To Make a House a Home: A Tribute.

Early in the Spring this year I can remember fervently petitioning help from the Lord to move into a different house. One that would fit our family's needs. At that time we had 2 extra people that we loved dearly living with us and another staying half time, making our small home full with 3 small children and 5 adults coming in and out of the house and needing make shift sleeping arrangments at night. And, at the time we were possibly going to add another, my 17 year old sister, making a total of 9 people in our 3 bedroom house.

If anyone loves a party it's Jess and I, not only were we having fun but, it's fun to be helpful. At the same time our house started to feel like it was magically shrinking. Being disorganized by nature, these circumstances weren't helping me win the war.

I assumed if I was patient, the Lord would provide a miracle and our small house stuffed with a basketball team of people would sell even in a dead market, and we would end up with a roomier home for our family. As per usual, my plan was different than the Lords and I'm so glad it was.

Skip ahead to today, I sat down in our almost finished basement, watching the kids 'Backagon Doggy Show' (right), and felt overwhelmed with joy. Looking back I see how we got here, how a home that started out wrong in so many ways, became just right for our family. Had we of moved at that time we would have left the most wonderful ward we've ever been apart of, we wouldn't be living next door to one of my dearest friends, and we would have left a home that meets the needs of our unique family so well. As I reflect I realize I have fallen in love with all the houses I have lived in, it just takes awhile to make it Home.

Our first married Home was in Huntington Beach, California. It was just like a little cottage enchanted with magic and just a block from the beach, we lived there for our first 3 years, and it's the house I brought my first little baby, Kyanne, home to.

Our second home, and the first one we owned was in Raymond, Alberta, Canada. And, there we got to have a beautiful yard, another new sweet9 baby, Bridge, and could walk to grandma's house. It's the home Bridgey was blessed in, by his dad, grandpa Larsen, and Great Grandpa Bridge, who he's named after.

And, now our sweet home in Calgary. We've been so blessed. Every time I leave one of our homes I cry, and I know when we out grow this home in a few years I will cry again. Homes are sentimental places, that's why I wanted to write this post, as a tribute to these physical dwellings that have provided such wonderful comfort, refuge and joy.