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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

October 19, 2012

It’s Inspiration Friday No. 86! Welcome!


Are you ready to party with us?

 Thank you all so much for understanding why Inspiration Friday had to take a little break last week!
Things were kinda crazy around the Fence last weekend with Heather speaking at the Southern Bloggers Conference and also getting her hands on the November issue of Better Homes & Gardens with the feature of her kitchen makeover!

and Vanessa partnering with LG at the Wine and Food Festival in NYC.
Here she is with winning reader Mia White at the “Sweet” Godiva event sponsored by LG and featuring Sandra Lee from the Food Network!
Be sure to come back Monday when Vanessa will share more of her amazing experiences in the Big Apple!
But, we are so happy to be back here with all of you and can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to in the past 2 weeks.
Have you entered to win our latest GIVEAWAY??
You could win a $50 credit to The Shop At Beyond the Screen Door!
Click here for details.
Let’s check out our Inspiration Friday Features now, shall we?
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INSPIRED ROOMS
Jennifer from Dimples and Tangles transformed her daughter’s room from “little girl sweet” to “sophisticated and chic”. Check out those awesome lamps!
Jeri from Decorating Hemlock gave her dining room a beautiful makeover and we absolutely love how she stacked this shelving unit over a dresser to create a one-of-a-kind display area.
Joanne from Double Wide in the Sky will always feel like she is in a luxury hotel when she is in her gorgeous new bedroom!
INSPIRED MAKEOVERS
Kathryn from The Dedicated House gave her banister a fresh new look by staining the railing. You have to see the before to appreciate this fantastic after!
Another staircase makeover came to us from Diedre of Simply Sophisticated. Charm and character was the name of the game here and we think she achieved both!
INSPIRED CRAFTS and CREATIONS
Cristina from Remodelando la Casa showed us how to make this fantastic DIY Window Bench perfect for reading or just daydreaming. Brings out the little girl in all of us, doesn’t it?
Kate from Salvage Dior proved that elegance doesn’t have to mean expensive when she transformed Dollar Tree trays into works of art!
An Anglo in Quebec showed us how she built this amazing Fire Pit into the hillside of her backyard! We can imagine many a evening gathered around it’s warmth.
INSPIRED RECIPES and PARTIES
Sylvia from Sylvia’s Simple Life makes her family’s traditional Autumn Picnic look like the cover of a L.L. Bean catalog and this is only a glimpse of how amazing it is!
Kelly from Smart School House shared with us the recipe for this “Teacher-tini” and we think it definitely earns an A+!
How adorable is this Chocolate Fondue Turkey Platter created by Jenn from Clean and Scentsible?!!
INSPIRED FALL DECOR
Angie from Beneath the Magnolias shared with us the tutorial for making this gorgeous “No Sew Pumpkin Applique Pillow” and we think she gave Pottery Barn a run for their money!
Ashley from Cherished Bliss showed us how she made this darling Cheesecloth Pumpkin and we just love how unique and rustic it looks!
Dyed Cheesecloth Pumpkin // Cherished Bliss #pumpkin #tutorial

Allison from The Golden Sycamore showed off her Fall “Fantel” and it is so fresh and lovely!
Alecia from Chicken Scratch showed us how she made these Hot Glue Spider Webs and we think this is seriously clever and creative!
Jill from Create.Craft.Love gave an antique window a spooky face lift with the help of the Raven in a Birdcage graphic.

INSPIRING STORIES

Our friend Kerry from House TalkN is putting her big girl pants on and taking care of her health, motivated by the fact that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And, this is the face she makes when she thinks about having to go get a mammogram!
Kathie from Krafty Kat shared with us what happened when stress got the better of her and 5 Ways she could have avoided it!
If you were featured today (or have been featured in the past) please grab the featured at button code located on our Buttons Page found under our header!
We have a SPECIAL REQUEST of you, if you visit INSPIRATION FRIDAY and like to PIN the great projects you see here! Please pin from the ORIGINAL SOURCE and not our blog. Thank you! Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest where we also pin each week’s Inspiration Friday Features. 

