Preparing for Family

As I prepare our home for the holiday season, I find myself anticipating the looks on the kids’ faces as they step into the house.  I’ve tried to make every room welcoming and I place little surprises around for them to find.  They could be reminders of holidays past or something I found on our travels that will bring a smile to their hearts. I move things around often, just to keep the house alive and “homey.”

Recently, one of them told me they feel like they finally have a “home.”  The same one that, as much as we all loved spending time with friends, would innocently look at me on a random Saturday morning and say, “Can it just be our family today?”  And we would circle the wagons for a while.

 

Funny thing about this life is that, as our family grows, “just our family” includes new people like A Sweet Thing, Little Bit, and others that may join our crew.  This family started with two imperfect people, some audacious dreams, and barely two pennies to scrape together and make a fire. The growth has been amazing, adventurous, and sometimes alarming. Because hearts and homes tend to grow when love fills them.

So, as the air cools off and the nights get longer, I’m decorating our home with our family in mind.  Because, truth be told, my heart, too, is refreshed when, sometimes, it’s “just our family today.”