The Nester
About the Author

Myquillyn Smith, The Nester, is a home stager, redesigner and design school drop-out. Her last home (a rental) was featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Cottages & Bungalows, Ladies' Home Journal and in her upcoming design philosphy book, The Nesting Place: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful....

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. I love how fast my house can be cleaned and my new blinds. Do to a job relocation we sold our home of 14 years that we loved. A 150 year old 2000 sq ft house with big rooms and lots of storage. We moved into a less than 1000 sq ft house with no storage. It has been an adjustment. It can be cleaned from top to bottom in no time and after 2 years I decided it was time to call it home so I finally bought blinds for the windows.

    • I love that my best friend (my husband) lives there and that with our latest move, our house is close to all our children and grandchildren.

      • My wonderful husband, and Ilive in an assisted living facility. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel anything like a real home to us. Ultimately, I’d have to say that the only thing …that somewhat makes it home-like is that we have a leopard gecko as a pet. .”Real homes are filled with meaningful beauty, messes and imperfections. Real homes are approachable. And as much as I hate to admit it, imperfections actually play a role in our homes and in our lives.”!The Nesters
        What a wonderful thought! A home isn’t about the physical structure that you may live in. I ♥ just how much love my husband and I have for one another. Although we both have disabilities, we still care so much about one another. Nevertheless, God has brought us together to fill the lonely and empty gaps each of us obviously had buried in our hearts.

        • I love my home because it holds many, many years of memories. Our home is simple and shows signs of wear. I choose to look at the imperfections as reminders of life well lived in our humble abode. My home is a home because of the family that abides there and friends who frequent. Our home’s name is “Refuge”.

  2. I love that my Grandma reminded me when we bought our home to use it for God; to open it up to everyone and that’s what we’ve done. In our home, we are able to gather our family and friends every year for each one of our girls’ birthday parties. We have New Year’s Eve gatherings. We have heart-to-hearts. Our home is where we live. It’s far from perfect but it’s welcoming and I’m grateful for it.

  3. I love how close we are to everything we need to get to on a regular basis. We are very conveniently located to the library–only 3 minutes away (!!!) and various other places we frequent. As much as I’ve hungered to move out from the burbs, I’m thankful that for now, everything is quite close.

  4. The big backyard where my kids can dance and sing their hearts out, my husband can play, and I can garden. It was an amazing find so close to the city.

  5. I love the memories in my house. Very small less than 1000 sq. ft. But 33 years 4 kids and lots of love sweat and tears still here.

  6. My kitchen is the biggest surprise. It is a small galley kitchen and I thought it needed a major overall when we bought the house less then a year ago. I have come to embrace it and realize that I like the layout.

  7. I love that this is where our memories are being made, we might be far away from family but we are building our own here, and that means a lot.

  8. My big, bright yellow kitchen is my favorite place because of the light and it’s where our table is located. We gather around that table and magic happens. Thanks for the chance!

  9. I love that my husband designed our house before we were married. It’s open and inviting! It has provided a place to rest as well as a place to welcome and bless! The peace of my home is such a blessing! Our neighborhood is so calm and peaceful that sometimes you feel line your at a retreat! The blank canvas of being the first owners has been exciting and fun!

  10. I love the porch my husband built for us…perfect for dinners outside, lounging, gathering and making memories.

  11. I love my home because it is where my family lives – it is much too small now and over crowded but it is where we all love to be. I am so thankful for what God has given me.
    Thanks

  12. We bought a fixer upper just over a year ago. We are still working at it…and one of the things I’m loving about it is that even in the midst of unfinished trim, unfinished closets, unfinished bathrooms, and oh the list goes on… we have hung pictures on the walls and it feels like our home.

  13. I really appreciated this. We move every few years with the military, so I definitely relate to the feeling of never being in our dream house. Just the same, so many memories are being made right here and right now. It’s definitely important to not miss out on that. I’m really looking forward to this book! I think my favorite things about our house right now are the wood floors in the living room and master bedroom and actually having a dining room! It’s an old house with many imperfections, but there’s definitetely much to love!

  14. I love that there is an extra kitchen in my house for crafting and homeschooling. It may be dark and straight out of the fifties. But the cabinets are perfect for our school books and fabric. There is a counter just the right height for cutting out quilts. There is a table for working at and a sink for rinsing out paint brushes. It is just what we need for this season of life.

  15. My husband and I rent an apartment in Izmir, Turkey. Everyone hereI love mine lives in apartments, no houses to be had. I love our apartment for the large living room it has, perfect for having company and for giving parties.

  16. We call our rental Son flower, because this is where God has given our family shelter. We didn’t know where to go and God led us here. What the house lack, my children have shown me what God can provide. The uneven yard is great for sledding and pretending. The slanted floors are great for marble rolling. Weird closets have become great hiding places for when then play hide-n-go-snipe. Watching my four little ones tumbling around this house have reminded me that I love most that they are safe and sheltered here.

  17. Our house has been in the family since 1927 {we’re third generation owners} it’s been the only place my husband has ever lived, we’ve raise three children here and there are so many memories that this place holds… we are blessed to have this country property to call home!

  18. I LOVE that the ladder from my bed goes into the kitchen…the bed is built in to the apartment…they intend for the ladder to go into the middle of the room, but doing it a little differently and putting it into the kitchen has been amazingly functional and more visually pleasing for me and I LOVE it 🙂

  19. I love so much about our humble home. I bought it as a single mom through God’s guiding hand. Quickly met my hubby, got married, & spent years raising kids, hosting events, studies & fellowship of many kinds. We thought we’d sell & move-up a few times. 17 years later, I’m still here and thankful it is not that big. Thankful for the memories, the location, the half acre yard. Thankful that God has allowed us to use this home to bless many for years, despite the size.

  20. I love that my kids have never lived anywhere else and believe it to be perfect, even when I may not.

  21. The home God has given us is such a gift…an oasis in the middle of the demands and challenges of urban life and ministry that God has called our family to. However, it is a fixer-upper, in need of work here and there…and it’s so easy for me to slip into the mind set of seeing everything wrong instead of enjoying what I have. At the same time, I enjoy decorating, gardening and all of those other activities that can be used to personalize a house and make it “homey”…and would love more inspiration, especially on how to do it on a limited budget.

  22. I love that we were able to build our house on land that was my husband’s grandmother’s land. He loved her dearly, and this property has so many memories for him and now we get to use it to make memories with our 3 children.

  23. I love that it took us 17 years of marriage to buy our first house. We only bought what we could reasonably afford- not what everyone told us we could afford. We are not house-poor. We rented all those years and kept the houses like we owned them always knowing God would give us more if we took care of what He gave us along the way. We were rewarded with our own house in a quiet neighborhood in a beautiful area. It was worth the wait. We just finished our first renovation – paid for in cash because we waited 4 years to do it:) God is so good!

  24. I love that my dining room is the biggest room in my house…. the biggest place to eat and be merry!! 🙂

  25. I’m just kind of in a world of contradiction within myself. I knew exactly what I was going to do after high school…finish college, sell all (there wasn’t much to sell…probably would have given it away), and go somewhere that resembled a place Mother Theresa would have served. Then, I met my man; he has loved me like Jesus! Then we had one, two, three, four, and five children. And we don’t live on much but we live here in “rich” America where I’m not envying the “wicked rich” (as Proverbs warns against); no, it’s the other Christian. I either want to sell all – still – and go live like those Christians, or I want to have the nice whatever that those Christians have. The thing is, I know the deceit and destructiveness of envy and jealousy and discontentment; I’ve seen it cause friends and family members self-destruct. And it has never been in the homes of people that “had it all” or had everything perfect that made me feel most welcome. It has been in homes that were full of love, that were real, that were just seeping with Christ – be that in a well-groomed home or a “rustic” home, a large home or a cracker box house…and in the end, that’s what I want my home to be made up of…Christ’s presence!
    What I love about my home is how it is like my favorite quilt…pretty, unique, kinda tattered, patched up here in this spot, “right on” here in this one, a bit of a mess at one end, and a piece of beauty when it’s being used for its intended purpose…to snuggle with my family.

  26. I have old 50’s paneling. Its a dark heavy wood type and I’ve actually become attached to it and the nostalgia of being connected to its past despite its not being ‘in vogue.’

  27. I love that God continually redeems my little home out of foreclosure….again and again. While I have stayed at home to raise and school our children, my husband continues to seek employment to provide for us. For five years our house has gone in and out of foreclosure. At first I just freaked out and began packing up boxes and hopes and dreams. I quit making my home beautiful just waiting for our Exodus. I spent many days worried and fretting. Fast forward to today. My husband is now unemployed and we may again miss mortgage payments BUT I am deep at work creating and designing spaces in my home because I realize it is not about the “home’ but about the gift he has put inside me to create wherever I am-with whatever I have-so I can show His redemption in all of life’s problems to others.

    • Love this, Kerry! Thank you for sharing your sweet testimony. It was an encouragement to me. May God bless you!

  28. I love how my house reminds me of how design (like a marriage) is full of compromise. I moved into the home my husband owned when we were married 3 years ago. Working with what he had already chosen to make the home “his” we have had quite a journey in finding ways to make it more “ours” for the past 3 years. And our journey is faaaaar from over. We are currently tackling a basement makeover together (we started yesterday) and there have already been a few tears shed over differences in opinion (all his tears, not mine) 😉

    Ever since in(RL) on Saturday I’ve had something stirring in my heart. I think God may be calling me to combine my love of design with assisting in refugee resettlement programs. Finding creative ways to work with what you’ve got in creating a home that will allow people who are so far from their geographical home to feel comfortable during their time in our country? Yea, this seems right up my alley. I certainly am praying to see how God unfolds this one!

      • Wow is right! Love that the Lord has placed this vision on your heart. Can’t wait to hear/see what He will do with that vision. Bless you for being so open to His leading. May He honor your desire to serve Him in this way~

  29. I love my sunroom that looks over my backyard. It is relaxing and I am treated to deer prancing through the yard!

  30. I love our home, it is like a treehouse perched on a hill in the woods surrounded by birdsong!

  31. I love that our new home is right in the middle of a tossed salad of races and ethnicities. I love that our neighbors are Cambodian, Burmese, Mexican and African American. And our kids play together. I am thankful that this house has enough bedrooms and bathrooms for our 6 kids to fit well. When God called us out of our familiar ministry and community, we were scared and not sure what to expect. But, this is beginning to feel like home!

  32. As a young mother I did the whole comparison thing. Being a single mom, I didn’t have the extra to live in a home furnished like the latest magazine. In fact, I have always remembered when my daughters friend came for a sleepover and asked ” where all our pictures were”? I can remember feeling like a failure and wondering if my daughter was embarrassed. Now, as a grandmother I find the little things are the most beautiful part of my home. The notes on the fridge the grandchildren have given me. They love that I have kept them there and often point them out to me again. The pictures and objects we’ve painted together are so much more meaningful than any picture I could showcase on the walls. I like Max Lucados quote. If God had a picture of you, it would be on his fridge. A home is where children feel they are valued more than any other place.

  33. We are in an apartment now going on 3 years of renting with 3 kiddos. I absolutely love the pool/ clubhouse. It has felt like a mini-vacation, taking down burgers and fresh fruit and eating our lunch poolside.

  34. My husband and I built our house and we did a lot of the work ourselves. For me, there is a LOT more meaning when I look around at these walls… the floors… the once-empty bedrooms that are now occupied by energetic kiddos. Being able to look at a part of your home and saying, “I did that” offers a great sense of pride and joy!

  35. There’s a lot that drives me crazy about my house these days, but I love that each room is painted a different color – sometimes two! We had lived in apartments with plain walls for so long; when we moved in here all those years ago, we were hungry for color. I especially love my dark red living room and apple green kitchen.

  36. Love that there is a swing on our screened back porch right outside of the kitchen for our family to relax, talk, and laugh while swinging our cares away.

  37. our house is a four level split which is kind of an odd setup but I love that two of the levels open up to one another and make the house seem bigger and feel more airy

  38. What I love about my home? The location! After many years in the city, we now live in rural NW Montana.

  39. I completely agree with you. Can’t wait to see the book! I love my front porch that opens up to corn fields and wide sunsets and has just enough room for rocking chairs for all 4 of my little band.

  40. Well of course my favorite thing is the people who live here with me! But I also love looking out the back windows to a very green backyard. I also love the wildlife we get to glimpse in our yard from time to time – bunnies, deer, and beautiful birds.

  41. I can vacuum almost my entire home from one outlet. Somedays I feel cramped and long for more square feet but when I find myself vacuuming every room without moving the plug I just have to laugh!

