Home. How do you describe home?

For me, home is waking up in the bed I grew up in, sitting with my parents around the dinner table, swimming with the dogs in the pool, and watching the sun set over the water in one of my favorite places on earth: Lake County, Florida.

Lake County is where I grew up. It’s where I played T-ball as a little girl and where we spent the weekends skiing on the lake and grilling hamburgers on the dock. It’s where I learned to ride a bike and where I first kissed a boy. It’s where I worked in my parents veterinary clinic every summer and where I got a few too many speeding tickets during the school year. It’s where I graduated high school and where I loaded up my car to go to college. Lake County is the place I will always call home.

This week I am home with my parents, enjoying some time together before our wedding season kicks into full gear. And, as I sit on our back porch feeling the warm Florida breeze, I just can’t help but feel totally happy. The older I get, the more I realize what a blessing it is to have had such a carefree, happy childhood, and the more places I live, the more I appreciate the wonderful people and natural beauty that make this place so incredibly special.

And, just as a reference, you can see that Lake County was very appropriately named… our little house is marked in red, and as you can see, you could hardly walk 2 blocks without falling into one!

I learned this weekend that Construction Junction is my new favorite back-alley-hole-in-the-wall find. And, no, I’m so not even hipster (it’s true).

Our apartment/studio is a big open renovated factory building as you can see here. I LOVE the open light and tall ceilings, but negatively, it can feel very cold and industrial. So, in an effort to warm it up and add some color, I had the idea to make a room divider.

So, I went to Construction Junction, searched for cheap doors in great colors, and after giving them a good scrub-down (and kicking a few spiders out of the doorknob-holes!), hinged them together and put them in the living room. This was my first visit, and I was seriously wandering down isles of sinks and doors and toilet bowls with my mouth hanging open like “woooooowwwww!!!” I’m sure the workers were like, “newbie.”

This weekend I turned 30, and while I didn’t have as much angst about it as I thought I might, I definitely found myself pondering how it is that the years fly by so quickly! My parents came up from Florida for the weekend, and we had a bunch of friends over to our place on Friday evening after our church’s Good Friday service, and being surrounded by so many people I love reminded me that what really matters in life – what actually means something – is relationships. I don’t want my life to be about accomplishments, busyness, and material stuff… I want it to be about loving people well.

So, today I just want to say thank you to all of you who love me, who love us. Thank you for letting our lives overlap.

And, since every post needs a photo, here is one from Friday night of a very unexpected “happy birthday” song (and me turning a bright shade of red). :)

Tonight I went with friends to hear Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors with Nathan Angelo at Cafe Club in the South Side. Both of these artists are brilliant performers… be sure to check out their work when you get a chance.

Here are a few photos from the show – enjoy!

Yes, this is how they are spending this Monday. Come to think of it… this is how they spend most every day! :)

Fun, huh? Now, I actually enjoy these photos every day and often smile as I remember the stories behind each one. Start getting those cell phone pics printed, everyone! 

I was just searching through old photos and found this image I took last summer while boating with friends. Mmmm…. here’s to beautiful, sunny, warm summer. It will come again! :)

One of my favorite things about living in the city is my nightly jog with these two guys.  There’s absolutely nothing better than walking out my front door and heading downtown after dark, especially this time of year – the city is alive and the energy is palpable.

And, a small added bonus:  tonight I had snow in my eyelashes and I couldn’t feel my face.  I love winter (seriously).  :)

There’s nothing more comforting for me than being home: sleeping in the room I grew up in, traveling the roads that I learned to drive on, and breathing in the familiar scent of Florida.

My dad and I had the day together today, and we spent it going for a long walk, watching our favorite bald eagle nest, and swimming in the pool with a dog or two. Tomorrow will be a day with mom… what a gift.