Thank you to everyone who shared so many fabulous posts with us last week! We appreciate you!
Now it’s time to share with us what has inspired you this week!
Thank you so much for joining us for Inspiration Friday at the Fence,

When you are done linking up head over and party with the other Friday Party Friends:

vif187Fridays Unfolded
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Now all ya PARTY PEOPLE it’s time to link on up…here’s some instructions for Inspiration Friday
  • Link Up any post you’ve written that has Inspired You and will Inspire Others-it can be a home improvement project, craft, recipe, story, devotional…if it inspires link it up!
  • Be sure to link back to your original post  and not just your url (main blog address)
  • Please post our button (code on our Buttons Page found at top of blog) or a text link on your blog so others can join in the fun! (MANDATORY to be featured At The Picket Fence)Tutorial on how to link up a button: Blogging 101
  • Visit another guest. Please try and visit at least the link directly above and below you! We try to visit as many posts as we can but as Inspiration Friday grows sometimes we miss some and for that we apologize. It makes us feel good knowing others are visiting people as well! Thank you..it truly means a lot to us

This Inspiration Friday Party is Sponsored By:



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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rosemary@villabarnes says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:03 PM

    The conference looks like so much fun. Thanks for hosting.

    Reply
  2. Debra @ Common Ground says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:06 PM

    Sounds like you gals have been super busy having fun, just love that pumpkin pillow! just linked up, thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  3. Kerryanne @ Shabby Art Boutique says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:08 PM

    Stunning features this week. Thanks for hosting Heather and Vanessa 🙂

    Reply
  4. Lynn@ The Vintage Nest says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:09 PM

    I really appreciate you all hosting this fun party. It’s so much fun to see all the amazing Halloween decor, the DIY projects and makeovers and delicious recipes. Sharing my porch today. xoxo

    Reply
  5. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:16 PM

    Fab features and congrats again to Heather. Thanks for hosting, girls.

    Reply
  6. K Coake says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:17 PM

    Thanks so much for hosting! Can’t wait to hear about all the fun in the Big Apple. Looks like it was a great week for you all.

    Reply
  7. Cristina Garay says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:18 PM

    Thanks so much for including my project among those great features! Enjoy your weekend! Thanks for hosting.

    Reply
  8. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:22 PM

    Thanks for hosting girls! have a great weekend:)

    Reply
  9. Sherry says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:34 PM

    Thanks for hosting! Loving that dishwasher. I need one bad! Glad you had a great time with these two events!
    Sherry

    Reply
  10. Becca says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:40 PM

    Love the group picture, Heather! And, Vanessa … what FUN … can’t wait to hear more about your amazing trip! Love, love the fantastic features … and, thank you so much for hosting! xoxo

    Reply
  11. Kathy A Delightsome Life says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:44 PM

    Hello Ladies,
    Wonderful post – congratulations on all your adventures! Love the features and appreciate you hosting,
    Kathy

    Reply
  12. Anita says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:52 PM

    Welcome back girls! Great features and thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  13. Richella says

    October 18, 2012 at 8:57 PM

    Have you caught your breath yet? You’ve both been so busy–but what wonderful busy-ness!! Heather, I’m so proud of your BH&G feature. I’m guessing that most of us have always cherished the dream of being in a magazine, and for me THE magazine has always been Better Homes & Gardens. I have such fond memories of reading my mom’s copies! And I’ve read it my whole married life, even when I didn’t have my own home or garden. So to see someone I know on the pages just made me so happy! (I do know you, of course, even though I’ve never met you in real life. And you were right here in my neck of the woods last weekend–wish I could have made it to the Southern Bloggers Conference!)

    As for you, Vanessa, I still can’t believe you got a trip to the Big Apple and got to take a reader with you! I really enjoyed reading her entry to the contest; I think she deserved to win. I hope y’all had a wonderful time.