  42. Something I love about my home is the fact that it has TWO bathrooms. This alone, makes it wonderful in my eyes! 😉
    Sarah M

  43. I love my home because it is where my family is of course. I am not a decorator, but I love having those cherished things around me, old and new all mixed together.. being a grandmother and losing my mom a few years ago, I now appreciate my home so much more.. it’s getting older ( like me) it needs lots of repairs and some updating, but mostly I love my den and kitchen because friends tell me when they walk in it feels warm and cozy and my grand kids love their comfy spots in the den, with their “Mimi” blankets in the cabinet ready for them and their baskets of toys under my old church pew I have redone a few times…. it speaks with love from my mom, little treasures of hers now on my shelves, maybe it doesn’t all match but it comes together beautifully in a room filled with love, memories and future memories to continue to be made! It’s my Nesting place!!

  44. I have been looking forward to this book! I have hit my wall when it comes to inspiration in my house. I really need some new ideas.

  45. We bought a starter home and never left. I love out small story-and-a-half home to which we added a 4 season porch and another bathroom. It was perfect for our family of 4. In the 36 years we have lived here we have neighbor-ed many young couples who started their lives here in our neighborhood, helping with new babies and home fixing up. Our kids love to come home here and we are comfortable here through retirement and beyond…we are happy where God planted up.

  46. I love the fresh paint colors in our home. We had it painted last summer and it is beautiful. I also love to entertain and host so the size of my home lets me do that!

  47. I love the many windows my home has…. The kitchen is always bright because of all the windows…..

  48. My home was built in the 40’s by my husband’s grandparents. It is old, ugly, and falling apart. If you spill something in the living room it will make it to the bathroom before you can get a towel because it is so un-level.

    It’s ours, it’s home! It holds 60 years of memories of this family. My mother in law was born here along with her brother and sister. My husband was brought home here after he was born as was his sister. The day that I brought home my oldest daughter was full of emotions for many reasons, but in that was the feeling that I was bringing this new generation into this home that has seen so much fun and love and joy.

  49. I love that this is my first home (rental) with my husband. It is a process and a journey to decorate and create a home with a newly wed budget, but we are making it work! I can’t want to see the beautiful things we can create within our mess 🙂

  50. I love that I live in an old (100yrs) apartment — it has so much character, with wood floors, 10ft ceilings, and arched doorways. I’m treasuring my time in it, because as a renter I can simply enjoy living there without having to worry about the cost of maintaining a heritage home. Once I buy (hopefully in a few years), I won’t be in the same position, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts!

  51. i love that we designed our home. we our moving for a job relocation after only 3 years. i will be very sad to leave it.

  52. I love the house that my LORD gave us to rent. We rented a “prettier” house before this, but He led me to this one to save $450 a month AND He added an office/art room for me! My kids are grown, but my son came home from Chicago and is regrouping here! My husband and I of 35 years are content here. I love decorating with my son’s, my daughter’s, my long-ago passed mom and gramma, and now me as God revived water-color painting in me too. Really, ANYWHERE GOD IS, IS HOME! And then HE graciously adds the preciousness of family and then friends…these all make it home sweet home! I delight in HIM and His gifts. And thank you for a lovely question to reflect on today! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

  53. The beauty of our little townhouse is there are jsut two bathrooms to clean and I can vaccuum the whole thing in about 10min!

  54. We have been renting the past 2 years and there is much I don’t love about the house but also much I do love. I love the rounded corners of the walls and the arch ways. I love that it has lots of closets. Mostly, I love that it has a washer & dryer INSIDE after 7 years of doing laundry down our hall when we lived in a condo.

  55. I love how my little rented apartment has an outdoor patio where I can create and nourish tiny container gardens, and where I can sit and wave at neighbors or put my head down and read a great book and sip tea. It may not be the prettiest or the fanciest, but it’s a little oasis, and that makes my heart so happy.

  56. Coming to love all the dings and marks in my pine floors. You are right, there is character and beauty in the well-loved and worn!

  57. Actually, I would like to win this for my niece….she has this wonderful wild home filled with 4 children (including a preemie newborn) under 6-1/2 years old! She is fantastic! And I know she struggles, but I am soooo proud of her. She is a beauty!

  58. I love the windows in our home, and the view from them. We live in Central New York where we get all four seasons. The view is always changing and you can see God’s fingerprints all over it.

  59. I love the rocke / container garden we have created outside. We have just planted all our flowers for the Spring/Summer – 16 containers with flowers of every color – 3 rose bushes with many buds waiting to open – it is beautiful, peaceful and a great place to sit in God’s presence.

  60. Actually, I would like to win this for my niece….she has this wonderful wild home filled with 4 children (including a preemie newborn) under 6-1/2 years old! She is fantastic! And I know she struggles, but I am soooo proud of her. She is a beauty! And with her wild-ness in her home, she is always so gracious & welcoming! I love her!

  61. I have learned to be “content” in my home. It is where we do “life”. There will always be “bigger and better”, but I love what I have been blessed with and always have an open door policy to friends and strangers.

  62. Actually, I would like to win this for my niece, Katie….she has this wonderful wild home filled with 4 children (including a preemie newborn) under 6-1/2 years old! She is fantastic! And I know she struggles, but I am soooo proud of her. She is a beauty! And with her wild-ness in her home, she is always so gracious & welcoming! I love her!

  63. The thing I love about our temporary home right now is remembering what my 15 yr. old said when we first moved into this house for an undisclosed but temporary amount of time, and I was missing home and worrying that my kids were too – when I asked my oldest, if it was hard for him too, he replied, “no, I don’t miss home because we brought home with us.” Well, that just made me cry…still does!!

  64. We have lived in this house one year after moving out of our 2-story 1920s house of 10 years that we gutted and remodeled just the way we wanted. We moved for my husband’s job change and tt has been an adjustment.:) I found a rug that I liked that pulled the walls and furniture together at Home Depot a couple of weeks ago. I love that his house is smaller and I can clean it faster too as another poster said earlier. My husband is looking at another job change so I can see what you mean about your home being where your family is and you can make any place a home. That is my goal! Blessings!

  65. I love that I live in a manufactured home, aka a “trailer” and people make fun of me. I live the American dream because I own my own home and my payment is less than rent. I have remodeled the entire inside have a nice patio, beautiful yard and huge garage. Poo poo on the people who laugh at my “trailer”

  66. I love my home because it is where my family lives and where we are making memories. It is where we all love to be. I am so thankful for what God has given us.

  67. I love that I am the third generation living in my home. My house belonged to my grandma and grandpa, and my mom was raised here. So I have a strong attachment, as my house holds so many memories from childhood. I also love my front porch with a swing!!

  68. One thing I LOVE about my home is that it is the home I grew up in. I have such cherished memories there.

  69. I love that our home is set on several acres and far away from the road – it’s very quiet and private.

  70. I love my home because of the people — the ones who live in it with me and the ones surrounding us as neighbors.

  71. We have moved about 14 times in our 23 years of marriage. We just bought our first home 6 months ago. A little scary, a little overwhelming but exciting. I love our big windows and view. And, having bathrooms and plumbing that works!

  72. Love the open concept, so no matter what we are doing we can be part of each other’s day…except when I want the peace and quiet of my bedroom lol…also have a very serene backyard with towering trees out to a trail filled with Trilliums in the spring…so looking forward to going for a stroll through there. Homey is certainly fits my house to a tee…not always the neatest, but it speaks comfy with furniture that is squishy and inviting…perfect for opening up a book, or watching the birds at the feeder.

  73. I Love that my Father~in~Law built our home 40 years ago and that our son is now growing up in the bedroom that was his dads! 🙂

  74. Oh, your words are spot on! God has been honing in on my wrestling match with imperfections for weeks now! I loved your comment about how imperfections connect us- oh SOO true!!
    Our home was an immediate, surprising gift from The Lord. It was then a place of refuge from some crazy life storms and 7 years later we have filled the rooms with children and the halls with memories. Now the life it allowed to grow has become the life we encourage in friends, family and neighbors we invite in. It isn’t perfect, but the cracks in the floor and scuffs along the walls are evidence of life.
    Thank You for encouraging me to remember to love those life marks!

  75. This was so God appointed for me to read today!! We too lost our business and lost our acreage home 4 years ago and are on our 2nd rental … Felt so much loss, but our family stayed strong through all the bumps and pain… Lived in the city for 2 years and now God has moved us back to a beautiful place in the country, but, as I wait to hear if we will be able to rent for another year I get anxious… So timely to read this, almost like permission to really settle in no matter what or how long we will be here….. I am so thankful for the open space and the quiet of being back in the country! Praise God! And Bless you for this post, I really look forward to reading this book:)
    Blessings, Gwen

  76. I love that this home was “ours” long before my husband and I ever started dating, and even before we met! My home is filled with my do-it-yourselfer husband’s hard work. It’s taken the better part of a decade, and there’s still a lot of work to do, but my husband has worked hard to make an average looking house in the suburbs into a custom made home that is surprisingly beautiful on the inside. He bought this house and started the projects before we were even dating, and yet it’s become my home as well. He chose the paint color in our kitchen/living room before we were dating, yet it matches the couches I bought before I knew him perfectly! Our bedroom paint color, also chosen years before we were “us” was chosen based on one of his favorite album’s cover art… turns out that album is one of my favorites, too! God was making this house ours before we even knew each other, and I just love that about this place!

  77. I live in a parsonage. It has a screened in porch on the back of the house with an old glider bench.

  78. the biggest compliment I receive is that everyone who comes to my home feels comfortable.

  79. I love how my small apartment holds all my most all my treasured finds through out my traveling, uncertain life. I love how walking into my home makes me feel warm and it is welcoming to others. I love the childrens laughter and the cats purring. My home is not what I envisioned 20, 10 or even 5 years ago. But it reflect me perfectly.

  80. I love that it always feels like home! Whether spotless or a little messy… it is home! Always ready to welcome people in so they can feel at home!

    We lived for 3 months in transition with another family while our house was being finished… living out of boxes has make me appreciate home so much more!

  81. I love how none of my furniture matches. Most everything I own was given to me at some point during my early adventures of living on my own. While I would love to have a coordinated home with matching furniture in each room, I don’t want to get rid of any of it because it reminds me of the person who gave it to me!

  82. I absolutely love that many of our family’s memories took place in this home. Each room holds so many warm, happy memories.

  83. I love that our home is a treasure trove of memories of good times, good places and good people! Yes, it’s full, but everything holds a memory! People tell me that they feel comfortable here, and that is all that matters!

  84. We have lived in our imperfectly perfect old farmhouse for 25 years – the house itself is as old as I am, “built” in 1950. We don’t have any corners that are geometrically correct, the floors have a bit of “wave” to them but I learned a long time ago from the humor of Erma Bombeck (how I hope she is in heaven!!!) that IF YOU WAIT to do anything, be it entertain, paint, decorate, bake the perfect pie, until you have the right stuff – you will never do it! That was Bombeck Wisdom 101 for me and I’ve tried very hard to live like that! Mudrooms are for mud and snow and dogs and grandkids coming in from sledding. Kitchens are for cooking and messes with little flour-covered hands. Hey, bathrooms get wet – remember? LOL!!!!! Loved this post.

  85. I love my wall colors and my bannister in my living room. My house is small and older, but I still love the things about it that originally drew my eye. I love the rounded doorways in the living room. I love the efficient kitchen. I am truly blessed to have a home!

  86. I love how near my home is to the local shops, and that the front door opens into the kitchen, so as you walk in, you face the kitchen window and it’s nice and light.

  87. I absolutely love that the home I currently live in has a remodeled basement! And the basement is the space I live in! There is an incredible family that lives upstairs so I have the best of both worlds: my own studio space with a kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and a family with energy upstairs to keep me on my toes 🙂 all located in the wonderfully, beautiful city of Fullerton!

  88. I love the look of the main staircase. It’s a very appealing sight to see when you enter the front door!

  89. Right now it is raining in my Appalachian mountains and the sound of the rain on our metal roof is relaxing. I love our back porch with the old swing our Uncle James made for us. We can sit in that swing and listen to the creek running and the rest of God’s creation. Our house is small and over 30 years old, but we are so blessed

  90. I love my home because my family is in it and God is ever present. I love it more now than when we moved into it since I have less clutter to try to take care of…my guys are enjoying it much more too! God’s blessings to you today.

  91. well, we are in the “getting back on our feet after a major set back” phase, living in a little rental duplex. The best thing about it is my family of 5 has weathered this storm of the last few years and is together!! 🙂 Close quarters make us not only emotionally closer, but physically closer.

  92. I love my kitchen. It’s warm, inviting, spacious, and a great place to make Thanksgiving dinner!

  93. I love our dining room table that can seat 12. I also love our 4 big mix match couches that are arranged facing each other to facilitate conversation in large groups. I love that our home is welcoming and often full.

  94. I love that I’m learning patience as I try to furnish and decorate our new home slowly on a budget. All the while, I’m still discovering my style and still want to make the house fun and comfy for my two little kids. I can really relate to the saying that perfection is overrated and learning that it’s just fine! 🙂 thanks for a chance to enjoy this book!

