Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Heart of the Home


The most common piece of marital advice I received prior to getting married was to expect surprises. The smallest parts of what make someone unique arise slowly but surely when you are with them all day every day. I braced myself for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised by one hobby of my husbands I did not know about. Somewhere along the way of his life he has developed a love for building things. It could be that this love was lying dormant and only came to life when his dad announced on April 20th "you may kiss the bride!". Or maybe it was always there and I just never discovered it. However it worked out, I was thrilled!


The first thing he built me was our dining room table. The dining room is still a work in progress so I will feature that when I complete the room. Back in February an ice storm hit Atlanta and the city shut down like a zombie apocalypse had actually happened. It was quite possibly the worst 36 hours of my life because I was stuck at the hospital. I worked for 20 hours straight, slept 3 hours, then worked again. Austin picked up a very weepy, exhausted wife the next afternoon. Little did I know he had spend the whole ice storm apocalypse building me a table. What a sweet surprise that was! I saw that beautiful table and my head started spinning with ideas for my Honey-Do list. Since that time he has built me a flower box, a fence, a pergola, and the latest and greatest piece, my coffee table.


Ta Da!!...




This coffee table is truly the heart of our home. This table holds my coffee in the morning during my quiet time. It is the place where all our friends gather around to play games or watch the world cup. It is the breakfast, lunch, and dinner table. It is the place Austin and I put our feet up to watch the Bachelorette every Monday night (yes, it is our guilty pleasure). This piece of furniture is the most used piece of the whole house. One day we will have 3 (or maybe 5) kids and sit around the dinner table like normal people. But until then, lounging on the couch eating digiorno pizza off of our coffee table is the stage of life we are in and it is beautiful. My desire for our home is that it would be nice and pretty, but most of all warm and inviting. I want people to walk in knowing they can help themselves to whatever is in my pantry, eat pizza on the couches without worrying about if it spills, and put their feet up on the coffee table.





Lucy has given her stamp of approval to this table too.




"May joy and peace surround you, Contentment latch your door, And happiness be with you now And bless you evermore.
Irish Blessings



With love,
Gemma

Friday, February 28, 2014

Let's Catch Up

Grab a cup of coffee and let's catch up a bit.

To say that our first year of marriage has flown by would be an understatement. From April to January we flew by the seat of our pants and began this wonderful, busy journey of life together. This past month I have finally felt us settle into a nice rhythm. The simple joys of staying at home and cooking dinner together or watching our favorite TV show for hours has become a more regular occurrence for this normally busy pair. As life slows down I want to sit back and reflect on the many wonderful things that have happened these last few months...


Our first holiday season came and went with all the magical sparkle you can expect for a newlywed Christmas. Our families were both champs at sharing us and allowing us to have some time building our own traditions just us two.


The sweetest present came in the form of a lovable, fuzzy, brand new puppy dog named Lucy! Thank you to my incredible in-laws for this perfect little gift!



Fast forward to the middle of January and we closed on our first house! Buying the house did not come without it's difficulties, but being a home-owner has been one of the most fun experiences of my life. All of the ideas I have to make this house a home keeps me up at night.
 

 

Now that we have our first holiday and home-buying experience under our belts, we are doing a lot more of this...
 


I have never been more at peace with life and what's ahead. I find the greatest joy and contentment in the simplest of moments. I cherish the time I spend with my family and friends and am reminded every day of the Lord's goodness. We walk through many seasons in life, some very difficult and some very sweet. God's love remains faithful throughout. I know that in our years of marriage we will face some difficult times, but this past 10 months has been the sweetest of seasons. Right now I am ready for the season of warmth... come on Summertime!

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
Psalm 43:19