Last semester as we planned for our marriage and subsequent setting up house, we came up with a list of things that we really required in a rental home and then a list of some stuff that would just be fun to have. We really weren't picky at all, 'cuz we know young couples don't generally start out with much and live on love, haha.
After looking at houses all semester and being unable to find a good one that would stay on the market long enough for us to grab it, in a four-day whirl at the end of the semester we viewed, signed on, and moved into our house! And you know what is the best part? Not only does it match all the must-haves, it has everything that was on our wishlist, too! How crazy is that?! Go Jesus. He hears prayers and he cares about them.
So here we are in our home together, unpacking and living life, not really in a routine yet but having fun. We've talked about the kind of home we want to have, not just aesthetically but also at a deeper level, the ambiance or "feel" a house has. Here are some things Jacob and I have decided to incorporate into our home's culture:
The Rogers home will be:
- warm and inviting.
The kind of place where you can kick your shoes off and feel like family immediately.
- full of good food and Southern sweet tea.
Preferably at all times, preferably shared with others. I'll be making a pie a week; that's my goal.
- a hub.
We want lots of different people, from lots of places, cultures, and walks of life to meet and intersect at our home and feel welcome.
- authentic.
No keeping up with the Joneses, no acts. We want to show people who we really are and the things we hold dear in life through genuine, real relationships and to foster an environment where others feel accepted for their real selves, too.
- a safe haven.
Life is rough, and we want our home to be a place where people can come and breathe, knowing it's a safe place to open up and be honest about what's going on. We want people to know we have their back and they can count on us when life sucks.
- loving and respectful.
Jacob and I will set the bar on how people are treated in our home by how we treat each other with respect, kindness, admiration, love, and self-sacrifice.
Is this a high standard, especially for a young couple? Yeah, it probably is. However, all of these things are important to Jacob and I, and we're going to seize the chance to build our own home culture from scratch, setting the foundation for the things we want to do in life. We want our lives to be purposeful and to make the world better, and it all starts in our home!
What sorts of characteristics are important for your own home culture? What things do you value in your environment?
What sorts of characteristics are important for your own home culture? What things do you value in your environment?
So beautifully said. Congratulations on your new beginnings and new home together. So many great words of wisdom!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joanna! I'm glad you have enjoyed it!
DeleteYou two are a shining inspiration to couples - of all ages - everywhere. There aren't two people living together the world over who wouldn't benefit from setting down a similar list of goals/dos for them home and then making sure to carrying them out/see them enforced.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to you both on your first home! The memories you make there will stay with you in a way unlike any other abode you ever inhabit (trust an old married lady who has moved many times since tying the knot :)).
♥ Jessica
Pure sweetness! Congrats on this big step together! My home has changes as I had children-right now I want it to be comfy, warm, functional, and organized. LOL Thats what happens when you have three lil monkeys running around. I know it will change as they change. Its all very exciting. Congrats again!!! xox
ReplyDeleteHaha, yeah, with three kids comfy, warm, functional, and organized is quite enough!!!
DeleteThank you!
Congratulations. I hope your home together meets all of your dreams. I love our home because I look around and it makes me happy. We can welcome our friends and family and enjoy sharing time with them. I feel at peace here. I'm sure your house will be a house of love xxxx
ReplyDeleteAnd that's great for a house to be! A peaceful home is great, having a refuge from the craziness of the world outside!
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