  95. We may be popping out at the seams in our 2 bedroom condo but it’s home because God’s peace resides there despite our cluttered mess (physically and spiritually). Creativity is brought out of us in this small space too. And there are plenty of people to bless just within a few strides away from our front door. Home is what amd where we purpose to make it. <3

  96. I love that I can look past the spiderwebs in my impossible to clean kitchen window and enjoy the view of Oklahoma farmland and “mountains”.

  97. I am so happy for you, my friend. I’ve always believed that yours is a message that we need to hear and embrace.

    The Spirit lives in our hearts, fills these imperfect rooms, plants peace in the middle of the craziness. And that’s what makes this home the place I love …

  98. I love my screened porch, a place of peace, where I can serve a cup of tea to refresh a friend.

  99. As I look out my kitchen window, a beautiful, fern and mossy covered rock wall leads up into our very own pocket of woods. Yesterday, 3 deer who frequent our back “yard” walked right under the fort my husband built for our 4 kids! Evidence of creation blesses my eyes every time my hands float into that sink of soapy water, evidence of abundant life in my home.

  100. I love my home because it’s beautiful without being intimidating. Most of my furnishings were purchased at consignment stores, Craigslist or thrift stores. Consequently, my home looks as though it evolved ( it did!) rather than contrived. There are plenty of interesting things to catch your eye and juxtaposition abounds.

  101. As I am expecting our 5th child in our 1100 sq ft home with one bathroom (gasp!) I constantly struggle with jealousy over my friends’ new, bigger homes. When I get to the heart of it though, I know God has us where He wants us right now. And I do love the original wood frames, built-in butler pantry, and flooring in our 100-year-old home. More room would just mean more stuff and I am okay (most days) with being this close to my family. 🙂

  102. I love that our home is where our kids grew up. That the wood floors are full of scuffs from roller blades, skateboards and too many pets to count. I love that it is where we have shared Christmas morning under the glow of the Christmas tree. Actually – what’s not to love…it’s HOME.

  103. I love the green grass out my apartment window and the big leafy trees that make it feel like we live in a tree house!

  104. I love our giant windows in the front of our house. They let in plenty of natural light into our living room and it’s my most favorite place to take pictures of my daughter. This was the house we were praying for, and by God’s grace, we were able to purchase it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. 🙂

  105. I love that my kitchen is the place my children and their friends gather to talk and laugh and cry.

  106. I love that when I walk in my house I feel at “home”. Thisis where we laugh, cry, hug, and sometimes argue. We have moved quite a few times in the 19 years that we have been married. But, this is the first house that really feels like home.

  107. I love our “new” kitchen. After 12 years in our home with builder basic cabinets, hubby and I painted, added molding & trim, and refaced all the cabinets. It was a labor of love but so with all the sweat & hard work. Love The Nester & would live to have this book!

  108. I love how small my bedroom is. It’s just big enough to fit everything, but it feels like a sanctuary. It’s the perfect place to crawl into bed with a book.

  109. I love our 1920’s bungalow home because of its size. We are closer to each other and others in space and heart than we’ve ever been. It’s simplicity and reminders of the past bring us a fresh perspective in this busy, instant, bigger-and-more-is-better society. We are finally content. With less stuff and more togetherness.

  110. My husband and I have been married for nearly a year and live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment that I had less than warm feelings for when we first moved into it. But this tiny apartment is our home, and I love it because it’s where we’ve spent our first year together. I love that it’s forced us to be mindful of what comes into our home because there simply isn’t enough room for things that aren’t useful and beautiful.

  111. I love that my husband milled large, old timbers from an apple packing shed and turned them into something beautiful to live inside of!

  112. I absolutely ADORE the occupants of my home…. no matter what things look like, or how crazy our home-life is, (complete with crayon marked walls) they are what makes my life worth it.

    Thanks for the insight today as I have been “wishing” for my dream home lately instead of being grateful for what God has given me and content in the mess. 🙂

  113. Hmmm, loving my home…..My husband and I designed our home before we were married. He and his brothers built it on a corner of their family ranch. We have lived in it for 23 years, two kids I homeschooled are mostly grown, and one little one now in school. My home is too quiet and I see the need to think about loving it in practical ways. It’s anew season of life for me and I don’t have a clue where to start. The idea of building a nest really appeals to me though. Thanks for the encouragement you provide through your blog.

  114. I love that my father, husband, and other family members and friends built our simple, small (by today’s standards), beautiful home in the mountains, and that it is a warm and welcoming plaxe where visitors can feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

  115. My favorite thing about my home is my amazing neighbors who have surrounded me and my kids with love and support when we need it most.

  116. I love our house because it’s been home for 27 years of family life, the place where three kids grew up and moved out and now come back to visit with their spouses and soon-to-be children! So blessed!

  117. I love when our 2 teenage boys and 2 dogs all snuggle together on our sectional for an evening of t.v. watching-I’m crowded out to the floor sometimes butwe are all together in one room.

  118. I love being able to cook in the kitchen and look over to the family room to see my girls playing, reading, doing schoolwork on the computer, etc.

  119. We spent two years turning a run down house with no plumbing, electrical or flooring into a home. I love that it is light and inviting. It’s a place people feel comfortable even when it’s messy because it is filled with love.

  120. I took a leap of faith and left my career a year and a half ago to be a stay at home mom. Yep, good salary, bonuses and company car… I love that I the year and a half I have been put in a position first to simplify. You don’t realize how little you need until you can’t afford it and have to chose between want and need. Second, I spent a lot of money on stuff that I would use some day, but couldn’t because I was so busy working. Well, that some day has come and I have enjoyed the platters, dishes and bowls that were stored up collecting dust. Third, I have learned to be creative with what I have because I can’t afford anymore. I love my house because God has partnered with me in making it a place that is not just a house, but a home full of love, peace, harmony and warmth… The creativity is so much more meaningful through prayer and inspiration that He gives me with the blessings He has already provided… This home is beautiful because of His work in me and also represents His goodness.

  121. Wow! Your story is so familiar to me…I’ve been waiting for THE promised home for the whole 26 years we’ve been married. We’ve raised four kids in that time always living in a “temporary” housing situation. but God has been speaking to me about cultivating the land where I am…yes, a paradigm shift to bloom where I am planted for however long! Thanks for sharing!!

  122. What I love most about my house is who gathers here sharing, caring, crying, laughing, loving and living our perfectly imperfect lives.

  123. One thing I love about my home is the history here! I have family furniture from years ago, pictures that hung in my Grandmother’s home, dishes from my Mom’s kitchen. Hardly any of it matches, but it feels like it’s not just our home…. a legacy lives here as well.

  124. I’m so glad I read this today!! I see the beautiful, spacious homes my friends have and get very jealous at times. My husband, two boys, and I live in a single wide mobile home. I am thankful that we have a home on a few acres but at times, I feel that others in our circle of friends may look ‘down’ at us because we don’t have a ‘house’ (even though that may be just in my head). I do love the fact that when you come into my small home, it feels warm and inviting. There are handmade signs and touches throughout my home. While it may not be a ‘house’, I’ve definitely made it a HOME.

  125. I enjoy the God-given view from our unfinished windows – the surrounding trees blend in dappled light and colors that change seasonally. The windows also promote the sense of space that invites us to stretch and relax.

  126. I like the expanse of windows in my living area; this allows me to look out at the beautiful world that God has given us.

  127. I love our back patio. More than anything I love that we have had so many family dinners, church get-togethers, showers, birthday parties, Christmas gatherings, out-of-town friends and family, missionaries, and more in our home. That’s what makes a house a home and I love it!

  128. This is our first house (purchased last September)! I love making it ours, but am surely still learning.

  129. I LOVE having alot of family pieces (furniture, books, what-nots, etc) in my home from Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, etc… (from my side and my husbands side of the family) and I enjoy seeing them everyday to bring back happy memories from the past while we make new memories to pass on to our kids. 🙂

  130. LOVE that my husband built it for us. We have one son, age 4 at the time, now 28.
    Little did we know when my husband was building our home in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada’s, that I would be stricken with a severely disabling illness that left me bedridden and housebound for the first 3 years; and still limited 22 years later. I am not complaining though. He moved us from the busy Los Angeles area with smog, traffic jams, and pavement everywhere to here.The views out our windows are amazing and panoramic. Lying in my bed, the Lord paints the sky with amazing sunsets, places deer, coyote, foxes, bears, rabbits and other critters in the yard and always sings songs of praise and love through the voices of the songbirds. Yes, I love this home and feel so wrapped in His loving care.

  131. Thanks for such a generous giveaway. . . I love the colors in my home. . .bright beautiful color and all the art that hangs on my walls. Makes me smile everyday.

  132. I love how all of our windows face east — it’s so nice to wake up to the sunrise, in the Winter it warms our home and in the Summer it means that we can open them and let in the cool evening air. <3

  133. Yes, believe it… I found a way to l*o*v*e my 80’s honey oak kitchen cabinets! I moved them to the ceiling to get rid of the empty soffit space. Then we put up black iron brackets and ran a small open restaurant shelf all around the kitchen underneath the cabinets. Small tile backsplash and we are good to go, with my iron skillets on display. Nice change from previous kitchens which were the all white farmhouse style, and cottage charm with many collectibles.

  134. After my husbands death I struggled for 2 years to maintain our 3,000 sq ft house on 2 acres by myself. Now, in my 925 sq ft apartment, my daughter and I feel safe and warm. It contains everything we love and doesn’t require pool maintenance, yard maintenance and hours of cleaning!

  135. I love where we’re going with our color scheme. We’ve floated around three houses with basic beige walls and random other colors for five years, so I’m excited to make this space really ours. 🙂

  136. I’m so glad that you said that we don’t need to own property for it to be a home. my husband and I live in a church parsonage. It is the place where our family finds peace, love, laughter, acceptance, encouragement. It is where our church members come in crisis knowing they will be comforted and find love. it is where neighbors gather. oh, this house can be messy – but there is always love! I may not own it, but I decorate it simply – because I want it to be a place of peace.

  137. I love that my home is warm and inviting. People often say they feel at home in our space and that they can feel the love.

  138. Typical southwest home. Flat roof/stucco.
    However, what I enjoy about this home? The front porch. It is very large with a planter built in on one side. That planter has been home to many types of plants through the years. I found out a few years ago – it is THE perfect herb and miniature rose garden + one climbing rose, close to the house. This year, I have a small area for salad greens.
    The porch was once covered with the ugliest indoor/outdoor carpet. I was “Amelia Bedelia”. The only way to clean was to bring out the vacuum.
    My husband installed tile. Now, when it needs a real cleaning, I simply turn on the hose. When the spring winds bring us all of the leaves, tumbleweeds, (trash!), I can sweep it with a broom.
    There is still plenty of space for geraniums and other bedding plants.
    A lovely year ’round covered porch!
    thanks for your work! kathryn

  139. What do I love most about my home? The front porch, of course. For a gal from NYC who used to think the “great outdoors” was the space between her apartment building and a taxi, it’s quite a wonderful change. Sitting there I wave to my neighbors, read, and watch the birds bathe and drink from the birdbath. Life doesn’t get any sweeter than this!

  140. Even though I’ve been waiting years(15!) for kitchen cupboards,I love my kitchen.I enjoy baking bread at my old fashioned baking cupboard,hanging up pots at the cast iron pot rack and watching birds at the feeder just outside the window.

  141. We bought our home as a fixer-upper and just really never finished. We live on a one acre natural wooded lot in an older suburb on the edge of town. We are two minutes driving distance from a state park, and 1/2 mile from Lake Michigan. We have a lot of real wood paneling. We have a small river in our back yard. It has lovely wild flowers that are native to Wisconsin, bluebells, trilliums, spring beauties, etc. In the morning, I look outside and see the back yard and love it! We also have wildlife, bald eagles, and great blue heron nest, kingfishers, hummingbirds, rosebreasted grosbeaks, etc tiny baby woodchucks climbing on our lawn playing and eating with the mother, and more! The seasons are beautiful changing the fauna, and the wildlife.

    When we bought the house 20 years ago, we were told we bought the double lot and the house was thrown in for free because it is in bad shape. It still needs work, but when we prayed for our home, we were looking for a home where it would be a good place to raise a family, be quiet, and if possible to have a lot large enough for the kids to play. Well, the house is still a fixer upper, (it started as a cottage and had three additions all by different do-it-yourselfers, and nothing is square or level) we have raised two kids, and we now have another family to raise. The location is still quiet, a good place to raise a family, and a place for the kids to play in the backyard. Our two little adopted boys have said many times, cute house, I like my house. So, even though by outward appearance our home needs a lot of work, and could be more picked up, what more could I ask for to have two boys consider this their home and feel safe.

    I came to this conclusion after reading your devotion, and after reading the other comments. I now realize I have much to be thankful for fixer upper and all.

    Many thanks for this today, I needed this eye-opener and attitude adjustment.