    It’s nice to be here with you week after week. Thanks so much for all the work you put into hosting this amazing party!

    Reply
  14. Jeri says

    October 18, 2012 at 9:10 PM

    Welcome back and congratulations on the BH&G feature!! I’m so excited for you!! I think my neighbor heard me scream when I saw my dining room featured!! Thank you so much sweeties!!
    xoxo
    Jeri

    Reply
  15. reFresh reStyle says

    October 18, 2012 at 9:12 PM

    Oh my goodness, look at me in that photo! LOL I had so much fun at the conference 🙂
    Thanks for hosting ladies! Love all the inspiration at your party.
    Debbie

    Reply
  16. Athena at Minerva's Garden says

    October 18, 2012 at 9:12 PM

    What fun to be at the Wine and Food Festival and the Southern Bloggers Conference, ladies! Both events sound and look like they were really fun. Glad you are back–I love this week’s beautiful features. Thank you for hosting such a fun party each week for us!

    Reply
  17. Calypso In The Country says

    October 18, 2012 at 9:16 PM

    You have been busy! Thanks for hosting today!
    -Shelley

    Reply
  18. Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures says

    October 18, 2012 at 9:31 PM

    Thanks so much for hosting and for sharing these wonderful features. Loved the metal shelving unit on top of the pretty dresser.

    Reply
  19. Hands to Work, Hearts to God says

    October 18, 2012 at 9:35 PM

    Thank you for the party every week and for the features! I love Kerry’s face- priceless! I too make a face when I have to get mammograms! Ugh! Patsy from
    HeARTworks

    Reply
  20. Sue says

    October 18, 2012 at 10:02 PM

    You two girls are just running with the big dogs these days! How fun and exciting to travel around the country and get to take in so much information! Glad you had a blast. hugs, Sue

    Reply
  21. Stuff and Nonsense says

    October 18, 2012 at 10:08 PM

    you guys are like
    rock stars

    jetting to NYC
    for the weekend

    getting published
    in a major mag

    i’m so excited for you!

    thanks for hosting
    and wasn’t that picnic
    just amazing?

    {alison}

    Reply
  22. Kristy Creighton says

    October 18, 2012 at 10:11 PM

    Thanks for the awesome party! I’m in love with the cabinet with the wire rack! Beautiful!

    Have a great weekend!

    Kristy @ Shona Skye Creations
    https://shonaskye.blogspot.com

    Reply
  23. Kate says

    October 18, 2012 at 10:14 PM

    Dear Heather and Vanessa
    Thank you so very much for featuring my dollar store plate project. You two truly have such amazing talent on your link up I am so very humbled. Have a beautiful week

    Much love
    Kate@ Salvage Dior
    xoxo

    Reply
  24. Alderberry Hill says

    October 18, 2012 at 10:31 PM

    I love partying here, thanks so much for hosting!

    Reply
  25. Liz Fourez says

    October 18, 2012 at 10:52 PM

    Looks like you both have had fantastically fun weeks! Thanks so much for hosting your awesome party and have a wonderful weekend: )

    Love Always,
    Liz

    Reply
  26. Smart! School {House} says

    October 18, 2012 at 10:53 PM

    Thank you for A+ grade on my Teacher-tini!!!!
    I let out a big ol’ giddy squeal when I scrolled across it at your party today:)
    What a fun surprise!

    So grateful,
    Kelly at Smart! School {House}

    Reply
  27. Jann Olson says

    October 18, 2012 at 11:00 PM

    Congrats to the success of you two talented gals. Some really great features! Thanks for the party!
    Hugs,
    Jann

    Reply
  28. suzyq says

    October 18, 2012 at 11:13 PM

    What fantastic features!!! Thanks so much for hosting and BIG congratulations 🙂
    Hugs,
    Suzan

    Reply
  29. AllyJo says

    October 18, 2012 at 11:44 PM

    Thank you for hosting. All the links are very “inspiring”. I look looking at it all.

