Today.

Nana and Papa came on their way down South. They brought us a whole huge box of books...all mine from when I was little. They also brought huge pixie sticks for the sweeties (which soon turned into fencing instruments) and lots of little candy legos...

We talked and laughed. It was so nice to see them. With all of us being sick off and on for the last 3 months, we haven't been able to get together at all (minus the girls' princess trip we had a few weeks back).

They walked around our home and admired all the decorating projects I've been up to. We scanned the basement and talked over possible plans for finishing it. Then we gazed out over the backyard at all the rocks we've lined for flower beds. We talked about the summer plans for our yard and about how this perfect little home and this soon-to-be-perfect yard is my children's whole universe. And the hills surrounding us--though not as picturesque as wheat fields and cornfields, are perfect for long walks and exploring. And with the coming of our fence in just a few weeks, and our grass in just a few weeks after that, it will be such a perfect world for my little children.

And so I've set aside this home-on-a-farm dream that I've held so long. Maybe I'll pick it up again when the nest is empty and Patrick and I are ready for a new adventure. Or maybe not. Maybe this home will weave itself so tightly into my heart that I won't be able to let it go...not for all the cornfields in the country. Time will only tell.

But regardless of where we will live in 25 years, whether it is here, or a new home, or an existing home remodeled in the country, my home will be the perfect place to invite family and friends and new mothers and little grandchildren to come take a few days and relax. It will be a place of retreat for any who need to chat, rest, and rejuvenate. This will be my purpose then. And I'm so extremely grateful that the Lord gave me this vision last night of the next season of my life. Because it made me realize that not all of my dreams have to come true right now. When I'm 50, I'll enter another glorious stage with nearly half of my life still ahead of me. And if it is right to take my farmhouse dream off the shelf, then I will. And if not, I won't. I will know then. But either way, my purpose of offering a safe haven of love to my family will be the same.

And as for this season....it's supremely GLORIOUS! I was given a vision of that last night as well. This perfect little Sun Haven Cottage is to become--today--an MTC for my children....a Missionary Training Center and a Motherhood Training Center. And my purpose continues to be to nurture my little ones in love and righteousness...to help them discover their testimonies, teach them the truths of the gospel and practical life skills; to help them discover and refine their talents; to play with them in childlike wonder; to bring a love of music into their hearts; to bind us together through meaningful, simple family traditions; and to bring us Home together--back to the presence of our Father.

But I've rambled off on a tangent....

Back to Nana and Papa...

When it was time for them to go, we walked outside to say goodbye. But then we heard the ice cream truck's melody, and so Papa gave us $5 and we ran down the sidewalk in our bare feet to buy some ice cream. The boys have long been wanting to do this but we always seem to miss it when it comes around!

And as we walked back to our home in the warm April sunshine, I smiled to myself with all the happiness that's deep inside of me...This small-town life of mine, it's mine...and it's oh so good.

Scratch that, it's oh so perfect--perfectly perfect in every way.

And I wouldn't change a single thing.

Home Mission: Dream.

Today I offer to you {as well as me} a challenge of thrilling proportion.  Today I want you to Dream.

Let me explain...

Sometimes I get so impatient feeling a little bit cooped up in a tiny apartment with limited space, money, and just plain old ownership.  I want so badly to have a place of my very own...one in which I can breathe into its very structures my personality, my dreams, my ideas, my life.  In short, I want to instill upon my house the essence of me which will subsequently turn it into my home.  And maybe I'm so impatient because I feel like I have been "the first" so many times in my life.  I'm the oldest daughter and hence have been first at just about everything in my family. Even among my friends, there appear to be a number of "firsts:" first married, first to have one child, first to have two children.  I used to think first was good and desirable, and even now as I see and hear about so many of my peers buying homes and having beautiful residences to call their very own, I get a twinge of envy inside.  I want this so badly.  But I've been thinking a lot about this and have come to the conclusion that maybe it's not so bad to be second...or 15th...or even last (as it seems in my case.)

As everyone has gotten married after me, I have noticed things I wish I could have done differently for my own wedding.  But you see, I didn't have much experience to draw upon so I did my best to blaze the trail for others.  And now it's their turn to blaze the trail for me.  All I have to do is observe bits and pieces everywhere I go of what I want my house to look like.  What I want the exterior and interior to look like.  What I want in a yard.  It's really very exciting to observe the homes of my friends and acquaintances and pick and choose little aspects that I love about their homes that I will incorporate into my own someday.  Gradually, I am developing a dream, a blueprint, so to speak, of what I want my home to be and how I will best make it into my very own little cottage.

And so for the next few days I will dream.  I will record my dreams here with pictures and words.  And then when the time comes for me to start searching for our perfect home, I will know what I am looking for.  I hope you can dream too. Dream of what you want in the far away future.  Dream of what you can do now to your current abode to make it as lovable as possible. 

Just Dream...