paint it, and plant some flowers." They look at me a little strangely, but I think they are used to me talking about homes enough to know that this is part of their mom's creative (and maybe a little odd) imagination.

A home is really where we are all together whether it be a beautiful home or a place where things are lacking a bit in the beautiful department.

Wherever we are living, there can be joy.

courtesy Pinterest

Our kids have wonderful memories of living at Teen Challenge. We didn't have an expensive home, but it was home. I think people were usually surprised when they stepped inside. It didn't look like a lot on the outside, but on the inside, it was lovely (at least we thought so:) Even after we moved to a new house in a nearby town, our older kids still missed our old place there. I think they would have moved back given the chance.

I don't know if you've ever looked at a place and thought about how you could make it a home, or if you're living in a place now where you are working to create a place of beauty for your family. But isn't it good to know that wherever we are, we can create a haven for our family that isn't dependent on outward appearances? Within our four walls, wherever we are living, we can make memories with our children that will last a lifetime.