One of the main reasons I choose minimalism was our home. My husband is amazingly supportive (most of the time) with my choice to design our life and home with minimalist principles. If you drive up our lane today, you will see the woods in full green. You will see cathedrals of trees, poplar, maple, and one last ash tree. You will smell the sweetness of honeysuckle and see the wild raspeberries are almost ready. If you come further up the hill, you'll see we live in a little log home with a wide front porch and welcoming swing. Be careful to step over the forgotten baseball bat and ignore the weeds in the flowerbeds, we'll get to that. Come sit on our swing and breathe in the smell of summer in the woods. Momma robin has a nest in the weeping cherry tree right next to the swing and if you're quiet she'll stay. This is where I spend my days....in the simplicity and fullness of the life I have chosen to CREATE.

And if you stay quiet, a few little blonde heads will peek out that living room window at you. At first they are quiet and then a giggle will start the tsunami of laughter. Then, perhaps all lsix wild and amazing children will rush out our wide green front door to greet you. They will want to show you our dog, cat, pigeons, retired chicken, and chinchilla. They will welcome you here to they home they help to CREATE.

Our home is full. Full of life, people, food, noise, fun, prayer, and sometimes dirt and blood with five rough and tumble boys running around. Don't be alarmed at the blood. It's ok. As you walk in our front door, your voice will probably mix with the echo of little feet and voices bouncing off our high cathedral ceilings. You may smell this morning's breakfast (hopefully it didn't burn!) that the children often cook. You will sit on well-loved couches across from the wood stove and hear how much love and laughter is here. Full house is an understatement that's for sure in 1400 square feet for a family of eight!  What you see from this point is about the whole house, but what you feel is home.

And fullness can still be simple. In fact, fullness is the reason I chose all those years ago to start on this journey toward simplicity. I wanted the fullness of life for my family and I believe you do too. Just like you, I want to hold my children close in their sweet magic of childhood. Just like you, I want to listen to their silly stories that don't make sense as they learn to talk. I want to hear the heart of my teen as she wrestles with her emotions and words. I want to cast the vision of the great leader my headstrong son will be someday to him as he is angry with his brothers. Like you, I want to hold my baby all day during his first cold simply because I can and it's my arms that make him feel better. You and I share the same heart. That's why you're here.  I want to give my best to those I love the most.  That meant that I didn't want to spend my life cleaning items that in the end, simply don't matter. And I know you feel the same way.

All the items that I removed from our home have freed up my soul to be available for all the moments that do matter. And I know that's what you want to. So if you're ever in our neck of the woods, come on in! And if you can only visit here online, still come on in! Welcome to our home....you'll find a sacred space here.