Our Tiny House

Five years ago, I moved into the bachelor pad that served as a place for Seth to rest his bones.  That was about it.  There was only baseboard heating - functional in only a couple of rooms, no air conditioning except for a window unit in the bedroom.  He considered the mice that roamed the kitchen and back porch friends.  ..........

I never would have imagined that bachelor pad would feel as much like a home as it does to me now.  It is still tiny.  It still has zero storage.  I still get mad every time my silverware drawer gets jammed when I try to close it....

But, it's our little home.  Seth proposed in the middle of the living room.  We brought Wyatt and then Charlie home here.  We decided to be a family here and now here we are - family.

I have a pretty steady love/hate relationship with this house.  I look around at the clutter that piles up in all corners of the house because I don't have a closet or drawer to stick something in and I loathe the place.  Then I see all of the personality we have added to the house and how cute it is on the outside and I fall in love with it again.

I'm certain this is not our forever house - but I am trying to always feel grateful for this humble little home that is building our family.  We have what we need here - rooms that our boys are comfortable in with comfy beds to rest their heads (nap time in progress here).  We have room for our big dining room table - room for the boys to run through the house and drive Seth and I crazy because we can't get away from the noise... We have what we need.

We had an opportunity present itself to us this winter, to move into a much larger house in town.  We went to see the house - and we were all in love.  I was painting rooms and moving furniture in as we viewed the house.  I was sold.

Then, one day, I came home from the doctor to find Seth outside with both of the boys playing.  It was one of the first nice days of the year - showing winter wasn't going to last forever.  I got home and Seth and I stayed outside chatting while the boys roamed the outside playing. 

The day we decided to stay.

This moment made the decision for us - the beautiful, spacious home in town wasn't for us.  It wasn't here - on our farm.  If I could pick that house up and set it down out here, I would in a heartbeat.  Deciding against moving into that house was one of the harder decisions I've made.  Finally, I could see a future with storage and an office and room for the kids to get away from us and us away from the kids and birthday parties in the basement and a fireplace and an amazing pantry and everything I could want.  But it wasn't here, where we can come out to pester Seth while he's working in the shed and then just run back into the house for snacks or meals or diaper changes. 

I still picture us in that house.  I would have been very sad leaving this home but I know we would have built the new place into our home. 

One day, we will have our forever home.  I'm not sure where it will be.  I have an idea of what it would look like.  I know it will have closets - several.  It's fun to dream about it and build it in my head.  I need to remember to have patience and know that the opportunity will present itself to us at some point.  For now, I will try to remember to be grateful for this sweet little home, that I love and hate.  I know it will be hard to leave.

Faith in God includes faith in His timing.