A Home

Note: this is not a home that we bought! Hahahah. Just a generic picture for the post. :)

Trying to figure out what to do about our home has been consuming a lot of our time and energy lately.

We have kept an eye out for possibilities of homes to move to for awhile now. When Faustina was born in '08, we spent some time in the fall looking at houses knowing that our family would grow and we would want a different place at some point.

Since Benedict was born, we are beginning to feel the squeeze a bit.

Don't get me wrong, we are fine here and could make it work for quite a bit longer - and maybe we will. I keep thinking to myself, "Jesus was born in a stable!" "Mother Teresa did not have any sort of luxury home!" But at the same time, I know our family will have more than what the Holy family lived in or Mother Teresa given well...things just are not like that now!

We are in the middle of discernment, and it is kind of fun to think in 10 years the story we'll have to tell. At this point, I am looking online often and in the past 3 months we have probably looked at 50-75 houses in person!

To get all philosophical for a moment, it is fascinating to think of what a home means to people. And now having our own family, it is interesting looking at all these different homes and contemplating what kind of home we want to make for our children. What are we willing to give up of our desires and what is a 'must'? As a nerdy classics major I think of Homer's figure Odysseus and what his travels home meant to him. He longed day and night to be home with his wife, Penelope and son, Telemakhos; he endured trial after trial and conquered temptations in order to reach home. I think of the book "Jayber Crow" by Wendell Berry and what living in a small town and owning his own home as a single man meant to him. A home is part of a person's identity. Fascinating. Looking at pictures of families, most of them are in the home. When I think of people and their family, often times I picture them in their homes. It is just the way it is, I guess.

Time will tell what is in store for us. We are contemplating getting a pod to clear our own house out in order to get ready for the market. We are looking at houses and perhaps hoping for a contingency in order to sell our home. We are thinking of adding on a second story to our own home since we like it and our location so much. Who knows. But whatever does happen, I hope it is done and we don't have to ever think about moving again!

Thankfully, family and people are the main component of what makes a home. And we really do love our current home; it would be very sad to think of actually leaving this place!