Welcome Home

So yesterday, I was reading Nicole's blog, In These Small Moments, and she had Kris from Pretty All True guest posting.  Kris wrote about how as a child she never really wanted to go home, but now, as an adult with a family of her own, it's always great to go home (you should go read her post.  My summery is suck-o compared to her beautiful prose).  It got me thinking about how much I love our home.  So I thought I would take you on a tour of my home one room at a time.  Sort of a series every now and then.

 Today, I figured I would start where few people start their home tours.  With our bedroom. Now don't be scared.  We are coming in through the bathroom door and the first thing you see is our laundry.  It's early in the week, so the pile is still small.

Ahh...there is the rest of the room!  When I was a kid, my bedroom was MY place.  I spent a ton of time there.  I read, listened to music, read, played with my toys, read, talked on the phone to boys, read, talked on the phone with my friends, read, did homework, read, and slept there. It was where I could go to be alone.

I wanted to create that happy, comfy feeling here when Cort and I bought this house.  Everyone thought I was nuts painting the walls such a dark blue, but I needed it to be warm and dark at night.  At the same time, I wanted it to be bright and cheery during the day, so we got light wood furniture, white trim, and bright primary colored accents. The room isn't big, but it's comfy and cheery--even when I'm home sick in bed.

Our bedroom has also become a gallery of pictures.  We have had what feels like a kazillion photo shoots in the past year or so (Thank you, Missy!!!), and I can't ever take old pictures down, so I just keep adding. So what used to be our nice, clean vanity, has turned into a showcase of family photos.

I love to have images around me that make me happy.  Next to our bed we have our engagement picture (taken in 2004) our wedding invitation, our wedding picture (taken in 2005), and our most recent picture of Eddie (taken in 2010 on the bridge where Cortney proposed to me in 2004).

Many times when I was battling anxiety and depression I would come home from work, drop my stuff, and go straight to bed.  Sometimes with my coat and shoes still on.  Lying in our comfy bed staring at the walls was all I had the energy to do.  And these were the things I needed to be around me:  photographs.  Cort and I together.  Eddie.  A note from my BFF reminding me of all the great times we've had.  This is my nightstand.

But of course the room is not just mine--although I think I seek it's refuge more than Cort does.  But Cort does have space here too.  He has his stacks of hats and tech-geek stuff.  He has his drawers with socks and undies too.  And he has his Eddie on his nightstand reminding him that he IS the #1 dad!

This room is ours.  We both lived in our own bedrooms for many, many years and have only shared this one for five years.  But it is the place where we have our most serious discussions.  It's where I have laughed harder than I have anywhere else in my life.  We have cried over lost loved ones and lost opportunities here.  This place?  It is our place.