THINGS I ADDED: I added the most beautiful footed planter to my pottery collection although I can easily see it being used as a candy bowl. It was hand-crafted by the oh so talented Jess of The Honey Blues. Can't wait to add to my collection with more of her pieces.

THINGS TO DO: Although we have gotten so far in checking things off our list on making this place home we still have quite the list remaining. Some of that list has been moved to a list saved for years down the road as budget loosens. There is also some of those to-do's that should have been checked off long ago yet they linger. One, for example, is this old telephone jack that just hangs there. It has no power and I finally bought a plate to cover it yet it just sits starring me down every time I walk down my favorite hall.

THINGS THAT ARE DONE: I finally decided to hang one of my staghorn ferns in this empty spot in the kitchen. I tried art and nothing seemed to fit, but this little guy. It adds the natural element I love and the movement this spot needed among a whole lot of hard edged appliances.

FAMILY: I've been putting the house together slowly when it comes to making holes in the walls that we painstakingly painted for weeks on end. I did finally add my most prized piece of art though. I could not stand it being packed away any longer. My mother passed it down to me. What make it so special? Ellie's namesake painted it, my grandmother. It's a little reminder of my family daily as I walk out of my bedroom.

NATURE: We added a new tree to our home that is quickly becoming a greenhouse of sorts. It's in the olive tree family, but I can't remember the official name for the life of me. She has dropped a few leaves which can be the shock of the move or something else entirely. I am really praying she stays awhile. Could not imagine killing such a beautiful piece of nature.

LIFE: I turned 36 yesterday. The kids were baffled why I would work on my birthday, but alas that is life. Does one ever really feel their age? At times I feel like I am still in my early 20's straight out of college. The girl who is still trying to figure out her place in this great big world. Then other times I feel like I've done enough laundry to last a life time twice over. I am a girl who has lived a long enough life that I can now help others through whatever stage they are in. I did find a gray hair and I am gaining laugh lines that no potion can erase. I enjoy getting another year older. Maybe it's because I enjoy the thought of growing another year wiser. My story has lasted 36 years thus far. It's had it's high's and low's, but it's my story and one that I am grateful to share with you all.

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