Wonder-Full Wednesday: Home

Since we are smack dab in the middle of moving, I can surely tell you the things I am not grateful for (boxes, a sea of paper, not being able to find things, etc.)

What I am grateful for this week revolves around the idea of home. More than just the platitude of “home is where your heart is” (or where the Navy sends you), home is, or ideally should be, a place of peace and relaxation – that “ahhhh” feeling. Granted, with 2 and 4 year olds, that “relaxation/ahhh” feeling is probably more in my dreams than in reality, but you get my point.

While I’m all for making the best out of any housing situation, I am especially grateful for our new little base house. It’s clean (a must for this OCD curly mama!), it has a GIANT kitchen with lots of space to chop, cook, and prep wonderful food to nourish my family, beautiful tile flooring and a place for me to read and write. Does it make me a shallow person that I truly identify with Oprah’s statement that your home should “rise up to greet you”? There is something that resonates with living in a pretty space. I can look out my windows and see (albeit a sliver) of ocean in two directions, as well as the currently snow-capped Olympic mountains to the west, and the Cascades to the east. It really is stunning. (And randomly, it gets only 22 inches of rain per year vs. 37 inches in Seattle!) Still grey and windy – but I’ll take it!

I am grateful for the responses of my kidlets when I asked them if they were glad we moved to “our new house”. They emphatically cheered that they loved the new playground! (It’s like 5 playgrounds in 1! It’s HUGE!)

I am grateful for the running trail I’m itching to get going on.

I am grateful for the cute little back yard. (Yes, I will still enjoy my mowing stripes!) There is room for the swing set as well as running around getting sillies out!

I am grateful all the little things like spacious closets (to hold all 4 of my husband’s bowling balls that he insists he needs), big picture windows, large bedrooms, and a garage that will fit both cars.

For all of these superficial, physical things I am very grateful. Because of these, there is a space to play, to create, to dream, and to grow. This space will help me nurture and love my kids well. This space will be home to our family.

At least until the Navy tells us it’s time to move on….