Home

This is the first summer we've been in a house. For the better part of our marriage we haven't been settled. We started off in an apartment, then moved into our first house, only to leave it 6 months later. Then we lived with my mom, who graciously opened her house to us.

In nearly 4 years of marriage, we haven't had home. I think this is the first time that N and I realized it.

It's also the first time in nearly 4 years that we are both putting time, energy, blood, sweat and tears into our home. It's a place we can see us being in for some time.

Which is why the weekends are so crammed with to-do lists.

Last weekend we made the rookie mistake of saving all our errands and big, to-do list items until Sunday. The exhaustion haunted us all week.

We vowed that this weekend would be different. And it was. We spent our Saturday outside, working hard.

N looked like this Saturday evening.

I can assure you, it looks like a professional installed our new storm door. It is beyond beautiful. Both N and I stare at it. Zoe kisses the glass.

In addition to new doors, we also created a small BBQ area and I planted and planted and planted. Why so much planting? Because I have a little helper who likes to pull up the flowers after I've planted them. We made some memories.

Here is our backyard. Or what we like to refer to as "the sanctuary of our home."

My favorite part of my garden is the sign that Zoe and my mom made for me. Zoe did most of the painting. In each little flower is a picture of one of my girls. It makes my heart smile every time I see it.

Next weekend's to-do list includes Zoe's play area. We're going to pull up the concrete edging and lay sod down. Then we'll assemble her slide and put her water table over there. I'm really hoping the slide distracts her long enough my flowers have the opportunity to form roots.

After all the hard work, it's only natural that we have a picnic in the backyard.

I'm not sure what makes our house feel the most like a home. The fact that we have a little one running around or the fact that I regularly see my two favorite people bonding.