  142. I love my kitchen! It’s not very big but my brother helped design it when I moved in 12 years ago & because I love to cook it’s my favorite room in the house

  143. My home if a treasure troth of our adventures, we have a basket of feathers and shells and rocks from our hikes. My kids are 21& 26, but the basket is still a wonderful memory of our treasure hunts of Gods amazing places. I’m a photographer so the wall are filled with memories of our travels together and of special moments in our truely blessed life.

  144. I love that our home is a house. After years of living in condos, it’s so nice to have a yard for the little one to play in and a space where you don’t constantly hear neighbors moving about. So much to be thankful for!

  145. We move often as a military family and have found that wherever we happen to land, we make it warm, loving and our temporary resting/nesting place as fast as we can. Some houses are just empty shells waiting for warmth to enter the door, some are beautiful on the outside (bonus!) but mostly they are a place where we have been asked to reside for a short time. Making friends with neighbors is important to us and have found that being surrounded by kind, supportive, sweet folks makes our temporary move the very best!

  146. When I looked at your Every House Has a Silver Linning.. Honestly, the lie you mentioned rolled across this empty nester.
    I lost my home too. A garden two story home. Broke my spirit!
    That was 3 years ago. 3 apartments later, I was convinced my
    losing my dream home was – is my fault, I felt if only, if only I had
    been perfect, I’d still be in that dream home.  The pain I felt was
    overwhelming, what I needed to do is find my heart again.  The apartment I live in now is compact, Painted beige walls, crown moulding. When I read your story I thought no, there is no silver lining here!  Then, I remembered last night I gave all my imperfections to the Lord. I can’t handle all this..  It’s in the heart of a woman to have her home be her,
    well my lovely furnishings are paid for, i’v settled in just these past 
    few weeks, decorating my later years  single life.  Im getting my heart realigned. My budget is still in repair, but so am I. 
    Thank you for reminding me that it’s not about perfectionism, it’s
    about where the home of a woman is who loves the Lord! So I’m decorating my apartment as I also have begun a search for a new home, and my heart-

  147. Right now the best thing I can say about our home … is that we have one and it’s paid for!
    And I thank God daily, b/c if it weren’t, I don’t know where we’d be

  148. I love how huge our yard is!! A lot to take care of and it doesn’t look great but there is so much room for the kids to play!!!

  149. I love our home. It’s far from perfect. It’s an old 70’s slump block in a not so perfect neighborhood. I love the memories we have created there. And though it needs A LOT of work. We have come A LONG WAY since we bought it nine years ago! I am in a season in life that does not allow me to spend the time I’d like on it. I needed the reminder to create beauty with what I can, when I can, in the season I am in right now!

  150. My house has high ceilings and a bunch of windows that let a lot of light shine in, which I really love. The back of our property is against a wildlife preserve, so we’ve seen bears, turkeys, and deer from the back window from time to time. The negative is that the house is in a secluded location that makes it hard to get out and spend time with others as much as I would like. My husband bought our house before I met him, so I keep hoping we can eventually sell it and have something that is really “ours.”

  151. I love that our breakfast room has huge windows and so much natural light! It’s a lovely place for my family to gather to eat most of the time. 🙂

  152. Hmmm…it’s so much easier to say what I don’t love about my home than what I do love. I guess right now I love my kids’ room, I like that they enjoy their own space. We’re actually moving in a few more months to something that’s smaller (didn’t think that was possible) but with more bedrooms. And I know I’m going to have to challenge myself to think this way, thank you for the reminder!

  153. I love the peace in our home; I love the scriptures on the walls; I love that people love to come here; and I love all my family most of all!

  154. I love the creaky floors in our old (very old) rental home. My four year old trots from his room to ours in the middle of the night and his little feet make the cutest noise on those creaky floors.

  155. I loved this. Finding contentment and beauty where we live leads to so much more peace within me. When we moved back to our home in Colorado six years ago with a 5 and 3 year old, I complained about the old, bent up blinds circa 1991. My hubby had come out a couple weeks before us to oversee work on our home-sweet-home, but all I could see were the imperfections, like the tiny country blue tiles and dirty grout that colored my kitchen. God challenged my complaining spirit.

    So, some of what I love about our home is our browns and reds and golds and greens that add color to our home. I love our family room where we watch movies together, spill popcorn on the floor and laugh together. Even the coffee table purchased off craigslist with the busted foot…. Yep, I’m very thankful for that too. I also love the peace of our living room, with it’s deep green sofa and love seat, with big cushions to cuddle with my boys on.

  156. Location! Location! Location! Our house may just be a rental and not my dream home, but it is perfectly situated to where we are just a few blocks from school, work, and church. We have sooooo many neighbors that go to church w/ us, and I LOVE it that my 5 kids have such fantastic neighbors and such a great neighborhood!

  157. our backyard, which has been in progress for more than 2 years now… I looked at it the other day and decided that the huge “pit” of dirt and rocks that were under the deck my husband tore out are beautiful for right now. Imperfect, and a mess. But my boys (1 and 3) play for hours with trucks in there. Who needs a sandbox? We have a miniature toddler-approved construction site 😉

  158. I love that my house is so small in many ways. Mostly I’m not so overwhelmed with having to decorate every nook since there aren’t many.

  159. I love my home because it is works hard for us! Our little apartment is imperfect, but we live our lives fully here and it has served us well. Although I may gripe about the builder-grade beige carpet and the older appliances, I know that someday I will miss our little first home.

  160. I love that when people come to visit they tell us how comfortable and at home they feel. They can kick their feet up and relax. It’s beautiful yet laid back and nothing fancy. It’s ours.

  161. Well.. we’ve never owned a home (yet!) but the one we have rented for the last few years and had our babies in.. my favorite thing about it is how much light we get. Morning light spills in the back of the house, and afternoon light floods the front. It is so cheery!

  162. I love that our door is always open for laughs, cries and memories. Also, love my backyard and all the wildlife that we get to observe.

  163. I love all the words in my house…doesn’t matter which room I am in, there are words and phrases and encouragement in every room.

  164. I love who I share my home with! My husband of 25 years is what makes it home to me. Even though we live in a new home that we made perfect for us…I would be completely at home in a cardboard box as long as he was with me! 🙂

  165. I love that I have a home & that I share it with a wonderful husband & children. I also love that my house is located out in the country on our farm with trees, flowers, crops, grasses, & lots of lovely views.

  166. I love all the hard work we’ve put into each room to make it “us”…we’re moving next week and will be starting from scratch again. I’m glad it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful! That will be my motto this year… 😉

  167. 2 things
    1. I love that we have a house just big enough to entertain and say “yes” to inviting people (no matter how many people or their kids). Everyone has a place to “play”

    2. I love that I can leave it a mess when I entertain. If you can’t lay your messes out for your friends, who can you lay it out for?

  168. After 18 years of marriage we finally were buying a house and could get “real” furniture except that we disagreed on what style! What I love about the house is the great room (on an average to small scale) that when we took most of the bookshelves out and put a big red leather couch in became a calm and easy to declutter area. We host Sunday night dinners as an open house to college students and faculty and it’s a lovely space for 20-30 people. Hubby cleans in the afternoon while I cook (prayerfully) for an uncertain number of people!

  169. I love my very old home. The walls are plaster, imperfect and in dire need of repainting. The floors are original hardwood and show their age. But that house was the first we bought and the only place my son has ever lived. Soon my family will be renting/selling that house and we’ll be moving in to a condo/rental and I just can’t imagine trying to make that in to the same kind of home! I have so much to learn about making whatever space I’m in a home.

  170. To me, HOME is when I am with my family. To just be with my husband and our kids, I am home. <3 I do, however, still want to make where we are a place that we all enjoy being together in…even with each other being what is important, I know the atmosphere matters too, and I want to create one that offers those I love a sense of peace and joy. I often feel like I cannot fully attain this…but I want to do it in whatever way that I can and I am working on that right now…and just "happened" to come across a post about this giveaway. I can't buy the book, but I hope that one day I can read it, and further fuel the motivation that I have. 🙂

  171. I need to embrace my house and my mess so I can open it up to be a warm and inviting place for guests!

  172. I love the nearly year-round roses blooming in front of my windows and my cute little balcony. I love my hall storage (I have a craft closet!) and my large pantry. This is an overseas rental where I’ve come to appreciate the little things I took for granted in the States. We’re moving back to the US in a few weeks and will start from scratch with donated mismatched furniture. Embracing imperfection!

  173. I love the mantle above my fireplace. It is the place where I can change decorations without spending a lot of money. I usually have a picture frame with a quote or Bible verse that goes along with the season. It always makes me smile.

  174. I love that I can find God’s word and reminders of His love in almost every room of my home!

  175. My husband & I are w/out our own place @ this time. But, I do have a quiet room, my books, plants & sewing there. Its good! God will move us @ the right time.

  176. I love the hardwood floors we discovered under old carpeting when we moved in, the open floor plan between our living and kitchen…and each room that we’ve worked together to redecorate over the years.

  177. When I was a teen, I dreamed of living in a big city or near the ocean. Neither of those came true, yet I LOVE that our girls are able to run and play in wide open spaces since we live in the country! We visit the beach often:) Thanks for the great reminder to find joy in the now!

  178. I love that no matter what each day brings, we make sure to tell each other we love each other at least one time. I also love my shattered sunroom window that reminds me daily my dog tried to jump through it 🙂

  179. There are two things that I especially appreciate about our home: the beautiful woodwork throughout the house and the front porch. I love to sit out there and read and relax!

  180. I love that my kitchen and living room are open so that I never miss anything as I cook and serve my family.:)

  181. I love the little chips in the walls that remind me of my boisterous boys, now grown men. I love the cozy feel of the warmth that my windows let in as the spring sunshine streams in.

  182. I love all my noisy family and I also love my house to be straight, but it doesn’t have to be for me to have company anymore. It’s about talking to someone and caring. I don’t care about someone more because my house is clean. If everything isn’t in it’s place, everyone feels more at ease.

  183. Last summer we moved 100 miles (just because we could) and intentionally downsized, going from +2,400 sq. ft. to just under 1,200 sq. ft in a simple, 1970’s ranch. I don’t miss any of the “stuff” we purged in our moving sales (note plural!) but am still getting used to less elbow-room. 20 gallons of paint and some new window treatments later, we’re still making it “ours”. Best thing we did was replace our old dining room table with a 7′ farm table my husband built (a la Pinterest). It’s probably too big for the space, but we love it. Homework at one end, meals at the other. The place finally started to feel like home when we were visited by a new couple we had met and the husband jumped “butt-first” onto our 10 year old, snagged to the bones couch, plopped his feet up on our old ottoman (recovered 6 times so far) and let out a contented sigh. Made my heart smile.

  184. I love the gallery wall above our couch and how it is always a place where people stop to look at the photos, quotes and dates to remember before they sit down. 🙂

  185. I love that our house was built in the 1930s. It;s small but full of character and charm. My newly refinished front porch is going to be a summer favorite!

  186. Legos on the floor, dog prints in the kitchen and beautiful sunlight shining in the windows. The messy bits reminds me to relax nothing is perfect and the sunlight is so pretty streaming in our windows

  187. I love the petite size and simplicity of my home! I place to relax and call home.

  188. I love the big windows we have in the front and back of the house. My girls love watching everything going on outside, from nature to people passing by. I can usually find them sitting on top of my hope chest giggling with each other, pointing things out and watching for grandma and grandpa to arrive.

  189. I love that even after my three daughters have left the nest, they always love to come back home to cook, talk, and make new memories!

  190. We live in farmhouse that was built in 1900 and every time we drive home I say, “wow, we sure have a beautiful house, don’t we?” and my kids say, “Mom, you ALWAYS say that!” But I really do feel so blessed to have it! I love the exterior of it most of all. It is so pretty and has so much character.

  191. About 3 yrs ago, we moved to a small town and bought the smallest house we’ve ever lived in but I love it! It is only 1200 sq ft but it is my favorite house we have ever lived in. The mtg payment is so affordable and I can clean this house in about an hour everyday. This leaves me more time to spend with God and my family. I also have more leisure time to do one of my favorite hobbys…read! I love my home! 😉

  192. I love that we finally gave up on our dining room and turned it into a playroom! It suits our current needs so much better that way!

  193. Right now we’re living with a friend while in the process of finding our own home; but what I DO love about our ‘home’ is its close proximity to town and my summer job.

  194. The thing I love most about my home is that I share it with my husband who loves me crazy. We bought the house less than a year ago. It has given us space that we dreamed of having for years. it has lovely wood floors and a big fenced in yard. The neighborhood is quiet, neighbors are sweet, neighbors are diverse. Still, if hubby weren’t here, I wouldn’t want to be either. He makes it complete.

  195. I love the 8 inch wide windowsills which the cats can prowl, and our little den which gives privacy to overnight guests.

