become who you are

I've always wanted to be one of those families who lives in the same house our entire lives. I want to raise my kids in a house, get comfortable in one place, grow old in the house my kids were raised in and eventually welcome my grandchildren into that same home sharing story after story of the life we've lived there. Unfortunately, when you're in the ministry life doesn't normally allow this. The Lord can move you at any moment and while moving throws me into a tailspin of anxious feelings and I dread it with all of my being I also know that it comes with the territory. I'm always looking for new ideas and creative ways to connect each of our homes with tradition or even tangible "things" so that home always feels like home. I recently came up with an idea I am very excited about! I love keeping track of my boys height over the years on a wall in our home. I've been tracking their growth in the same place since we moved into this home over 4 years ago. Every time I would see the little dashes, dated and marked with my boys' heights, I would feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I love seeing their growth and feeling nostalgic about our home but sad because I couldn't bare the thought of one day leaving those marks. In a moment of inspiration, though, I decided to put in place a creative idea that would allow me to keep marking my kids growth over the years but still take it with me if and when we ever move. I had seen people attach boards to the wall for just this purpose before and so I did the same. To make it more "me", though, I had Brandon white wash the board and paint a quote down it to dress it up a bit. The quote I chose says "It takes courage to grow up and become who you are." EE Cummings

Now, each time I walk through my kitchen, I only feel happy as I look over and see the little marks showing me how big my boys are getting. And knowing that this growth chart can be a constant, going with us wherever life may take us, brings me a sense of comfort. I love the feeling of home.