Our house looks a little well-loved.

But that’s because the people I love actually LIVE here.

We have shoes piled by the back door. Toothpaste globs in the sink. Fingerprints at all different heights running up the wall next to the stairs.

But that’s because the people I love actually LIVE here.

Our light switches are sticky. Red and blue scuffs of paint line the baseboards from remote control car races down the hall. And our carpet is tattered and worn.

But that’s because the people I love actually LIVE here.

My teenagers are in charge of mowing the grass, and each bigger boy is responsible for cleaning a bathroom every week. Tiny paint splotches from pumpkin projects or dyed eggs or other masterpieces linger on the dining table. And various heights of growing kids are marked and dated on our kitchen wall.

The dryer is CONSTANTLY humming.

The dishwasher is on a never-ending cycle.

Everywhere you look, you’ll find half-filled glasses of water or soda cans and a ridiculous number of discarded, smelly socks.

But that’s because there are so many lovely little people LIVING AND GROWING UP right here.

One day, we’ll refinish the floors. We’ll update the cabinets in the kitchen. And fill the scratches by the back door from our puppy. One day we’ll finally get that coffee table to fill the empty space in the living room (which currently houses a couch cushion obstacle course with pillows and blankets).

And one day I’ll walk room to room in my clean, tidy house…and smile. Remembering all the LIFE that was LIVED here.

For now, our house might seem a little tattered and worn…but it is beyond perfect to me.

Because the people I love most in the world...

LIVE right here.