being at home (literally and figuratively)

Happy Thursday, friends! I came across some writing prompts on Pinterest that interested me, so I thought I'd do one or two of those on the days when I don't have scheduled blog posts. The first one is the one I'm starting with and it's a challenge to describe my personality. I am starting with the picture above, because it describes so much about me. 

Hi, my name is Jennifer, and I am my mother's daughter. This is a good thing! I'm starting with my number one hobby, which is reading, hence the books you see pictured. I have loved reading since I was in the first grade, and not only do I love to read, I love books in general. While we homeschooled, I loved all the choices of curriculum and went a little crazy each year as I studied what I wanted to use. It was a big decision, and it was one I took seriously. I say that because I do tend to be a serious minded person who really weighs decisions. That can lead to me being uptight, so I do try to actively NOT be that way from time to time. 

The other reason I include the picture above is because I love to decorate using the books that I love, and I also love for things to look pretty. This means that I don't function well in disorder and clutter. I like for things to be neat and tidy, and though I do have things laying around the house and would not consider myself a minimalist by any definition of the word, I do try to have things that are pretty and practical. As I write that, my eye was drawn to an ornamental owl I have just because, so maybe that's not completely true, but you get my gist. What's a home without a little whimsy thrown in for good measure? 

I am sentimental, though maybe not in the way you would necessarily think. I am able to get rid of things very easily (this is where my Mom's personality comes into my life), but I hang onto what really matters. The stump that you see under the plant in the picture at the top of this post was something my husband made as a young boy at a summer camp. He got some award, and his name is burned onto it, along with the year he made it and the counselor who helped him. I hold onto things like cards, little notes of love or things my boys wrote for me when they were little, rocks that my sons gave me, pictures that mean a lot to me. I not only hang onto them, I display them for all to see. I have a whole lamp dedicated to said rocks. 

Clothes, shoes, jewelry, and the desire to have the most beautifully updated home do not interest me in the least, though I do like to look nice and to have a home that is warm and inviting for all. Things that do matter to me are the little things like rocks given to me by my sons. I have a thing for hearts, and I can't tell you how many times they've found leaves, rocks, potato chips, or clouds in the sky shaped as hearts that I've received over the years. I cherish memories and small tokens of love. 

I am a loyal friend, a friendly and outgoing person, and though I would consider myself reserved, I don't consider myself to be shy. Reserved means that I can have fun with the best of them, but I don't necessarily want to be at the center of attention. I love to laugh, I love to take short trips with people I love, I love to look nice and pulled together. I do not love t-shirts, parties, concerts, large crowds, and being out every night. I am definitely an introvert, but I also think I'm an extroverted introvert. That just means that I can fake it really good when it comes to being around people. I'm a good conversationalist, which also makes people think I'm extroverted. I'm not, I promise. 

When I think of myself in the work force, or going back out and getting another part time job eventually, I just don't know that I want to. I consider it my life's work and calling that I am able to be a stay at home wife and (now dog) mom. I know it's not the thing to do these days, and it's never a popular answer when asked in a group setting to say that's my "occupation", but it is all of that and so much more. I really am made to be both of those things, and I can't believe I ever thought otherwise. Sometimes it's good to try new things just to gain a bit of perspective, and I have had lots of that in the last year. I am proud to be who I am and to say what I do now, not that I ever wasn't, but it does seem that I appreciate it more now. I think the world needs all kinds of people in it, and we wouldn't be who we are today if not for some of the women who made the decision to work full time teaching while also raising their families. I have a sign hanging in my home that says that motherhood is a high calling and privilege, and I definitely agree. I take pleasure in making a warm and inviting home, and I love being able to send the men in my life off each day with lunches packed for their work days. I love being able to do the laundry and the cleaning again, as well, because I didn't have the energy to do it much when I started working more. 

I love being with my family and I am so very thankful for the friends the Lord has given me throughout my life. I am still in touch with my very best friend from childhood, and I have such sweet and different friendships with various types of women. Just last night I was out to dinner with a few of the ladies I worked at the school with this past semester, as we celebrated a big achievement. Though I won't be returning in the fall, I feel I have made lifelong friends in them, and they are all my sisters in Christ. What a beautiful thing the Lord allowed for me in this season! I love all the things pertaining to church, writing, studying the Word of God, and spending quality time with people I love the most. I love dogs! And by love, I mean I seriously love dogs. Some days I like them better than most people! I am almost always in a good mood, not because things are going great all the time in my life, but because I am a big believer in looking on the bright side of things in life. The reason why I titled the post the way that I did is because being at home is my very favorite place to be. It has nothing to do with the house or the way it looks, but the people who have been raised in it and the memories that were made here. 

These little quirks and characteristics are part of why I am the way that I am, and I am always grateful to be able to keep learning and growing. I always say that I am a continual work in progress. I'd love to hear about one of your personality traits! I love reading that kind of thing and getting to know people a little bit better. I hope none of this came across as boastful, I just wanted to share a little bit of why I am like I am today. Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Love to all.