Home

Oooh, this mini book project has me so happy! If you haven't checked out House of 3, where I got the printables for this and other projects, GO THERE! Seriously cute stuff and tonnes of inspiration, too.

Anyhoo - for this project, I used the theme of "What makes a House a Home?". It surprised me how much time I had to take to really think about what does make MY house a home. Once I finally decided on a few things (I could never include EVERYTHING) I promptly put them into this fun album - and NOW I'll be sharing it with you! So, welcome to my home!
Of course, the most obvious thing that makes a house a home, is the HOUSE! So, I included a few snapshots of our house. Fun.
So, the things that make our house a home are:

1. Love - isn't that how a home really begins? From my childhood, through my teenage years, during my courtship, and all throughout my marriage I've been surrounded by HUGE amounts of love. It amazes me what love can create, where it can take you.
2. Family - I would find it hard to feel at home anywhere unless I was surrounded by family. My husband and girls are so important to me, but I also have scads of extended family members who I love dearly and who have helped to shape my life and the lives of my children. It seems that anywhere they are, feels like home - even if it's a beach in B.C., at a wedding in Cardston, or at the zoo in Calgary - I feel at home when I'm surrounded by family. I hope to be surrounded by family all my days.
3. Laughter - What can I say? If I walked into our house and didn't hear peals of laughter, I'd assume I had walked into the wrong place! Our house is often filled with laughter and I WISH I could say that laughter was caused by me, but most of the time it's caused by my husband and my girls. They are stinkin' hilarious! Anyone who knows my husband well knows how flippin' funny he is. He lays out these one liners that keep me in stitches. It was a HUGE part of why I fell in love with him in the first place. He can lighten the mood, even when it's been 'one of those days' and I HOPE the girls carry that humor with them throughout their lives. It makes a HUGE difference, and our house wouldn't a home without humor and laughter!

4. Service - Contemplating what made our house feel like home, it occured to me how large a role service plays in our household. We serve faithfully in our Church callings, which at times are fairly heavy ones. We love to serve the Lord and make it a point to show our children the joy on our faces as we serve. It's easier said than done sometimes, but we really want our girls to desire to serve the Lord, and others. Our daughters also couldn't ask for a better example of service in their lives than their father. He moves me to tears with his generosity, care, and concern for others. He doesn't even think about it. I'm not sure if I was functioning at my very best, if I'd ever hold a candle to him. Truly. He is a marvelous example of Christlike service and I am blessed that I am more often than not, the recipient of his acts of service.

5. Faith - If you've read my blog for more than, oh, five minutes, you might already know that my faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, plays a huge role in our home. It affects what we say, how we spend our time, the choices we make - essentially every thing in our lives. It is our moral compass and our faith has gotten us much farther than we could have gone on our own, it has made us more loving, more forgiving, more humble, more grateful- and it has filled our home with a sense of love and peace that really defines our home.
6. Time - Time spent together is a big part of what makes our house a home. With our hectic schedules, time has become a precious thing, and it is best spent together! "Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them" - Richard L. Evans

7. Traditions - Our home is filled with many meaningful and sometimes uselessly fun traditions. I won't list them all, but the traditions I grew up with and now we do with our children REALLY help me feel a spirit of "home" that could perhaps not be felt in any other way. It warms my heart to see traditions being passed on through generations and it definitely makes our house a home!
8. Order - Our house strives to be one of order, and again, it wouldn't be our home if it was any other way! We have house rules that we follow and find joy in having a house of order!

And finally...

9. Roots - "Home is where one starts from" T.S. Elliot I wouldn't exist without roots. It's what has made me who I am, who my husband is, and now who our children are. We want to remember our heritage and honor it, cherish it, and draw upon it.


So, there you have it! It was SUCH a fun journey to discover what uniquely makes our house into a home. In the end I realized that with or without the house - we'd have a home together.