At the beginning of this season I sent a “Happy Fall Y’all” note to my family and friends. The note included an autumn bucket list and at the very bottom was “🔲Be grateful”.

Billy and I talk about the future sometimes and this got me thinking about how our lives would be different from how they are now. One of the biggest changes would be where we live. If you’ve had the opportunity to talk with me, chances are you’ve heard about my current home and how much room for improvement I believe it has. But when I was thinking the other day I realized how much I have to be grateful for and this house came to mind.

I am grateful to have a home. This place is where I can usually find some protection from the world. I am guarded from bad people and dangerous situations. I have shelter against the heat, the cold, the rain, the snow. I’ve got a place to keep all my possessions and to teach my children. In fact, I think we entered this house so that we would have a place for our family to grow. We moved here in February of 2016 and found out in March that I was pregnant. I’m grateful for a garage to house our cars so they are protected from the elements as well. I’m grateful for all the lessons I’ve learned while living in this house.

Two is better than one. Two sinks, two televisions, two sets of bed sheets, two phone chargers, two good sauce pans, two toothbrushes (per person). One is enough to get the job done but having two is a whole new level of happiness. Knowing that I don’t HAVE to wash a pot in order to cook two days in a row really takes a load off my mind. Coming home from a trip and being able to brush my teeth without digging around in a suitcase helps make the transition from traveling back to normal life so much easier. And not having to share the water stream when washing our hands after I change a diaper and he takes out the trash…well…I’ll let you know when we get two bathroom sinks. But I imagine it’s pretty liberating.

YouTube is invaluable. I have learned so much on YouTube and saved our family a lot of money. Cleaning tips, sewing hacks, appliance repair, potty training prep, decoration ideas. You can find anything on YouTube! Including the best kids music to help get the wiggles out in a controlled environment. The goldfish song, everybody: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=uCF3vBuxXS8&feature=share as well as some cute creatures that teach nursery rhymes, letters, and numbers! https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Of0M7-0y4r0&feature=share. You can even find a video of daddy’s work: https://youtu.be/T4Twn6XOxf0.

Wall hangings make a house a home. I love having pictures and pretty things up on my walls all over my house…now. When we moved in to this house I never really thought about hanging things up. It just never crossed my mind. And then slowly I started to think about decorating. But I never did it because I thought surely we wouldn’t live here long enough to make it worth the effort of printing a photo, finding a frame to fit and match the rest of the “decor” (second hand bookshelves and donated or $20 thrift store couches), hammering a nail into the wall so the frame will hang the way I want, etc. Then about a year after we moved in Billy came home with a silver medal and a certificate from the Artel Pipetting Olympics that he competed in at work. I was so proud of him (even though it was only silver)! I told him we should hang that up! And then they went on the top of the bookshelf. Not too long after he came home carrying the diploma from his college minor in Pediatric Clinical Research. I was ecstatic for him. He had been working toward that since before he met me. That was the turning point for me. When changing residences wasn’t on our horizon and I had a new baby that I wanted to show off for anyone who would ask (and some that didn’t) I realized that putting up a few pictures in frames from the dollar store wouldn’t be so much of a hassle. And a few turned into some, which led to a lot, and we ended up with no more wall space. I loved standing in the living room with the light streaming in through the big front window and looking across the sea of photos, milestones, stories, memories. I loved when people came over and would stand and stare at our lives just like I did. Pictures on the wall are also how we started to introduce Meeko to her family that lives in other parts of the country.

Location, location, location. Our home is on the outside edge of the valley. If you imagine a bowl, you’ll get a good idea of the Salt Lake valley. Now imagine eating cereal out of that bowl. When you get down to the last few crumbs of cereal and you drink up all the milk, the spot that the crumbs stick to on the side of the bowl when the milk is all gone – that’s where our house is in the Salt Lake bowl. The mall we like to go to is in the middle of the bowl, as is Billy’s brother’s house. Billy’s work is in another “crumb-sticking point” on the exact opposite side of the bowl from our house. The good driving canyons are on the outer rim of the bowl on the opposite side from our house. Basically, the lesson learned is that the value of the home goes up significantly if it is a convenient distance from every place you like to visit.

Neighbors make a difference. When you know the names of the people living around you it is much easier to feel comfortable and safe in your home. We happen to live at the mouth of a cul de sac with 9 houses in the whole circle. All but one of our neighbors seem really friendly! There are other kids for my kids to play with, I could ask anyone for a cup of sugar, and there are at least three people that will grab the Amazon boxes off my porch and keep them safe until I get home. My advice is wherever you live, take a minute to walk next door and introduce yourself to your neighbors. Especially in an apartment it gives a face to the noise on the other side of the wall and makes hallway encounters less awkward. You may even find your new best friend!

Organization is key. I find happiness in open spaces. In order to have open spaces everything should be put away in its place. Everything has to have a place or else it is more of a nuisance than an item that belongs in the home. This also brings into play the value of minimalism and the need to de-clutter regularly. Every home has a kitchen drawer or a closet for things that don’t have a place. And if you don’t have one, make one. Go through it a few times per year and relive the memories but also have the will power to get rid of things that haven’t been put to use in several months. When you can walk in the door without tripping over anything and sprawl out on the floor after a long day without a second thought to what things lie around you, then you will be able to fully relax and find peace in your home. After all, a home is the place that you should find refuge and feel the most control because it is yours and no one else’s.

Cleanliness is close to godliness. There are so many cleaning solutions! Bleach, Windex, 409, Shout, Clorox, Lysol, Pledge, mops, brooms, sprays, wipes, the possibilities are endless! Especially with all the different materials home surfaces are made of. Wood, laminate, carpet, glass, porcelain, plastic, plexiglas. And so many different kinds of “dirty”. Dirt, dust, blood, grass, poop, vomit, ink, grease, food, wax. Learn how to clean everything. A room is brighter without a layer of dust on everything and fingerprints (or nose prints) on the windows. Your drawers and closets are more colorful when you use the right kind of soap and water temperature in the laundry. Your wallet is fuller when you don’t have to buy new tools and decorations year after year because things are clean and cared for. Even if no one else sees it your home is a representation of you. Your heart will be happier when you put the effort into making your home beautiful.

I hope you’re able to find happiness wherever you call home. Put more thought into it than I did and take pride in where you live. Be grateful for the things you take for granted. Help someone else be grateful too.