HOME

Last year at Christmas my step-sister talked about how she had read an article about having a "word of the year" to live by. I want to say her word was either TRUST or BELIEVE. She gave a few examples of how on dark days, she was able to go to her word for comfort and guidance.

The thought of a "word of the year" intrigued me, and I wanted to try it for 2017. I chose HABIT as my word. I was unsuccessful, and forgot my word by January 15th. 

But, I'm trying again this year...

HOME

When I first think of home, the picture of a house pops into my head. A building with 4 walls and a roof over your head. It gives you shelter from the heat and cold. It's a place to rest your body at the end of the day. 

In reality a home is so much more than a building with a roof and 4 walls. A home is someplace that is filled with love, joy, sadness, comfort, and security. It's a place for you to recharge your batteries at the end of a long work day, only to get up and do it all over again the next day. It's a place to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner and share it with the people you love. 

My kids and I moved into a new home around Thanksgiving. Making our new home a HOME this year is my goal. 

The kitchen is the heart of the home, at least for me, 

and the sunsets we have from our kitchen window in our new place 

make me love it even more!

But, a home isn't just a place, it is a feeling as well. 

Not only did we move into a new place, we moved to a whole new city, in a whole new state in 2017. We moved back to my hometown, and while I couldn't be happier, my kids are still getting used to it. Well, I should say Lindsey loves it, DR is on the fence. Most days he's happy, while other days he wishes we could move back to Ohio and his old school. Sorry buddy.

When we had the opportunity to move back to WV early last year, I jumped on it. Bigger and better schools for both my kids, better opportunities at sports for my son, bigger city with more to do and closer to those activities. I'm not saying where we lived before wasn't a great place to live, but it never felt like HOME to me.

Now, as I drive around my hometown, taking the kids where they need to go, or going to work or the grocery store, I look around and have this peaceful, calm feeling wash over me, and I know that I made the right decision.

Home is where the heart is, and for me that is Wheeling, WV.

Maybe once the last picture is hung on 12/31/2018, I can try HABIT as my word for 2019?