That one place

I always want our home to be a place the girls and Levi want to be!  A place of warmth and comfort, where the walls are surrounded by love and memories.  A place, where when life gets hard, it's just where you want to be.  Having a home like that is more than how it looks, more than the decorations or the colors on the walls, but a place where the beauty is told by what happens inside those walls.

There is one place in our home, that is "the place to be"

I'm not quite sure what it is, but this chair, this spot in our room...... It's the best!

I could sit there for hours and everything about it is comforting

Our room is one of the only places in our home we have yet to decorate,

but I still could be in this chair all day!

It is the place where I read, I rest.

My children sit on my lap

We read stories

Watch shows

Stare out the window together

It is the place where the kids argue about who gets to sit there

especially that corner spot, the best!

Even Levi, desperately races and climbs for his spot .

It is the place where blonde hair has been braided, millions of times!

And giggles and thieves oil have been spread.

It is the place I always go when the house in silent and the kids are napping.  Sometimes I don't know what I'm going to do when I get there, I just know I want to be there.

It is the place I go when I feel sad or overwhelmed

It is the place where I have gotten a closer look at who God is through His word

and it is the place I have gotten to know the Braveman family.....

I hope that as my kids grow and all four of their little booties can't squeeze on they will still race for the chair

I hope it is a place they will find comfort and joy and a sense of home and maybe even draw neared to the Lord

Where is your place? 

Diaversity

Today marks one year since Norah has been diagnosed with diabetes.  People always say managing this disease will get easier, and in some ways it has, but it also become much more complex.
I made a short video of what life is like living with type 1.  I made it so you can get a glimpse into our lives, but more to spread awareness so children don't suffer the severe effects of undiagnosed diabetes. 

Living with type 1 from Brett and Jenni Goodlin on Vimeo.

33rd

I just had my 33rd birthday

Brett got me NEEDTOBREATHE tickets for this summer at the Red Rocks outdoor amphitheater! DREAM COME TRUE!
I'm kind of dying from excitement about it!

A friend stopped by in the morning with a gift and stayed, which was just as good of a gift! 

Those are my favorite types of friends.  

The ones that come and stay unexpectedly!

2 More friends came by with lunch and just spent time with me and made me a delicious deep dish cookie pie!

We spent the evening watching Maya's school performance....

Friday, I had a small valentine party with a friend who shares my California heart, we both sighed at the thought of a nice Spring time..... only in Cali

I squeezed in as many free meals as I could from all my birthday coupons.  Red Robin, yes please.  Qdoba, I'll take that.  Free starbucks, of course!

We were invited to a game night on Valentines evening.
 It was so good to be invited somewhere!
And eat tri-tip!

Papa & Yami watched the kids on Sunday afternoon so Brett and I could have a date.  We both ate very quickly and then went grocery shopping....

I woke up Monday morning with a lovely message from a friend.    I had one of the biggest gifts in my life ever this past January!  I got to be with my friend Celine as she gave birth to her 4th baby!  I was able to do photography and videography and she wrote about it all here!
It was one of my favorite moments in life!

 Go check it out.

I was with who I loved most.  It was simple.  It was loving.  It was a good birthday weekend!

learning something new

It's February, Hoorah!!

I always feel like January just trudges along so slowly.  Like I'm going uphill in a paddle boat in the snow and I'm never going to feel warm again.

I wanted January to feel more purposeful.  To do something outside myself.  To learn something new.

So I decided to make use of free pallet wood.  Which fits in perfectly with our budge of $0 for crafting and home projects.

So I did it.  I found a place with free pallet wood.  Even getting the wood myself was outside my comfort zone..... I'm in introvert at heart

I tried demo-ing the first pallet with a few crow bars and hammer as suggested pinterest.

I discovered that after about 20 minutes I was a very hostile person to be around and I had only taken one nail out!

that's not happening, so I tried to figure out a better way to demo a pallet and discovered the Sawzall!  It's basically just as tough as it sounds.

Now power tools...... yeah that is WAY outside my comfort zone.  I mean I used dainty and delicate hand tools all the time as a hygienist. But power tools,  VERY DIFFERENT!  I'm pretty sure it was the best day of my husbands life when I asked him to show me to use a power tool, none the less a sawezall!  Ha!  It shook my entire body and even rattled my brain.  It was intense!

But it took apart the whole pallet in about 5 minutes! Score

Then I learned to use the nail gun and sander and started my first sign project

I stained the wood and started the wording (using a crayon transfer technique), I just haven't finished it quite yet.

 

We also started a wine rack, which I'm very excited about! Brett is working on that one  

 I do want to write something on the top wood piece of the wine rack but I'm not sure what to write, would love suggestions, that aren't to corny.

Oh and years ago I was inspired by this blog to put this up on my wall! I have been wanting to do it for years, but was so nervous to permanently attach photos to my wall, so I just bought a cheap piece of paneling and attached it to the wall and mod podged the photos on it.

they are black and white 5x5's printed from Costco.

I'm glad February is here! The sun is just starting to last a little longer into the evening and I can smell the warmth of spring drawing near..... ish.  I mean I live in Colorado, so I will see the Spring in May :)