  196. What I love about my home is the way all six of us land here at the end of each day. We’ve all got our favorite couch spots and blankets and comfy jammies… and the too small living room is just small enough to squeeze us all on top of each other, tired and happy to end another day…together. Big houses are over-rated. Small is where love grows…there is no other choice 🙂

  197. I love my home because it is surrounded by woods – I see deer, raccoons, chipmunks, and feed the squirrels and hummingbirds. The floors are reclaimed pine planks and a lot of things are from salvage places, that gives it so much character. It has brought me through some really tough times, just the warmth of it and the beauty outside. God put me here for a reason!

  198. I just love that in my new home I am embracing being a homemaker, even cleaning with a happy attitude, because I love it so much! Decorating was not really high on my priority list due to finances but am attempting some DIY projects to make it more reflecting of us and part of that is telling our story by including more photos.

  199. As a minister’s wife, my home has always been my safe place, my sanctuary. But the last three years it seemed that I couldn’t even find peace there! A son struggling with a drug addiction brought much upheaval to my safe place. since January of this year I have been very intentional in placing visual reminders of our faithful God! I recently repainted my kitchen a soft beige. One of my favorite purchases (from Dayspring.com) is the letters of the word REDEEMED!! This is what I’m loving about my house now…God’s redemption!

  200. I love that my home is actually part of a 4plex and we are hidden away a bit… like our own private retreat – right in the middle of our town. People who have lived here their whole lives don’t know how to find us and once they do – they are amazed that they have never noticed our house on the hill. (I love that my parents live right next store and our landlords let me paint and retile and do whatever I want to make it beautiful and mine!)

  201. I absolutely love the fact that the home my family and I live in, was my husband’s great-grandparents farmhouse. It was built in 1948, after the original farmhouse burned. While it’s small, and my two boys share a bedroom (sister is lucky! She’s the only one and gets a room to herself!), it oozes 1940’s post-war loveliness. In the kitchen, I can imagine my husband’s great-grandma, Mary, cooking up biscuits. I can imagine great-grandpa Fred, lounging in his recliner in the living room, with the red pine wood floors beneath his feet. Most people would gut the house, not liking the set-up with the rooms being small or closed off. I, in fact, relish the large galley kitchen, wood floors, and plaster walls. How lucky am I that I get to carry on the tradition of keeping home on this farmstead!

  202. I love being home! It is the place where my husband and I can exhale! I love being in “my space” creating art! Each room is decorated with things we love!

  203. oh I would LOVE to win this book! I love that my home is out in the country and I am slowly turning it into a reflection of me.

  204. I love that my little house has the fingerprints of my handy Husband in every room. Little by little transforming each room into an affordably based version of what we envisioned. His love and God’s provisiosn through him is evident in every space. My little home is my castle, prince charming Included.

  205. Our home is a parsonage. I love our home because it is a gift of the church….an expression of the body of Christ. & because of the dearly loved family I share it with!

  206. I love my Florida home, just close enough to the beach and yet far enough away to avoid too much sand being tracked inside 🙂

  207. I love that it doesn’t take me long to clean it. Definitely a silver lining to it being small! 🙂

  208. Love the location of my house. Just outside the city limits but not so far out that it’s problematic for kids to their various activities.

  209. I love my house because it’s small enough to make us conscious of the clutter we can let go of yet big enough for everything that is important!

  210. i love that our house is the perfect size for our family right now and that we have a guest room to bless others with.

  211. I am in love with our new kitchen floor. It’s not perfect. It was extremely inexpensive but it replaced some dirty, stained commercial carpet that has been being stained hourly for the last 7 years. I appreciate it and love it very much!

  212. I love my home for many reasons. I love that it is where I host my small group for other new moms to learn about God, His love, and will for our lives. I used to be self conscious about my home because it is small and we haven’t put much $ into decorating but I’m so over that now and love it as a gathering place!

  213. We moved into our fixer-upper last summer after selling our custom-built home of 10 years. While the considerable downsize has been an adjustment (painful at times), I love our little place in town. My husband did an amazing job with our renovations, and I especially love my kitchen with its builder-grade oak cabinets which were transformed with moldings and paint and new countertops, and my large Pottery Barn island (a Craigslist bargain).

  214. I love all of the old hardwood. It’s certainly not perfect, and it has gaps in places, but it’s dark, and it’s warm, and it’s authentic. We also have old Rookwood pottery tile along the opening leading into our dining room that I love. It’s a rental, so we may not be here forever, but The Nester has helped me embrace that- to enjoy it even if we won’t be here next year. To hang and to mess up and to make it home, even if it’s really not.

  215. my kitchen. its by no means perfect, but it’s the heart of my house and it has cabinets for miles!

  216. That my husband and I remodeled most of it together! We replaced floors and painted walls and have created our family there!

    Thank you for hosting such a great giveaway!

  217. I love that the front of our A-Frame –in the middle of the woods in the Pocono Mountains –is a solid glass wall that faces East. When I get up rubbing sleep from my eyes, my entire living room and kitchen are ON FIRE with the sun’s good-morning glow.

  218. I love our homes character. It is large and was built back in the 1920s so lots of nooks and crannies. It needs lots of work but we like it!

  219. That my husband and I built it and that we had it paid off a few years later! Also, that we have raised our four kids in it! We now have nine grand kids that come over and play. Thanks for the awesome giveaway.

    • I love my 3 seasonal back porch where candle light dinners are held, board games played and just visiting.

  220. I want to thank you that you had let me feel better after reading you story about the different rentals you went through within 7 years. I can relate because we lost our house in 2012, due to bad decisions made. We are now renting. And might be renting still in the next few years. You are right that we can turn our place like home no matter where we are. As the Lord says in His words that He’s the one who appoints or assign where we will be so we just have to follow His leading. We might not like it but if we follow & obey we will find out. I am loving our rental house because it’s close to stores like Costco & etc.. From the kids room we is a golf course & a man made lake. The house is very small but cozy & we got closer as a family more than before. We had prayed for it & even for our landlords favor all throughout our stay. We still keep on praying everyday for His grace on us.

  221. I love that I live in my grandparents house and have made it our own while having memories of Grandma and Grandpa. It may not look as neat as when they lived here but it is well loved!

  222. I love our family room with peaked ceiling…especially when all of our kids are home and we gather in this room talking and laughing. 🙂

  223. The windows – they’re so much longer than the ones at the house I grew up in. Even when they were just barely walking, my babies could stand at the windows and look out for their Daddy’s truck.

  224. I love that my home is decorated in large print photos of the time I spent living in South AFrica. Its a tribute to all the people, places, and words that have been imprinted on my heart.

  225. Something I love about my home is its location. We’re located in the mountains of Southern California. We’re close to family, but we have four actual seasons (most years.) And we’re about an hour from the beach and less than hour from the desert. God has given us a beautiful place to live.

  226. We are missionaries in rural Costa Rica and just moved into a new house. For the first time in nearly three years, we have a dining space with a table for all of us to sit at the same time, and even to have guests. Every time we sit for a meal, it makes me happy all over again.

  227. I love my desk in the corner of what used to be a dining room. It’s always in various states of disarray: a coffee cup or two, and my glasses are almost always under a stack of papers or books. I love the bookshelf that sits next to it that is full of all the books that I need for my work (and art projects, and school forms and socks-I have boys), and that the tall metal filing cabinet on the other side of my desk is covered by drawings from my kids.

  228. We lost our home after our oldest turned one…. He’s about to turn 6 and we have been renting ever since. We are finally in a house where we feel comfortable but it still doesn’t feel like home. We are hoping to buy in the next year and I’m so excited!

  229. Despite our living room being void of seating due to back ordered furniture for the last two months, I love that our neighbors will pile in anyway. Last night we spent an hour in our tiny basement room with 10 adults and 5 kids (all 3 and under) talking about and praying for neighborhood ministry. It was far from perfect, but it was beautiful.

  230. We are currently renting our first home after lots of apartmenf living. I am loving having a house but not having to pay for things that break right now and being able to see what works this space and what I would change so whenever God gives us the opportunity to buy, then we have something to go with.

    Maybe blessings on everyone’s homes 🙂

  231. Great giveaway! I love that my home is on family land in the country. I love that my home is large enough to entertain many people. I have had different tastes over the years but I really like where I am now with whites and coastal colors and using nature to decorate wherever I can!

  232. The thing I love about my house is that my husband and I worked really hard at saving up and finally being able to purchase our own home. Though it may be small, we have been able to make it our own by painting, adding color, putting down new floors, and adding style to each room according to its purpose. Only God knows how long we’ll live here, but as long as we do live here, I promise to love it! Even if that means redecorating every once in awhile to keep it fresh and alive! We are blessed. Thanks for this opportunity to join this giveaway! How fun 🙂

  233. I love that the memories that live in the walls and live in my heart from 40 years here. I’d love to win a copy for my daughter who is in process of buying her first home after a series of rentals that she has made home.
    Blessings!

  234. We’ve got roots here. Its part of what was Grandpas farm. It’s where we came home after our I do’s. Where our babies were welcomed home.

  235. I Love my home because of the people (family & friends) and dogs I share it with.
    It is a Real Home and for that I am so thankful! 🙂

  236. My favorite aspect of our home is the comfort and warmth that comes by inviting the Holy Spirit daily into our home. Many dear friends, which we have been blessed to have come and stay in our home, have said “I feel loved, and at home here and I can feel the Holy Spirit here.” – oh yes, that is the best part of our little home!

  237. I love the bookshelf in my room attached to the bed. I have so much fun arranging and rearranging it!

  238. I’m a newly wed who moved into my husbands (rental) “man cave” of four years. I had A LOT I REALLY didn’t like…orangy-red pine tongue and groove walls (I’d love to paint but would be murdered if I did) turquoise and gold flecked back splash, harvest gold stove, and terrible “classroom” carpet. For the first 6 months I pined, and whined, and dreamed, and wished how I could change this, have that, do this, paint that. Then one day I walked in and noticed the slanted sunlight shining through the windows just perfectly, and I smiled. Later that evening I realized how nice it was to have a conversation with my husband while I was in the kitchen and he was in the living room, this was only possible because of the truly open floor plan. And I’ve finally fallen in love with the rock flooring in the kitchen and the red shutters on the windows. I’m so glad I’ve seen the worth in these things before I wasted our time there wishing for other things. Typing this has me now dying to leave work so I can get home to my harvest gold stove and fix dinner in OUR HOME <3

  239. I love my family in it. at one point we thought we might not be able to have them. But I also love our neighborhood and level lot and a quiet street on which my kids and friends can play. And I love the open floor plan with sunshine our hone has. I would love to declutter and make it just right.

  240. We have a cape cod, and I love our front porch that stretches across the front of it. Love sitting in our white rocking chairs, especially early in the morning or late at night when all is quiet.

  241. I love that its’ only been 1month since we welcomed our 4th child who was born at 33weeks into our home & this time balance has showed us a different face. In a couple days we are moving & there are empty boxes in every room. From clothing, toys & baby items in each room, I have allowed myself to take the process a moment at a time, it will get done. This is our beautiful mess.

  242. I love my steamer trunks and my chalk board cabinets full of blessings, bible verses and list.s

  243. Love this post!

    And what I love about my home is the view: I can look across the street (that is sometimes too busy for my liking) at the park with all those beautiful trees, the sun bouncing off the lake AND I can see the pavilion on the other side of that lake — the one where my husband and I were married. Every day. What’s not to love? 🙂

  244. I love that my home is a blank canvas. We move in very soon and I already feel such an attachment to this place. It’s mine and my almost husband’s very first home and, though small, we feel like we have a palace to call our own! I cannot wait to marry this man and move in to this house together to build our home!

  245. I love the memories that have been made in my little home! Nieces and nephews, kids from church and the neighborhood, brothers and their families and now brothers-in-law and their families, church family, youth groups and bible studies, Christmas Eves and 4ths of July, cats and now cat and dog… There’s not much room, but there’s a lot of love and laughter!

  246. It is a home where dogs careen down the stairs and dust bunnies settle and Sunday reading is nestled into with contentment.

  247. I love that my home is perfectly imperfect! It’s lived in and it’s kid-friendly, pet-friendly, machine washable etc. You’re not gonna’ ruin anything fancy schmancy when you come to visit at my house. Not to say that you won’t feel comfy and cozy still. That’s the beauty of it. All are welcomed here!

  248. The truth is the thing I love most about my home right now are me and my husbands 3 little blessings age 6, 2, and 6 months. I am currently homeschooling and devoting so much brain power that I can harder come up with spring or summer ideas for our home.
    Thank you for doing a giveaway!

  249. Something I love about my home (aside from the essential hearts that fill it and friends that surround it) is it’s simplicity. We aren’t burdened by what it costs nor overwhelmed by it’s size. It’s truly a nest for our family.

  250. We’ve moved a lot lately, so I’ve been super-thankful to live in one place for the last 9 months. I’m thankful that our apartment had been recently renovated, so it really is the nicest place we’ve lived in our married life. Thank you for the challenge to be grateful for where I am today, and look for the silver linings instead of the imperfections!