    Reply
  30. melissa @ daisymaebelle.com says

    October 19, 2012 at 12:12 AM

    Thanks so much for hosting! Congrats on the Better Homes and Garden article!!! Life to the full, Melissa

    Reply
  31. Taryn @ Design, Dining + Diapers says

    October 19, 2012 at 12:17 AM

    Thanks for hosting ladies! Hope you both have fabulous weekends 🙂

    Reply
  32. Kathy Moody says

    October 19, 2012 at 12:18 AM

    Congrats on Better Homes and Garden article! That is awesome!! Thanks so much for another great party. Happy Friday!

    Reply
  33. Bonnie @ Uncommon says

    October 19, 2012 at 1:14 AM

    you gals are quite the little travelers!! 😉 thanks for hosting each week…fabulous party!!! 😉 Bonnie

    Reply
  34. ~ Liz ~ says

    October 19, 2012 at 1:17 AM

    Looks like lots of fun in NYC, but then of course, it was! Thanks so much for bringing us all along via the blog and getting everyone together for the party!
    Liz

    Reply
  35. Nici - Posed Perfection says

    October 19, 2012 at 1:21 AM

    Thanks so much for hosting! Hope you have a great week!
    Blessings,
    Nici

    Reply
  36. SwedishCorner ~ DownUnder...Pernilla says

    October 19, 2012 at 1:24 AM

    Thanks for hosting! Lovely features, one of my favourites was the one of a kind shelving – great look! 🙂 ~Pernilla

    Reply
  37. Kerry Rossow says

    October 19, 2012 at 1:53 AM

    Holy Mammogram! Thank you so much for sharing my boobalicious post and thank you for hosting- I missed y’all last week!
    Kerry at HouseTalkN

    Reply
  38. Lyuba @ Will Cook For Smiles says

    October 19, 2012 at 2:54 AM

    Look at this fabulous party! You girls rock 🙂 Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  39. Zuni, Chickadee Home Nest says

    October 19, 2012 at 3:08 AM

    And now you’re back to carry on! Thanks for another great party! ~Zuni

    Reply
  40. Sonya@Beyond the Screen Door says

    October 19, 2012 at 3:19 AM

    Hi, Girls. So many great things going on with you gals. Thank you again for the spotlight! Glad to be partying with you.

    Reply
  41. Jean @ www.thebackyardbungalow.com says

    October 19, 2012 at 2:30 AM

    You guys are blogging rock stars! Now, I’m off to check out the recipe on that teacher-tini!

    Reply
  42. Jillene@inkhappi says

    October 19, 2012 at 9:53 AM

    I am so glad I found your blog. I LOVE it! So I am a new follower! Thanks for hosting the link. I just went public this week at “inkhappi”- putting the {i} in happi! Check it out. 🙂 https://inkhappi.com

    Have a SUPER weekend!

    Reply
  43. Wendy says

    October 19, 2012 at 2:11 PM

    Great features! Love the bedroom! I’ve already spotted lots of inspiration from this weeks links! Thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  44. Nancy at maddalee™ says

    October 19, 2012 at 3:13 PM

    Hi Heather and Vanessa, great features, thank you for sharing and hosting another party! It’s great to link up here and see all the fun!

    Have a good day, Nancy

    Reply
  45. Meredith @ Wait Til Your Father Gets Home says

    October 19, 2012 at 4:12 PM

    You two always have such great features!! Thanks for another fabulous party!!
    xo, Meredith @ http://www.waittilyourfathergetshome.com

    Reply
  46. Sylvia says

    October 19, 2012 at 4:45 PM

    Dear friends,
    You girls rock! What a fabulous week you had!
    I am more than humble and grateful for the heartwarming words you have used to describe our little picnic and my photos. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made my Friday … and you make our fall family tradition even more special.
    Keep on creating and enjoy a beautiful season!

    Reply
  47. LittleOwlCrunchyMomma says

    October 19, 2012 at 5:52 PM

    Thanks so much for hosting!

