My older sister is a neat freak. She, her husband, their four children, two bulldogs, two snakes, and two bearded dragons (and whatever frogs, caterpillars, lizards or other wildlife my niece happens to bring home that day) live in military housing. They move every few years and typically end up in 1200 square foot duplexes with little storage space. She is in a constant battle between cleaning up/cleaning out and just enjoying kids being kids. Despite shoes and toys scattered about from time to time, her floors and bathrooms and kitchen are always clean. And yet, she is constantly heard saying, "sorry my house is such a mess."
Years ago I found a little sign for her to hang in her entryway, "excuse the mess, we're busy making memories." I thought it might help her stop apologizing for real life. 'Cause that's what messes are - real life. I now find myself in the same place as her. Erked by the everyday mess a 1 year old, dog, and two busy adults make and never finding the time or budget to realize that perfect vision for a room. It's time to embrace real life.
There is so much not perfect about our dining space - the table that needs to be refinished, the beautiful rug that just doesn't fit in with the rest of the space, the temporary chandelier until we find the perfect know-it-when-you-see-it permanent one, the view of the neighbor's boarded up windows - and yet, it's perfect. I love the way the sun shines across the table in the morning, the way the big windows let the outside in, the way dusk envelopes us as we eat dinner, and the way it says to our friends and family - come, gather, sit, eat. Make memories.
Just before we moved in to Norcross, we found an old wood table at ReStore that was the perfect size and shape for our new dining space. It needed some TLC, but we loved its bones. We thought refinishing and whitewashing it would be one of the first projects we've cross off the 127 item to do list after moving in, but it remains in it's imperfect condition. We've even added some of own memories. Paint from easter egg decorating with my niece and nephews, water rings from the big mason jar Alex likes to drink out of, food stuck in the crack where Davis eats/plays with his food (eww), and bite marks on a leg from Tad or one of his friends. Even one of our perfect new white chairs is showing love. A red scratch that must be from squeezing one of our old red chairs in so a large crowd could gather.
All this is to say, I'll start sharing more of our home. But, excuse the mess, we're busy making memories.