  251. I love getting to create I home with my new husband. How God uses the masculine and feminine to strike a balance and create something really great!

  252. I love the bright light and open flow of the main living areas in our home. Despite its limitations, our home has character and demonstrates our family’s joy.

  253. I love the toys scattered throughout our home from our two-year old grandson!! It looks like a daycare center! He is awesome

  254. I love that this is my & my husband’s first home & the home our daughter came home to after she was born! I also love that it is warm & cozy & filled with wonderful memories!

  255. I love that my boys feel cozy and safe and loved at our little house… There’s touches of our travels and we love that we get to love on guests often!

  256. My favorite part about my home is the people I share it with. Cheesy but true ☺️

  257. there’s a small spot next to my bed where I always have flowers and the stack of books I am currently reading… even in a dorm I can bring in a little bit of beauty.

  258. I love that my home is where my children create, my husband rests and rejuvenated and I can make it my own. Feel so blessed to be in our home!

  259. I love even though we have a little bit older house we have made it our own with our combined styles.

  260. The thing I love most about my home is that it’s a place my family gets to rest, have peace from the chaos outside, where we can be ourselves, and share meals together.

  261. I love the cozy feel that my home provides for my family…we are bursting at the seams and our home is well loved,but so homey!

  262. We are about to downsize to what was my husbands parents home. He inherited it after their death. I am so excited it is much smaller but I loved my inlaws so much and family was everything to them. We have made many changes to the home place but to be able to continue having family celebrations in the place where our families loved celebrating every imagined holiday, sitting for hours on the porch swing visiting all the way to last day of hospice for each of his parents is a blessing. I know Gran and PaPa are smiling from above… the traditions will continue. I feel so blessed!

  263. I live with my sister and her family. It’s a block away from my nephew’s high school. I love the quiet and safe neighborhood as well as the mini “garden” in the balcony.

  264. I recently moved back in with my parents into my childhood home after a career change….I’m dreaming of having my own home while collecting decorating pieces in my closet for the time being 🙂 I love the memories of this house…remembering playing in the back yard and jumping on furniture to escape the “lava” floors…and learning to cook in the kitchen. The house isn’t perfect, but it is.

  265. Oh how I love that my home is filled with toys. They drive me crazy at times and I wish they were organized and always put up. But toys everywhere bring creativity and happiness to our home. And laughter!!!! I secretly like the Legos on the floor. Shhh, don’t tell my boys. One day, they will be gone! I cherish those thousands and thousands of Legos!!!!

  266. I love the fact that my husband built it and everything is right where I want it! 🙂

  267. I love that my home has an amazing backyard that backs up to a cattle ranch. I just love to sit back there an soak up the peace and quiet. It is like my sanctuary

  268. I loved this post. Thanks so much for saying that we “shouldn’t wait for our dream home”. I am almost 50 years old and I have never had my dream home. I actually never had my dream. No husband, no children, no 2.5 pets, and no picket fenced in yard. And I waited. I served as a missionary and lived in missionary housing…meaning small and not mine with lots of “rules” but free and I was grateful for it. I have lived in neighborhoods that I didn’t like to do ministry or because I was in the ministry and it’s all I could afford, just waiting for the day I could paint my own walls. About 8 years ago I found myself unemployed, single, no major income to speak of and that mercy of my friends.

    I moved everything I owned five times in 18 months. (I joke that it was easier than cleaning.) I did this so I wouldn’t be homeless. I live with a family with 6 kids under the age of 12, lived with a senior adult couple, lived in ministry housing and finally ended up in a friends home with a spouse that drank way too much. All of this lasted for over five years.

    But this time taught me a lot. That my “house/apartment” is not my home. It’s what I do with it and who I invited into it. These people I live with. They didn’t know me to start with. They just knew I had a need. And the Lord told them to meet it.

    Today, I live in an apartment that is my home. I have decorated it, within the guidelines of my lease, to be my home. I have hung the pictures I want, the scripture I want and have made it my own. And I invite people over, and I love it. It’s not every “new to me”. It’s the same apartment complex I lived in when I lost my job 8 years ago. But every night when I lay down, I am genuinely grateful for two things. My bed (didn’t sleep on one for over three years) and that I am not “waiting” for my dream home. I love that I have friends that feel at “home” enough to just pop in, no matter what it looks like and who will bring me strawberries at 11pm at night and know that I won’t mind. They are welcomed in my home anytime.

    I just regret that it took me close to 30 years to “wait” on the right neighborhood.

  269. I love my home! Open great room and kitchen welcomes friends, family, and guests. Comfortable and carefree is my design style. Large enough for many and cozy enough for just two.

  270. Something I love about my home is the huge windows in our apartment. Our complex was an old warehouse turned apartments, & it’s in a more industrial area. There’s a spiral staircase with roof access (& an electric grill!), a fireplace, and high ceilings. Even though it’s only around 600 sq. ft., it’s my first home with my husband & we’re creating incredible memories in this home and community.

  271. We are almost finished building our forever home, and even after picking out every single fixture, paint color and finish, my favorite thing is what you can’t see- we spent hours collecting and writing Bible verses on the studs before they were drywalled over, and I adore knowing the wisdom that lies behind our walls and makes God’s word the true foundation of our home.

  272. I am so grateful for our little cottage. It’s where we started our lives together two years ago, where we make each other pancakes every lazy Saturday, where we pray for and love each other, and where we will soon raise our baby girl! It may not be perfect, but it’s ours.

  273. What I love about our home is we picked the colors and furniture we loved. And we enjoy being in our home as a result. All our friends feel welcome here, which is likely because we feel so at home here too!

  274. What a lovely cover on the book, so inviting. I need to be reminded that having a home even if it is small is fine, God can use any space.

  275. The home I live in right now, it’s a rented basement suite. It’s not my favourite for a long list of reasons, but one thing I really do love (amongst another long list of reasons) is the windowsill in my kitchen. I’ve decorated it in a way that I really like. I can never get a good picture because of the awful light glare above, but when I look at it, it’s peace itself.

  276. I love that my kids have their friends over to play, have dinner, spend the night, get ready for school dances, etc. It’s not as big and “fancy” as most of their friend’s houses, but no one seems to care. It’s open to them, and they know that.

  277. The way the sun streams in through all the windows in our kitchen! For years we lived in apartments with one tiny little kitchen window and I LOVED that little bit of light so it always reminds me of our “early days.”

  278. I love the fact that my home has all my favourite shades of turquoise, teal, green, white and black…colours that relax me and remind me of the beach. It is a mish-mash of revamped thrift store treasures and key furniture pieces that just say….please enjoy my company and make yourself at home!

  279. My kids’ rooms. The little, unique nests they’ve each created to be their comfortable sanctuary is wonderful.

  280. I love the curtains that are like stain glass windows, letting in the beautiful sunrises and sunsets!

  281. I love the flow of my apartment. All of the rooms are open so it’s easy to have a bunch of people over without feeling cramped, even though it really is a small space!

  282. I love that our current home allowed my husband to quit working his second job after being gone most of the time over the past four years. It has also allowed us to homeschool our children, which has been a special blessing to our relationships with our three children who came to us through adoption as well as our youngest child who was a preemie and was in the hospital until he was almost seven months old.

    We downsized from a huge dream home to a tiny rental with 1/3 of the space, but we love the time we now have together as a family!

  283. Thanks for the reminder to appreciate what I have and make the most of it. One of the things I like about our house is the walkout basement. It has large windows and lots of light, so it doesn’t feel like a basement.

  284. What I love about my home is we have no back neighbors. It is a beautiful field and sometimes we get to see cows!

  285. We are very simple people who love Jesus and our family. What I LOVE most about my home is the grandkids that fill it with love, laughter and memories. We have 10 grands and they are our joy and they call me Ya Ya. 🙂

  286. The previous owner knocked down some inner walls, so what I love about our house is the openness and light and expansion. Oh, and I love the pantry!

  287. Home: the place where for the first ten years and birth of four babies we lived below ground level–graduating to two stories atop, built with our own sweat, love, and the Grace if God over the next twenty and yet to be finished. Just as we ourselves are a work in progress, so is our home. My current favorite spot is the sweet little playhouse from which our grandbabies giggle.

  288. I love the fact that my family has lived in this home for almost 70 years – four generations! It’s well-loved and has earned every little imperfection. 🙂

  289. I love that we have a bathroom off our master bedroom. It does make a difference in the middle of the night sometimes! 🙂

  290. Sounds like a book all women should read and take to heart! Looking forward to reading it!

  291. We moved into this rental a few years ago. It has green walls, and a dark green carpet. Yellow painted cabinets across the living room, in the kitchen….not colors I’d choose, but they are restful. The last time I was in green walls was in grade school! But there are plenty of windows and I put up my homemade lace curtains. I love the way the light filters in. I love the way that we found tables and chairs and pictures at thrift stores, and little by little have turned it into a space that works for us. It doesn’t have the white on white look that I favor….I’m doing that in my workroom. But it works for now.

  292. I love my small house and the fact that we tore down a wall when we moved in over 6 years ago so that our kitchen and family room would be one big (well sorta!) room. We spend 99% of our time together in this room, and though it stays “lived in,” it’s my favorite and most relaxing place to be!

  293. Hey,
    We moved into our home in November and I love it more every day. It is cozy, homey, comfortable (sweats, a chilled beverage and dogs on the couch with us) and the perfect size. The stairs with the varied risers (6 inches, 8 inches, what’s a couple of inches amongst friends) , the basement with pull chain lights, the garage that was a house. All make it more endearing and a charming little house, in a wonderful old town.

  294. I love that we live in the house my husband and his siblings grew up in. I love that my husband works hard to make our yard beautiful and paints and repairs all those things that I need done to make it ours. I live how he will say at times, ” I wonder what Dad would think?”. I know his dad would be proud of all he has done to this house.

  295. My house is 21 years old and far from perfect – but we built it and it’s ours! I actually grew up on the same lot where my house is built so I’ve lived here almost my entire life. We’re at the top of a steep hill (interesting in the winter!) with undeveloped park on one side of us, a gorgeous view of trees opposite us andsky that goes on forever. I can even see the traffic lights change at the edge of town. We are blessed indeed – even if the entire interior is screaming for paint!

  296. I love the charm of our new small town relocation. After 14 years in the suburbs, we made the leap back to small town living. Our front door is two blocks from our quaint Main Street with coffee shops, bakery, antique shops, post office… And our back door is steps from the dock on our lake.

  297. I love the view from the chair where I meet with God. I can see through the doors that lead out to our deck, where the view is stunning. I watch the sunrise & the moon come up with the Eastern star. BEAUTIFUL!!

  298. What I love most about my home is the spirit of the Lord tucked into every little slpot. In the still of the morning ad I’m making coffee and spending time with the Lord, He is already there. I love our bright orange walls in some rooms and soft grey in others. My home is my favorite because of love.

  299. That we have a double lot so we are not five feet away from neighbors. Across the street the houses are all very close to each other and they can probably hear each other think.
    That is about all I can come up with. We have lived here 6 years and I still have not unpacked everything (like display of my bunny figurines) because I hate this house and want to leave now. We had to move hurriedly because the house we were renting from a family member (without official paperwork…bring in Judge Judy and Dave Ramsey) went into foreclosure overnight. We were paying her but she wasn’t paying the bank. Enter county sheriff presenting 7 day eviction notice. Yeah, enough whining. But I could use prayers. Our children have recently moved out (kinda, they still have an awful lot of their stuff here) so I would like to downsize, just dreaming.

  300. I love how light & bright my house is because of all the windows. During the day, we don’t need a single light on.

  301. I love how cozy my couch feels when my cat and two kids all pile onto it with me. No one even cares if the TV is on as both kids stretch out in opposite directions with their heads planted firmly in my lap. As my fingers comb through their hair, their eyes droop, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. 🙂

  302. I love that my home is in the country, love the sounds, smells, etc.
    I also love our couch, it’s the best place to nap.

  303. We are actually currently preparing to move, and strange as it may sound, we don’t know for sure where yet. So what I love most about our home is…us. Together. The walls come and go, but building us together is the best.

  304. We are moving into an old home and while we have done some remodeling there is a lot to be desired in the eyes of those who seek perfection…one thing I know I will love is the fact that it will be HOME to us and that no matter what the “imperfections” it’s all in our attitude how we choose to view it…and the love & memories that will b shared there are far more important…as a side note it does have high ceilings and some pretty vjntage wide trim that I love 🙂

  305. It is a place of peace, no matter what happens in our day, I can come home the bright and cheery haven that we created. We can make it smell like cinnamon, or bread or flowers. Play our music at any hour, and when the family sleeps I sit and give thanks

  306. I love my bed made like it is ready for a photo shoot in the mornings with the perfectly fluffed pillows and hospital corners, but what I love even more is how my kids (and husband) love to jump on it as soon as I turn my head. It never gets old.

