Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Home Is Where The Heart Is {#TuesdayTen}

After raising 5 kids in the same house for over 30 years, my in laws decided to down size about 5 years ago. When they did, David and I bought the family home from them and moved our family in. If his parents hadn't moved, we wouldn't have either. We weren't house shopping at the time and, if we had been house shopping on our own, this house honestly isn't one I would have chosen. 

It was built in the 70's and some parts of it are still stuck there. Some aspects of the floor plan are also not quite to my liking. When we moved in, we had grand plans for some renovations, but remodeling is time consuming and expensive! Therefore, changes have not occurred as quickly as I wish they had. 

With a lot of things in life, though, I think we tend to focus on the negatives. I am certainly guilty of that when it comes to our house. I sometimes forget that there is also plenty to love about the place where I live. So, since the topic for today's Tuesday Ten is "Ten Things I Love About Where I Live," I'm taking the opportunity to focus on the positives! Here are 10 things I love about our house:
  • Lots of space indoors - My kids like to watch Family Feud (although the survey questions occasionally make me cringe!). Recently, one of the questions asked contestants to name something they disliked about their home. The #1 answer was "It's too small!" I don't have to complain about that because we have plenty of space. Each kid has her own room and, basically, her own bathroom. We have a couple different living spaces, too.
  • Lots of space outdoors - We live on 10 acres (15 if you include my in-laws' lot that is behind us). There are wooded areas to explore, a large driveway for bike riding, and a creek. We often have special visitors, too! 
  • We have a pool - When we first moved here, I didn't see this as an advantage. With little kids, it terrified me and pool maintenance is no joke either! However, I have come to love that fact that, on a hot summer day, I can just head out back and let the kids jump in. It also makes our house a great "hang out house" for friends - the kids' and ours! 
  • I have two pantries - Someone once told me that you will fill all the space you have - the more space you have to fill, the more stuff you seem to acquire to fill it! That is true of our pantries. They, of course, are full of food, but they are also where I store way too much tupperware, some miscellaneous kitchen gadgets, and a ginormous trash can.
  • We have a playroom - Many years ago, the garage was converted into a "rec room." Now that the kids are older, I would love to convert it back to a garage, but when they were younger it was absolutely awesome to let them go in there, make a giant mess, and, then, just close the door when we didn't feel like cleaning it up!
  • The kids have their own rooms - I alluded to this in the first one. At our former house, our two oldest shared a room like many kids do when the third was born. It worked, but required bunk beds and lots of conflict negotiation. I'm glad that, now, they each have their own space.
  • Family is close by - Having your in laws as neighbors could be a sticky situation for some, but I get along great with my in-laws. They frequently help me out with baby-sitting and getting the kids to a million different places. My parents are just a couple hours away as well. When we just had two kiddos, we lived in another state for a while. I really missed having family close to us and I'm glad that, today, they are right in my backyard (literally & figuratively!). 
  • That's only seven, but the rest of my list can be summed up in these pictures:
Big or small, modern or French Country - it doesn't matter. Home is where the heart is and these faces are the ones that fill my heart with love. My home is wherever they are. It's where we make memories together and where we are all loved beyond measure. They are what I love most about where I live! 

What do you like about your house? What would you like to change? 
Your Tuesday Ten hostesses are:

TheLiebers


The Teacher Wife
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Come link up again next Tuesday, July 14. It's National Nude Day, so we'll be sharing 10 things we love/hate about our bodies! (Yikes!) Get creative! (But, no nude photos, o.k.?)
The Golden Spoons



10 comments:

Janine Huldie said...

I love the reasons you love your house and not going to lie jealous of that gorgeous pool!! :)

Valerie @ Momma in Progress said...

Our last house had a play room with a door and it was glorious. We have a separate play room in our current home, but it's where the dining room was meant to be and an open floor plan, so . . . it's a little more obvious. But, with the kids the ages they are, space to put all that stuff is key for us.

MamaRabia said...

I'm just getting the basement cleared out enough that the kids can play down there. They love it! And you're right, it's so nice to be able to just shut the door on things when they get messy!

Ginnymarie said...

I would love to live on 10 acres! Wow! And I've also always wanted a playroom for the girls. It would be nice to have a place for all their toys!

Stacey Gannett said...

Wow, 10 acres! I would love to have that much land, but I would for sure have to have a working riding mower! LOL! And a pool would be fabulous! I definitely agree that my home is definitely with my hubby and kids, too. It is always a benefit when we get along with the in-laws, I am even blessed to have a great relationship with my ex-in-laws. Have a great week!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

There is plenty I would still like to change, but I have to admit the pool is awesome!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

Yes - have to have a space for all the kids stuff, but having a door to hide it is great!

Lisa @ The Golden Spoons said...

So nice, isn't it? Now, if I could just keep all their bedroom doors closed all the time, too, I'd be in business! :-)

Tamara Bowman said...

Wow, that's a lot of acres!! We have four and it seems endless at times.
Also, the every kid having a bedroom/bathroom is so key with three girls. I grew up like that too!
It sounds like a very special place and it looks like it too in the photos.

Dana said...

I almost joined in this week, with 10 things I love about living in the US, but jet lag took over. But I loved reading yours, and I agree that we need to take time to focus on the positives. I love our home - it isn't my dream home, but it is a home that Matt and I created together. My favorite part is my kitchen!

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