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I'm back. Miss me? Awww, I missed you, too! :)

I receive newsletters via email from Ali Edwards, those of you who don't know her...get outta yer cave. :) Just kidding. I don't even really know who she is, just what she does.

Scrapbooks.

I think it was last weeks eZine that talked about choosing a word. She says:

"Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007?"

At first, I thought my word was LOVE.

But the last couple of days I've been thinking I want my word to be HOME.

I've told you on a couple occasions how messy or lazy I used to be (and honestly, still am at times) but I think it's been the last two years that I've seen a change in keeping my house clean. That's how it started. Just keeping my house clean. I didn't see a change in my heart.

Until recently.

I realized this isn't just a house. It's my home. Our home. It's my responsibility and privilege to keep our home. To maintain it. To make it a place Josh dreams of during the day and can't wait to come to after a hard day at work. I'm sure I've talked about this before, I'm just not going to go into my archives to find out where.

Forgive me if I'm repeating myself from another post but this is just really amazing to me.

We bought our house over seven years ago. Most people turned their noses up at it, possibly still do, wondering why the heck we'd buy this place. But like Martin Luther...we had a dream. It's taken many years but our house is almost completely remodeled. Just finishing up one last project. We've made this place into a haven.

We don't have fancy furniture or wall hangings but what we have is ours and we enjoy it.

Since I've realized it's my privilege to keep this place, I've started doing it more and with a happy heart. Instead of thinking, "oh boy, better get it clean before company comes over," I'm thinking, "I want this to be a place of refuge for anyone who enters our door, especially Josh."

Is home your refuge? Your safe place? Have you made your home a place your man wants to come to after work? Is the aroma of dinner cooking, waiting for him? Are the toys picked up? Kids fully dressed? Are you dressed?

I only ask because I know it wasn't always like that here. Sometimes still isn't. Poor Josh would work hard all day, come home, ask "What's for dinner?" And there I'd be, sometimes still in pj's (like monday) and I'd shrug. The kitchen and living room in disarray. And I could see his spirit fall. I'm sure he was wondering why he'd gone to work and busted his butt all day when I did nothing in return.

It's different now. I'm not saying everyday food is waiting the second he arrives but I'm trying. I'm not always dressed, why, I dunno. And the toys are sometimes still strewn throughout the house. And Jaylee will occasionally greet her daddy in just a diaper and t-shirt. However, I'm working on it. I'm learning to love and maintain our home. Making it a haven for all who enter.

Especially my husband.

I encourage you, if you haven't started yet or if you've fallen off the wagon of maintaining your home(whether you own it or not)begin. Or, begin again.

Watch the change in your husband. It doesn't take long to see how happy he is to walk in your door.