  307. I love our front door! It took us many years to accomplish the dream of ‘our own front door’ and now that we have one it is the greatest joy! I love that everyday we walk through a door that was so worth the wait and that behind that door is our family and our home is forever filled with love!

  308. We own an acreage and it is so peaceful to be outside with nature, whether digging in the dirt, riding horses or sitting in the yard swing. A place where the grandkids can run and enjoy the beauty of nature that God has given us.

  309. I love that we live in a small house. Many people have mentioned that we should be upgrading to a larger house for our growing family, but we’re not ready, and I love where we are. I love that I can hear my children’s voices as they play each day no matter where they are or I am in the house – hearing their interactions brings a smile to my face at least once a day (although it also often makes me face palm ;-))

  310. A couple of years ago we had our back deck rebuilt, making it larger and screening it in. It has a tall ceiling with a ceiling fan and I love this room. It’s a great place to go out and rest.

  311. what I love about my house…. that my husbands love for us is in every room. He has fixed or redone something in every room… <3

  312. I love that my home was the house my Mom and I bought together when she moved to Florida to live after my Daddy passed away. Mom had stage IV cancer and had been fighting it about a year and a half when she moved here. She left her home of 57 years to move here…and joining households was fun and tricky. I have her beautiful things and we bought some things together (That was interesting as we found her tastes to be more formal than my casual living ones!). We shared this home together for 16 months before she went Home to the Lord and my Daddy. It was a precious time and one of her last things on her “bucket list” was to see me in a home of my own. Check that off! My home is a place of Peace and Rest! …and wonderful memories.

  313. I love our cosy family room with the fireplace and the big window looking into our backyard where we can watch the squirrels’ antics. In the winter we spend the majority of our time there. Does the horrible 80’s brick wall that the fireplace sit in bug me? Yep. But not enough to not enjoy the room and all the cuddles on that sofa.

  314. I love nesting. I’m 56 years old and a mother of 4 grown boys. And one granddaughter. And to have and love a family is all I ever wanted to do. My hearts passion is to make a home that loved one another and loved and served God. Amen.

  315. My favorite thing about my apartment is my cozy, eclectic living room. It’s warm and inviting for guests, reflects a sense of “me”, and is a restful place for me to unwind. I was waiting and waiting until marriage before making my place a “home”–God used a friend to hit me with the realization that I could make it my “home” now and go ahead and really live in my present season of singleness. I then transformed the space, & I love it! My friend & I came up with the hashtag #nomorewaiting. 🙂

  316. our neighborhood. we have a fabulous community of neighbors (i wouldn’t trade them!) and, although we’re in a major metro area, tonight when I went running i was about 20 feet away from a trio of deer. and i was running in the beauty of the nature that is less than a mile from my home. we’re so grateful!

  317. I love my home because it is big enough ( and comfortable) for all of us to gather! A blessed time when we are under one roof.

  318. I love that after a few tumultuous years of job losses, illness, and financial crises culminating in a move from our 2400 square foot home to living with grandma, our family is blessed to feel no regret, no sadness, and no fear or worry. We are together, we’re safe, we’re cozy, and we’re full of peace, love, and joy in our tiny space. Home is wherever we are together.

  319. What I love most about our house is that it keeps us comfortable and content. It’s a temporary place, but we’re blooming where we’re planted. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!

  320. I love that because it is small, it forces all six of us to be together more. We can’t all go off and be in our own little corners of a big house and that is a beautiful thing.

  321. I love that I have been mindful of the fact that my kids are only this age once (as am I, for that matter). We have just moved from Michigan to Washington. There are boxes left unpacked, bags left unopened and I. Don’t. Care. If my girls need a cuddle or want to read a story together, we are going to do it. They are in this stage of figuring out where they fit in amidst the chaos of the move. I *cough* LOVE *cough*cough* that the house is a mess; it means I’m taking time out for what REALLY makes a “house” a “home” – my people!!!

  322. I love the work we are putting in to make our new house a home. I love getting to know each inch and envision our family there.

  323. I love that my home is not perfect but is homey not just to my family but to others who come here.

  324. My favorite thing in my home, the four generations that all live under one roof! From my 91 year old father to my 4 year old granddaughter, there are 9 of us sharing life. Grateful for a large kitchen and a beautiful location. Oh it’s not perfect, but it is beautiful.

  325. I love so many things about our home, but hands down my favorite part of living here is the neighborhood. We have the best neighbors, you know, people that invite you over and bring you food when you are sick and watch out for your kids when they are playing outside. And not just a couple neighbors like that. It’s almost everyone. Love it!

  326. What I love most of all about my home is the people in it – my husband and our kids – and our pets, too, of course!

  327. I am about to get married in three months and am in the process of creating a home with my soon to be husband with registries. It’s fun to dream and create a vision together in our humble beginnings.

  328. I love that people feel comfortable when they come to my home. When they come they get good food and good company. Not a perfect house.

  329. My favorite part of our house is how God provided it for us in the nick of time. Because He did. We enjoy a strategic location, several good neighbors, and the amusement value of living in a building that doesn’t look residential, so we get to hide in plain sight. Also, we’re within walking distance of a stream, a part-time cow pasture, a used book store, a fabric store, and fireworks on the 4th of July. Who knew?

  330. I love that my husband decorates our home with his photography from the places of God’s creation He’s taken us to.

  331. I love that I can call my home my own. It was my first real adult purchase and I’ve worked hard to make it really feel like mine.

  332. I love our home that the Lord provided, I prayed about moving from Ontario, Canada to British Columbia, Canada. The year was 2005, our two oldest sons had moved from our home in Ontario to Alberta, Canada in 2000. Years passed and my husband had work up until early 2005. Meanwhile our middle son married and our first grandson was born in 2004 and they lived in B.C. March of 2005 my husbands job came to an end. And all the while I had been praying as to what the Lord will was for us. We decided to move closer to our older children and grandchild. We sold our home in Ontario in three days. I booked a Uhaul and storage in salmon arm, b.c. We tented across Canada and arrived in salmon arm, b.c. unpacked the Uhaul into the storage. We were living in a tent, went to the real estate to set up to see houses. Told him our budget, he said he’d just checked the multi listings and there were no listings in our price range. I told him to please check again as I knew that it was the Lord’s will so there was a house for us. He rechecked and there were three in our price range, he said he didn’t know where they came from as he insisted that they had not been there previously. We bought one of the three, and were very blessed to be able to share about our God who provides. We live in the beautiful Shuswap and look out our windows at the mountains and the beautiful Shuswap Lake. My two bedroom home fits our needs perfectly, of course it does it was provided by God.

  333. I love our home. Our kitchen and family room combination has helped us entertain our kids friends and host parties for our church community. We’ve had our daughter’s bridal shower, friends baby showers and birthday parties. We’re building new memories here all the time. We love to serve the Lord in our home. We are now hosting a home group for empty nesters.

  334. I love that we live in a small apartment in an all boys dorm at the Christian college where my hubby & I both graduated from. It is awesome to be in this ministry and to be a part of such a rich community.

  335. I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing the pasture and the 1890’s barn on the property that my Dad and grandparent’s bought in 1945. And I love my sewing room!

  336. Recently, the nester (unbeknownst to her) helped me to see my house with fresh eyes again. Here’s what I saw. I look out my front window to beautiful mountains every. single. day. Why had I lost that vision? My home has beautiful memories of 4 teenagers learning to become responsible adults. Those memories have messy parts, but they are still beautiful to this momma. It has the loving care of a thoughtful husband who has spent many hours caring for the beautiful landscape that surrounds this house. Needless to say, I love my home. Can’t wait to read your book!

  337. i love my home most importantly for the people i spend it with, but it also brings me happiness to and see all of the pieces that decorate it from various places and times spent with important people to me. it also has an eclectic feel as much as been found, re-purposed, and re-used but still comes together in a cohesive way (at least for me).

  338. I love that my home is safe. The first home we lived in when we moved to town almost 17 years ago turned out to have (very) toxic black mold and low-level carbon monoxide poisoning – we lived there 11 years while I tried to convince my husband that the mold was a serious issue – and the second home we moved into was too near high-voltage power lines (according to the oncologist who treated me for breast cancer which he thought acted like a ‘popcorn popper’ to cells that were negatively impacted by the mold). We built a house while I was going through chemo and we’ve now lived in it for a little over two years…it is a relief to feel safe. I’m so grateful.

  339. I love the beautiful mess of toys left by my 2 1/2 year old and my 5 month old. I know that in the blink of an eye, they will be grown, and those will be the days when I long to clean up their tiny favorite things: broken crayons, squeaky giraffes, blocks, worn books, musical instruments, their beloved blankets and stuffed animals. I try to stay mindful of this as I clean up toys for the fifth time each day. 🙂

  340. I love that my home’s walls are covered in my kids artwork. I truly take joy in their creations!

  341. Does it count to say my family? But, if I were to pick my second favorite part of my home is our table or our large basement, which aids in kids being loud without bothering neighbors (we own a condo).

  342. Thanks! I love this blog My house is not as nice as the house of my neighbor. I do not have such expensive stuff. I have my own taste. But we love it and live it. My house is our ‘warm’ home.

  343. I love being at home. I love coming home and being in the familiar. I love when my whole family is home together.

  344. My new theme is Less is More. Functional and special{ a pretty space and place for things}. I am loving the openness and really digging the lower maintenance that comes with that. It’s a work in progress but I’m already feeling so much more at home. Paint and stain is in my near future….say a little prayer for me. :))

  345. my home is a glorious mess where we work and play and raise our toddler and invite others into our lives to rest while not being perfect:)

  346. I love that we have been able to live in the same home for 15 years and we are comfortable here. It needs updating, but we are thankful to be able to be here.

  347. I love that my home shelters our family of 8 and STILL welcomes company, Bible studies, friends and neighbors.

  348. i love my family pictures—from generations past(yes i actually have many from a century or more ago), to the current smiles of my six grandchildren. since my home has always been fitted in early goodwill/antique store/flea market/ hand-me-down style, all of which can be replaced, i cannot replace the memories of those growing years, or history of family legacy. pray i can pass on this treasured collection to my family!!

  349. I love the upgrades that we have put into our small yard: patio, raised bed garden and flower beds! It may be small, but it is a nice space to play with our 2 year old son and dogs.

  350. I love how over the past 3 years my husband and I have made it more than just a home. We have put or own touches into our house and have made so many memories here.

  351. What I love most about my home is my family is here. There are other things to love, but none of the rest would matter if I had to endure it alone.

  352. With God’s help, this farm is where Dave and I saved each other and built a life. In the house, the walls aren’t square, the floor isn’t level but the love was strong and lasting and the view from every window showcases God’s handiwork. I’m not jealous of anyone or anything; God has blessed me with being content although He’s preparing me to sell and move. Even though I’m a first born, I don’t understand “perfection”; it’s a long walk off a short pier into a deep lake of misery.

  353. I was just sharing my mess with a group of friends, wondering when and if my mess will ever be cleaned up. It’s hard to see the beauty in mess. I’d love to read your book – it seems like such a real story.

  354. I love how cozy my house is. I love that we can all relax in the livingroom and just be in eachothers company.

  355. I love our collection of used Craigslist furniture that somehow all together in our home makes it eclectic and cozy.

  356. I love my backyard oasis. Its funny how a cute set of garden furniture, a few pillows, some candles and a few pots filled with pretty flowers can be transformed into a place to come together.

  357. My, our home is a place full of memories. I love how my children’s rooms, even though they’ve flown the nest and been redecorated are still referred to as Laura and Brian’s rooms. Because my parents live next door we’ve taken down the fence between us and it makes for a lovely expanse for family and friends and myself to enjoy.

  358. My home is a tri level, what I love besides the fact I have raised my 3 beautiful boys in this home and they are grown now and still refer to our home as THEIR home! I love the stairway going to the upper level, its wooden with a cast iron rail with a worn old artisan rug that adorns it! I love that rug as old and as worn as it is. I have no Idea how long it has adorned those stairs it was there before I moved in 17 years ago! It is straight down the middle with the wood showing on the edges. Its beautiful!

  359. I love that our house is our home, lots of memories have been made here. My favorite part of our home is the glass doors leading out to our covered patio, where we spend alot of time in the summer, eating meals and lots of good fellowship

  360. We just moved into yet another rental. Our last house(rental) was never a home, we all hated it but it was a stepping stone for us. our new home is so much better and we all love it, finally! It has less room & storage but it is what we now call home & we are making it ours.

  361. I love the four layers of window treatments in our bedroom. When my boyfriend and I moved in together we both had our own bedroom window treatments, and the new apartment also had miniblinds, so in the name of sleeping in total darkness we just piled them all on. Does it mean we rarely have natural light in the bedroom because it’s too much trouble to take them all down? Yes. Does it mean we both have much better odds of sleeping through the night. YES. Totally worth it.