    Linked up my post, “WILL THE REAL VITAMIN C STAND UP”

    https://littleowlcrunchymomma.blogspot.com/2012/10/superfood-series-2-will-real-vitamin-c.html

    Reply
  48. ~Tablescapes By Diane~ says

    October 19, 2012 at 5:56 PM

    Hi lovely ladies.
    Thanks for hosting your linky party for us all. I hope you Girls have a Great Weekend.
    XXOO Diane

    Reply
  49. Pamela says

    October 19, 2012 at 6:39 PM

    Thanx for hosting gals!

    Reply
  50. Leslie Harris says

    October 19, 2012 at 7:06 PM

    welcome back girls! You were missed.
    Leslie (aka Gwen Moss blog)

    Reply
  51. Kathie says

    October 19, 2012 at 9:12 PM

    Oh, wow! Thanks so much for the featured! Love your party and the fact that you always have so many great features!

    Reply
  52. Barbara Hiatt says

    October 19, 2012 at 11:16 PM

    Thanks so much for the party! Heather I just saw your kitchen update in BH&G! You look great! Your kitchen island is beautiful! Have a great weekend!
    Barbara at Chase the Star
    chasethestar dot net

    Reply
  53. Joanne says

    October 20, 2012 at 3:02 PM

    Thanks SO much for the feature of my Master Bedroom MakeOver! Totally made my day {and I needed that}!!!!
    Sounds like things are just hopping over there for y’all! Continue to have fun and CONGRATS!

    -Joanne

    Reply
  54. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    October 20, 2012 at 3:33 PM

    Thanks for hosting Ladies! I can’t believe what a week you’ve had. How exciting! I am soo happy for the both of you. Your blog has done soo well and you deserve the best. I’m off to check out Heather’s BHG feature. How cool! =) Have a lovely weekend.

    ~ Catie

    Reply
  55. Carissa Rasmussen says

    October 20, 2012 at 5:55 PM

    sparkles make everything better! thanks for hosting! have a great weekend

    Reply
  56. Kathryn Ferguson Griffin says

    October 20, 2012 at 8:12 PM

    You gals are the best! Thank you for featuring my banister! You made my day. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    Reply
  57. Http://whatmeeganmakes.com says

    October 20, 2012 at 2:49 PM

    Wow! What an amazing week for you two!! SO exciting to see your well deserved success!! Congratulations!!
    Thanks for hosting and always sharing some incredible inspiration!!
    Meegan
    meeganmakes{dot}com

    Reply
  58. Jenni@MomEssentials.Net says

    October 21, 2012 at 8:59 AM

    Hi!
    Thanks for letting me share my own recipe of tasty and delicious
    Essentially Healthy Lemon Bars!

    Here’s the link:
    https://www.momessentials.net/essentiall-healthy-lemon-bars/

    Reply
  59. sweetinspirationsbyjpdesigns says

    October 22, 2012 at 1:18 AM

    Love that sequin pumpkin! I think you’ll like my fall dinner decor!

    Reply
  60. Ashley says

    October 28, 2012 at 6:29 PM

    Thanks so much for the feature!!

    Reply
  61. Donna @ An Anglo in Quebec says

    November 2, 2012 at 10:49 AM

    Thank you soooo much for featuring my outdoor firepit! What an honour!! We have already had a lot of fun gathering around this pit and I am sure there will be many more good times ahead.

    Reply

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Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to sha Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to share all of the details of our family room shelving makeover but I’m super impatient and just had to give you all a sneak peek!! We are SO happy with how they turned out and it finally looks like I’ve always envisioned. Our quick fix years ago (scroll to see the before photo) never felt quite right but now? Soooo much better!! 🙌🏻 Big shoutout to our amazingly talented friend Matt @redemptive_woodworx for bringing our vision to life and doing such impeccable work.

I hope you all have a great start to the 4th of July weekend and make sure to check my stories later for Friday Funnies!
The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
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