What makes a house a home?

This is our 7th house we've lived in over our 19 years of marriage. I just laugh when I think about this journey we've had with our many houses starting with the 1st one in B'ville! which was actually a rental. Thank God for Gramma Ann and Miss Peg who shipped boxes of decorations to us and then showed up for 3 days of whirlwind transformation. They were like Fairy Godmothers magically appearing to turn our cold, dreary 2 story raised ranch into a cozy, comfortable home. We had very little furniture-  a butcher block table from Gramma and Grandad Joe - a bedroom set from PaPa Russo, a Waverly print couch we bought when we got married. We unpacked many boxes including those shipped by bus to reveal pieces that became a beautiful green armoire. That armoire was our primary piece of furniture in our family room. It took on many different lives in our next houses... it became a living room piece in our 3rd home in New Hampshire and then a tv chest for our Master BR in California, to the basement in St. Louis, to the guest room in The Woodlands and now sits charmingly in Catherine's sweet pink and yellow room.

as I try yet again to transform this new house into a "home", I think about the green armoire. The green armoire has history, it has a story and when we see it ~ it brings us back to many many memories and fills the space in a way that an ordinary new piece of furniture can't do. What makes a house a home is making it a place that has unique and special meaning for our family. Our front hallway has a canvass picture of Christopher and Catherine at 3 and 6 and every time I see it I smile. I think about how Catherine cried and Christopher was so sweet and tried to make his baby sister smile for the pictures. I think of how we were running late and Lisa gave me a crystal barrette at the last minute for Catherine's hair and how beautiful the Strausburg dress we borrowed from Jenn looks on our baby girl. Our dining room has "The famous Armoire" ~ that I bought with Miss Peg in Chicago when we lived in St. Louis. In the hallway are 2 very special pictures that my mom and dad received from my Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw when they were married and I got them when I was married. There is a beautiful maple hope chest in Cat's room from Grandma K, and a maple table converted to a desk in our guest bedroom that was Grandma File's kitchen table, many treasured gifts -the "Cafe Kasparek" canvas - from Mark and Shawn,  a wooden bowl on the kitchen table- from Jennifer, our china hutch filled with crystal from years at Anheuser-Busch... my kitchen desk with flower pots painted by Christopher and Catherine each in Kindergarten... and on and on!

so my house may not ever be finished... there will probably always be a "wish list" .... but this I know... there is history in the "things" that fill this home, there is great joy in the memories remembered with the many collected items throughout our home, and making a house a home is just as much about what we do while we're here than what we fill it with! Because it really is true that "home is where the heart is!!" and my heart is here with my family!

Two very different children

Jon and I are so very different in many ways and completely alike in other areas ~ and our kids are completely the same. I was thinking about this today after a typical Saturday at home. Jon left the house early for a round of golf. It didn't bother him one bit to get up at the crack of dawn (6:00 am) to get ready to get out on the course. (yuck! dreadful) I was fast asleep until 8:30 when Cat came to "snuggle" with me in my bed. I love sleep! and I hate getting up early for anything!!  I had a ton of little house projects to get done and by 10 am I had started the laundry, made breakfast for everyone, cleaned the kitchen, had my coffee - visited with Heather on the phone, organized 2 drawers in the laundry room and made a long "to-do" list for the day. and nothing made me happier than having my music on throughout the house, plugging away at my day and getting things done.

Our little mirror images had the same kind of day. Catherine scurried upstairs after breakfast to get herself dressed, fixed her hair, came down and picked up her Friday night palette she had made with about 10 blankets and pillows, and went upstairs to clean her room. Then she played on the driveway for awhile - singing to herself, jumping rope, hula-hooping, sidewalk chalk ... and on and on. (i've had no greater joy than many many moments of watching her "on the driveway" since she was about 4 years old.. entertaining herself!) She had to do her school reading - so she came in - brought all her babies downstairs to read to them and then set off on her bike to play with friends (constant motion.... ). Where was Christopher all this time? - in his pajamas - completely relaxed - watching some Egyptian movie and then headed to the Lego room for building. It never occurred to him to "be bored" or move from one activity to the next or be restless and ask "what are we doing today?" He was content.

It really made me think and remind myself. We are all different! What motivates me and makes me happy - is completely different for other people. If I have free time - I can't wait to work on my scrapbooks, read cookbooks, watch cooking shows, read one of my many bedside reading books (usually parenting related! or bible study) The idea of just sitting still and "relaxing" for hours - gives me anxiety. I feel like I am "wasting" time! Yet, Christopher teaches me that there is true peace in being focused and content with what's in front of you.

We have to look no further than our own family to learn all we need to learn about ourselves!

"Texas Snow Day" at home

okay so we had work and school cancelled today for weather conditions. There didn't actually end up being any SNOW... but it was really cold outside. So we decided we would stay in our pj's all day, light the fire and have a relaxing day. Cat got set up with all the dolls and stuffed animals and pillows and blankets... (quite a production!) and Christopher retreated to the Lego Room for hours! I made a big pot of chili and Jon worked in the office organizing files (the least exciting activity of the day!). I wouldn't want to have cold weather all the time.. but it was nice to take advantage of it inside today!

At Home Spa Day!

What could be better than an "At Home Spa Day" with Catherine. We set up our pedicure station complete with our foot spa tub (thanks MawMaw!) and all of our nail polish selections and tools. We had our comfy robes and slippers set out, background music, dimmed lighting with candles lit. Of course with Catherine - Spa Day wouldn't be nearly as much fun if we didn't put on the full act. We hang our Spa Sign on my bathroom door and one of us is the customer and the other the owner. My treatment tonight included a full pedicure with polish and foot and leg massage, a hand and arm massage with lotion, a neck massage, a full hair brushing with a hair styling included, and a face lotion application. While the treatment was taking place, I was presented with my favorite magazine and refreshments! Seriously - what could be more FUN!!

Memory Making Madness

Saturday, January 29, 2011

About 3 years ago, my dear friend Sally introduced me to the world of Scrapbooking! She invited me to a weekend Crop. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up. Scrapbooking is serious business. I was immediately hooked in by the endless choices of patterned papers and stickers and embelishments... but more than anything - I was drawn to the idea of "capturing memories". The women I've met in the "scrapping world" are devoted to their families.. to building something of value - day by day. I've been at it now for 3 years and honestly - it's a slow process when you first get started and expensive!! and for me- I am truly addicted to the beautiful papers and tools and accessories. In the beginning, I spent several weekends just getting my backlog years of digital and non-digital photos organized. But, now I am finally caught up and I have begun the process of building 2 books - one for Christopher and one for Catherine. My favorite part of the process is the journaling. With every page layout - you can add you own memory of that picture. I started Catherine's book with her first "school days" - PreK 3 at age 3 & 4. Just sifting through the photos and coordinating each page is such a joyful experience because you re-live each memory everytime you see the photos.
So today, I went to a Quarterly -ALL Day Crop at our church called Memory Making Madness. I got there at 8am, along with about 100 other women, with totes and scrapbooking equiptment and laptops and all of my scrapping materials and picked a spot to work. I worked on my books until 8 pm and loved every minute of it. It's a day filled with fun as you sit with friends sharing ideas about pics, sharing stories about your family and knowing that what you are putting together will be cherished by your family for years to come.
Thanks for getting me hooked in Sally! I'm loving it!