A few months ago, I wrote about how my husband, daughter, and I had moved into live with my in-laws. We did this for multiple reasons, of which you can read about here. Now, almost six months since I first wrote, and a grand total of eight months since moving in, I’ve decided an update is in order.
Other than the “normal” challenges of having a very active toddler getting into everything as she grows and moves through her learning stages, things haven’t really changed around here. Life is going along smoothly and for that I am grateful. Do I miss having a place of my own? Yes, most definitely. Sometimes when it’s just our little family at home in the evenings, I think about how I really want that all the time. Just the power to choose who is in the house, or whether or not the tv is on etc would be nice. Not that either of those things bring up problems for us, but sometimes I just like the quiet; it’s nice to have a calm and relaxing evening after a crazy day of chasing a toddler around (go figure). Even if it is not completely quiet and the room is filled with giggles as daddy instigates a tickle fight, it’s still more peaceful to me than a sports game being viewed on the TV.
I continue to try to make our living area feel more like home for us and so far have been happy with the results. I have a long way to go with our room as my brain is about to burst with all the ideas I have for it. Our daughter’s room is just about finished; I am currently half way through reupholstering a child size armchair to put by her book shelves. I would love to have a little doll house in there for her too, but have a hard time buying one when I know that I have mine from childhood sitting at my parent’s place in Texas. Our living room area hasn’t had much change; I’m still trying to find the perfect thing to put below our map pictures.
The craft room remains a place that is constantly in a whirlwind; one day it will be neat and tidy and the next it will be a complete mess. I suppose that is expected when one is constantly working on projects. I spruced up a bulletin board to keep track of projects too; the background is three pieces of fabric and then I attached it with hot glue and covered the “seams” with rickrack. Hot glue holds the binder clips to the frame and so I can easily change out what each section is for.
And while I long for a house to call my own again, I try to remember all those who don’t have housing.
To conclude, communal living has definitely gone more smoothly than I ever expected. I know many people who can barely last the holidays with their in-laws, let alone live with them. Yes, we have little disputes here and there, but nothing that we lose sleep over.
While I long for a house to call my own again, I try to remember all those who don’t have housing. As I drive through certain parts of town, I see rundown apartments and I think about how I am grateful to not have to live in conditions like that. I see homeless people curled up on park benches and I think about how lucky we are to have warm beds to sleep in at night. We would’ve been on the streets if we had not moved here- far from it. But since moving, we have been able to pay more on our debts and it has made it easier for us financially since we decided that I would stay home with our daughter.
I don’t know what our future holds; how long we will be here is a mystery to me. However, I do know that God is good, and that He has a plan. I need to stop wishing for what I don’t have right now and be thankful for what I have. Some days are harder than others, but I’m learning.
What is something that you are having to learn to accept and be thankful for? A job? A house? We would love to hear your thoughts!