Making A Home

Well, we have been into our home for a couple of weeks and I have been running around like crazy trying to make it "ours". A couple of days ago I had to head back to the rental to take back the keys and as I walked through I almost started to cry knowing that it wasn't our home anymore...I couldn't figure it out. I then came back through the door of my new beautiful home and realized that while I am not blind, I can see how wonderful it is, it isn't home just yet...I am beginning to see what turns a house into a home and I thought I would share what I have learned...
#1 Homes need experiences...Let me tell you how how I knew this one...Thursday night in the middle of the night Jamen came in and calmly said he hit his head on the wall. I hugged him and told him to go back to sleep. A couple of seconds later he started running up and down the stairs and around our fireplace. I assumed he was sleep running (he does that) and asked Lyndon to wake him and take him to bed. Lyndon brought him in and turned on the light (it was 1 in the morning). When I looked up I see my little boy completely covered in blood...he had bumped it somewhere (we can't tell where the blood was everywhere) and when he felt the wet in his eyes he looked in the mirror where it was shooting out of his head into the mirror and he got scared and started running....We were lucky this round because they were able to glue it instead of stitiching it...Seeing your home lit up when you come home in the middle of the night from the ER gives you that home feeling.
#2 Homes need to have stuff that represents who you are as a family. I didn't want to put anything on the walls, I wanted everything neat clean and perfect. That lasted for a couple of days and then I started feeling like I was living in a pretty hotel. So I began hanging the things I love and bought a painting that I have always wanted and that means everything to us as a family. I hung it above my mantle, isn't it beautiful?
#3 Homes need dings, nicks and messes. Yes, you heard it from me who loves order.
#4 Homes need time. It takes time to be able to walk around in the dark without looking. It takes time to know which switches turn on what lights. We're getting there.
#5 Homes need gatherings. Jamen was baptzied today. My beautiful boy and his special day meant a whole house of family.
Anyway, I am finding what it means to have a home not just a house. I am grateful to have this place becoming our home. I really do live in paradise. I sat on my porch last night while everyone was asleep just thanking God he brought me here, and I know if we involve him this will be home before we know it.