Greenville Month 1: Our Home

Monday will mark four weeks that we have called Greenville home.  Most of our time in Greenville thus far has revolved around getting our new house cleaned, unpacked, and organized.  Right now we still have a house (READ: MORTGAGE) in Winston-Salem.  We are also brand new to Greenville and have no clue where we would want to buy a house.  So for now, we are renting a great home in a central neighborhood.  Here's what she looks like:

Our home is a significant place to us: it's where we share time with each other, it's where we nurture and train our child (soon to be children), it's where we find rest, it's where we fellowship with neighbors and friends.  It was important to Ron and me that we work hard to make our house a home as quickly as possible so we could settle in and enjoy the richness of family and friends.

I'm thankful that Ron had the foresight to move to Greenville two weeks before he started his new job.  It was a blessing to spend that time with him and to work together in getting the house set up.  I'm happy to report that we are almost entirely unpacked and settled.

With that being said, allow me to share some of my favorite spaces in our new home:

Kitchen.  I love the kitchen for a number of reasons.  Practically speaking, it's the brightest room in the house, which is medicine for the soul in and of itself.  It's also beautiful!  I think it's safe to say that this is the nicest kitchen we will ever have in our lifetime.  Even though we are renting, I plan to enjoy it while we are here.  I love preparing meals for our family and anticipating our time talking at the counter or sitting together at the table.  I'm grateful for this sweet kitchen.

Dining Room.  First, it's nice to have a dining room.  Our last house had a "dining nook," but not a formal dining room, so it's great to have space specifically for a full table and chairs.  Second, meals are one of the few times where we stop and are all together to enjoy food and each other.  That time is precious.  Also, the dining room is filled with many of my favorite pieces of pottery and art, which makes me happy.

"Library."  I use that term very loosely.  I really mean a space where we can keep all of our books in one location.  Being that Ron and I have taken on the titles of "life long students," we have amassed a lot of books through school.  But we have many others that represent our interests.  Some are biographical, some are historical, many are spiritual, all are meaningful and paint a picture of our journey as individuals and as a couple.  I also love the glass lamp that illuminates the book shelves.  The lamp was a commissioned gift from my mom, and is one of my most treasured items.

Fire place.  This may just be my absolute favorite part of our new home.  Fire places are just cozy, aren't they?  And above the fire place hangs an extremely meaningful picture to me.  My dad was an art appraiser for many years.  Art was not only his vocation, but his passion.  This picture was one that he always displayed prominently in our home when I was growing up.  Before he passed away, he told me that I could have it.  When my mom moved to Florida, she officially gave it to me.  What a beloved gift that I so proudly display in our new home!  Also the shelves that flank the fire place are filled with precious items: pictures of loved ones, a shelf of items that Ron and I have collected from past mission trips, Mangum pottery and other art pieces, a "love Winston-Salem" piece that I bought at a SOS auction, a commissioned metal disk of "Crucified Christ" from my dad.  So many intimate reminders of God's goodness and grace in our lives.

Nursery.  There is so much anticipation when expecting a child, but especially your first.  Part of the process I loved when expecting Noah was preparing his nursery and anticipating all the activities that would happen in that space: watching Noah sleep, rocking him, reading to him, playing with him, praying over him.  That anticipation has birthed so many precious memories in his first nursery in Winston-Salem.  I'm grateful for Noah's new room and how similar it looks and feels to his old nursery.  I look forward to many more memories and welcoming our second little boy in January.

John Miller Collection.  I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'm an official art collector, but I do have a number of Mangum Pottery pieces and John Miller prints.  John Miller has been a special artist to me since high school.  He was a long time friend of my dad, painted many landscapes of Cornwall (a special vacation spot while my family lived in England), and was a deeply spiritual man.  I had the privilege of meeting John at his home/studio in England while I was in high school, and he had a deep impact on my life.  After we met, he sent me several prayers and pictures as gifts.  It is special to fill our bedroom with all of the prints I've collected through the years.

So this is a glimpse of some special spaces in our new home.  If you're in our neck of the woods, stop by and visit.  We'd love to see you!