  362. I love my kitchen. It’s the place where everyone hangs out, the heart of the house, where the action, and the food is and the most fun, even if it’s doing the dishes.

  363. What do I love about my home? The yard that is not too small and not too big, the finished basement, the wood paneling in the guest room, the kitchen, the fact that we have a dining room, that the washer and dryer are on the main level, two bathrooms, I could go on and on.

    We just moved into our first house over the weekend. It is so much bigger than our apartment, but it still isn’t too big.

  364. Having just bought my first house, I still love my home! That for the first time ever I can put down roots for awhile. That we can welcome our soon-to-be-born son into this world and have enough space for him. There are still boxes everywhere and I don’t know where almost anything is, but I feel SO BLESSED.

  365. “Don’t believe the lie that you have to wait until the circumstances are better, more acceptable, perfect even, until you can create a real home. You might just find yourself wishing your life away.” LOVE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I too used to say the exact same thing .. HA .. We’ve moved 11 times in the past 13 yrs!!! Now or never is the motto nowadays. We love our 940 sq ft condo: open concept, wood floors, windows everywhere. The size made us purge down to the best essentials which is an amazing weight off the shoulders!!!

    Thanks for the opportunity!!!

  366. I love that my home is where the kids, friends and family feel right at home. There is stuff everywhere – books, movies, magazines, games, decks of cards, puzzles, game console, nail polish, and the list goes on. Comfortably cluttered and everyone is happy : )

  367. I love that my home is filled with LOVE. It’s also filled with dog-hair, but that’s beside the point!

  368. i love the random “character” that comes with and older home and our hardwood floors…and most of all, the people who live there!

  369. what a refreshing truth! Thank you! I spent several years with nothing on the walls, waiting for the ‘next house’, when we could have been truly living in the first. We are in a new house now, it’s actually smaller, but it’s less to clean, less to straighten, pulls us closer MORE often. It’s surrounded by country. The air smells differently fresh and alive here. I love it 🙂

  370. After 30 years of home ownership (13 of which were in my dream home) and 24 years of marriage, I find my daughter and I in an apt – and my marriage disintegrated. But my home is peaceful and I am no longer trapped with the hoarding issues that I was confronted with every day. I certainly pray for a healing of our marriage, but in the meantime, this new home is a home of peace and rest and restoration. This is nothing like I would “pick,” but it is God’s perfect provision for me and my daughter now and I am so thankful. Christ has made this refuge for us and, as always, He dwells among us.

  371. I love that our home is ours… with dirty windows, cereal on the floor and dishes in the sink! I do love it when it is clean and shiny… but I love it even more when my kids are having fun and making messes!!

  372. I love that our house backs up to a golf course. Yes, we occasionally get hit by golf balls. (Only one broken window so far, thankfully!) But the view is gorgeous, and the pond is home to turtles and ducks and cranes. Plus the fountains light up at night.

  373. After reading what you wrote about, I *love* our renter, builder beige walls! And our kitchen – we’ve added bright pops of red & robin’s egg blue throughout. It’s such a sweet time for Hubby & I to cook up our favorite recipes & try out new ones!

  374. I love that our home is ours. I wasn’t able to find a job when we got married despite having spent five years in school. My husband is in a very competitive field that doesn’t pay a ton. We lived in a two bedroom apartment outside city limits because that’s what we could afford. Oh yeah, we also found out we were pregnant three months after we got married. So a baby a few weeks shy of our first anniversary, a job my husband felt was dead end, and me with no job. We NEVER thought we’d be able to buy a house. But God…

    In His infinite wisdom and abundant grace provided my husband with job that would become a career, moved us to a different city, and gave us a house THAT WE COULD AFFORD!! What?!?!? The day we closed on our house has been a faith marker for me.

    Oh yeah, I also love that my home has no carpet. 😉

  375. I love the space I have for entertaining and the stream that runs through the backyard.

  376. I love my glassed in sun porch! It is the perfect compliment to the many gray or rainy days here in the northwest!

  377. I love the people in my home that’s what makes my house a home. I’m blessed to have a house to make memories in and even when it’s not always picked up, toys still lying around ect. It’s stilly our home.

  378. I currently live in our church parsonage… it’s not “technically” our house, but it’s home to us. I love the little ones that run up and down the steps, around the kitchen, and make this old farm house shake when they choose to chase each other and jump up and down the old/crackling floors… it’s home because of the people that live in it! 🙂

  379. I love all the woodwork we have in our home and the extra large two-person shower in the master bath (is that TMI?) 🙂

  380. I love that we have two bathrooms even though not a master bath attached to the master room. I have lived in only two houses in my 49 years! I think I love that too a good deal of the time.

    However, I am awaiting the final sign off on my inheritance of my grandparents home in CT ( I live in CA) and then my husband and I will make the biggest move of our lives! That home was always one of my favorites growing up. What a God send that it would become mine some day… WOW!

  381. Your comments really resonate with me, I always thought I need perfection to be happy. After living in the same home for 32 years, children grown or in college, we downsized. I can’t tell you what a weight off the shoulders that has been, scaling back and just living with the things we love. Your pictures make me think of a warm, cozy haven, with lots of love and laughter. I’m going to now send a message to my friend who forwarded this to me. Bravo on your new book, may it be a huge success.

  382. I love that my home is my sanctuary and that I am starting over with my house. I have lived here almost 15 years and in the last 8 years I have struggled with serious depression which lead to hoarding. I am now “de-hoarding” and de-cluttering. I am looking forward to having a fresh house and warm and inviting home! God’s unconditional love and strength is my underlining and overall support in this journey.

  383. “There’s beauty in the imperfection.” LOVE THIS. Thank you so much for sharing! I’m going to get your book tomorrow! 🙂

  384. I love looking around and seeing things with history…my grandma’s sewing table, a chest my grandpa took to college, curtains I sewed and my dad hung, etc. That makes it special and HOME!

  385. We have a great back patio. When the weather is nice, there’s just nothing better than sitting out there watching the kids play.

  386. I love the natural light that comes in all day long. Something about that warm glow made me feel right at home from the very first time I toured it.

  387. I love the picture window in our main room, which is like a giant painting of the beautiful neighborhood trees, which change with the seasons!

  388. I love my bed. On the weekends, and sometimes on weekdays early in the morning before school/ work, my husband, son, and I (along with two cats and a dog ) climb in and snuggle together. We giggle, tell stories, sing songs, snuggle, snooze, etc. It’s precious family together time.

  389. I love the tree decal I put on my bedroom wall, it was the first creative thing I did in my home once I got the gift of buying it. it took me ages to match up all the branches in black but once it was on I felt accomplished. It reminded me of life and it’s become my family tree. I love it.
    Just found this blog, excited to red more!

  390. I love our new flooring in the living and dining rooms. Even though we had to go through busted water pipes to get it. Three months later I can *almost* say it was worth it!

  391. my little house has giant windows that let so much light into our home…we are so thankful because even though we live in the often rainy city of Seattle…our house is rarely dark and gloomy!

  392. I love the heart ornaments we hang up wherever we’re living as it reminds me not to stress about making things perfect and tidy but that finding love and welcome is much more important. Thank you for this reminder today x

  393. I really like that there is a park pretty close to my home. Also, I love it that we are trying to put Scripture in every room of our house just like God commanded His people to do in the Bible. I so need to keep my mind on Scripture and it certainly blesses me to have it throughout my home.

  394. I have had a love/hate relationship with our little 850 sq. ft. house since moving in. It’s been a slow process, but I’m shifting much farther into the love realm here, partly due to Nesting Place. I have challenged myself to look at it’s charm and good qualities instead of focusing on the things that drive me crazy. I’ve found that I embrace it as it is and change what I can I like it even more. My house is actually adorable, cozy and very homey. I love the closeness we have here. I have the poem “Love Grows Best in Little Houses” on my wall as a daily reminder to cherish what’s most important and what this home provides for us. There will be many things I’ll miss about this little place when we move.

  395. I lived in an apartment for 7 years. I made it as homey as I could on my budget. Fast forward many years and I have a nice house out in the country. Is it perfect-by no means. It is a never-ending project. Now I have a wonderful hubby and a pet Iguana (Tiny) to love and a place to cook meals and enjoy life. Some day most, if not all, the renovations will be done and we will sit back and enjoy It all. Now we are enjoying life as best we can!

  396. i love that my home is an imperfect place that people feel comfortable in and enjoy spending time in.

  397. I love the fact that we built our home ourselves. There is a great memory or funny story attached to every room. We learned a lot along the wat since neither if us had any construction knowledge when we started. It was an incredible journey and I wouldn’t change a thing!

  398. I love my living room! It’s a room that is actually lived in, it has a mismatched furniture eclectic look to it, but it’s perfect for our family and I love it!

  399. I’ve been blessed to live in my mom’s home right now. I love the crooked light fixture where I stood up to dance on the counter the week we moved in and crashed my head into my mom’s perfect new home.

  400. I love that our home is personalized by my family (and my pets) and we are very comfortable there. I am grateful to our God every day for this home.

  401. I love our daughter’s bedroom; it wouldn’t win any decorating awards, but we waited and prayed for her for a long time, so any time spent in that room is very special to me!

  402. the best place in our home is around the kitchen table. We gather around the table to be with one another, family and friends – we have laughter, tears, memories are made, holidays are shared and we always know when around the table we are together

  403. I have struggled with things being perfect but have soon realized that my now “lived in” home is far more comfortable than a friend’s home that appears unlived in. Love the Nester!

  404. i love all of my pops of color! even though i don’t have a “theme” and sticky to certain primary colors – i love ALL the color that my home has! and how it fits me! 🙂

  405. We’ve just moved into a rental with a surprisingly small kitchen but large dining area. I found a free giant table on craigslist and it has become the heart of our home. We gather around it with friends for meals and it’s often covered with our many crafting projects and supplies.

  406. I love raising our daughter in our cozy home! So many memories being added to our home.

  407. Funny how we see our own things differently. I look at your photos and wish my house could be that pretty! 🙂 I love that my house has lots of windows. I love my new master bedroom/bath remodel. And I am trying to learn to love the rest of it. 🙂

  408. I love that my home has a sweet sleeping baby upstairs! And a front porch we can greet my husband from when he comes home so he can see the excited, kicking legs of our baby as he realizes dad is home! 🙂

  409. I like our big windows. They may not be fancy but they let in a lots of light.

  410. There are many things I love about our house. I love that it is much smaller than our last one. Less to clean! I love that the washer and dryer hook-ups are on the same floor as our bathroom, instead of two floors down. I love all the light streaming in the windows. I love that most of our windows open and have screens ~ great cross flow of air! I love the wide white trim and the clean light walls. I love my little front porch and my little back deck. I love the location ~ two blocks to the library, four blocks to a riverfront view and two miles to church. It is definitely not perfect, but it is a wonderful gift from God!

  411. I love the small size…easier to clean, but also that we live in the woods, and there’s often a cool breeze and plenty of bird sounds to enjoy!

  412. I love our house for many reasons. I love the open floor plan and the fact that the kids can run circles through the kitchen, living room, dining room, and hallway areas. I love that my kids love to congregate in the kitchen when I’m trying to cook – even though I am constantly having to step over them and their toys/crafts/etc. I love all the windows that allow God’s light to brighten our home rather than other light sources during most days. I love the shelves full of books and the stacks of board games. One of my favorites is our location and yard. We have an almost 1/2 acre plot with trees out back to separate us from the corn field and cow pastures behind us. Not only that, we actually live in a neighborhood, so we are close to other people but our houses don’t seem on top of each other. We’ve got a little city and a little country at this home.

  413. I love that although our old home is in the city limits, our tree-filled yard and 3 acres allows us to feel like we’re not. We have bird feeders out and have a lovely assortment of birds at them: goldfinches, indigo buntings, catbirds, rose-breasted grosbeaks, cardinals, mourning doves, etc.

  414. I love my home because it is where I am at peace and true joy. It may be a mess some days but it is where laughter, beautiful memories and my family are. It is where I see growing, learning and excitement take place. Where I’m able to express who I am with the art pieces that are hung and the modern decorations that we like. Even though it isn’t the biggest home…it is my home and I’m thankful to God for it.

  415. I needed this today, thank you! Two years ago, my husband decided he wanted to pursue his doctorate degree and moved our family to an entirely different state, where we’ve been renting the smallest square footage legally allowed in order to afford his schooling. I have not hung pictures on walls, never unpacked our decoratives, and left all our homey things in the boxes. We weren’t going to be here for long – four years, max. It didn’t seem to be worth the trouble to unpack the unnecessary items when we weren’t staying. But, I feel ashamed having guests as my home is cold and sterile, no representation of us. And we have brought our third baby home to this rental. I’ve been debating making the effort (as now we’ve only 2 years left in our stay), but this is what I needed to push me over the hump and just do it!