Everyone Has That One Special Place That Will Always Be Home

Having moved five times in under five years of marriage, we've had the privilege of calling a lot of places home. I think when you're living the military adventure, home becomes less of a physical place. Home is where Parker and Jenny are, whether that be in Pensacola, Virginia, or halfway across the world. More simply put, home is where the Navy sends us!

All of that said, I think everyone still has that one place that will always be home more than anywhere else. It's the place that helped define you as a person or that still holds some of your most treasured memories. For me, it's really easy. Home is a little bitty town called Midlothian, Texas. 

I snapped that picture of the town marquee on Christmas night. I only get to visit once or twice a year, but it is nostalgia overload! And yes, we are the cement capitol of Texas. Big stuff!

I was fortunate to live in the same place from 3rd grade through 12th grade, so I really grew up in that town. We had one grocery store, one middle school, and one high school. Midlothian has grown a lot, but it will always have that small town feel to me!

I always say I had the best childhood. Happy and fun without a care in the world! The majority of my family lived in Midlothian, so I got to grow up with my cousins and grandparents just a stone's throw away. That was such a gift! 

I learned everything in that town. My granddad taught me how to ride a horse (he's a pro, I just try not to fall off), I learned how to play tennis, I had my first kiss, and I made my first best friend. 

My name is still written on two signs on the school tennis courts, I still know the majority of the teachers and principals, and you still can't go to the grocery store without seeing someone you know. Ahh, home. 

I'd love to know, where do you call home?

Desk Makeover

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WicklessWonders #CollectiveBias
I have said it several times on this blog: I work from home. I have a full time job, but I do it 100% from home. Parker actually built me a desk to work from that I absolutely love. It started out turquoise, but then I decided my wild child days were over and that white was the more sophisticated and classier option. I love the new white and think it instantly brightens up the room. 
Lately, I've realized I've been working more from the couch than I have at my desk. It's a lot harder to be productive on a couch, yall. The reason for this recent migration is due to the mere fact that I have let my desk turn into a pig sty. I used to pride myself on being organized. My claim to fame is that I was voted most organized in the 8th grade by my teachers: a real life accomplishment, obviously. I'm not sure what happened in the last 10 years, but I've slowly let that organization turn into a habit of strewing papers all over the place. 
So, a little desk makeover was in order. I wanted this to be a space that I didn't dread being in for 8 hours each day. I wanted it to be clean, productive, and useful. I didn't want clutter. I didn't want papers going on for miles. It was time to dust off that 8th grade organizational skill set and get to work. 

So here's a before shot. It may not look like a lot, but there were papers and bills thrown around everywhere. Aye yi yi...

I started sorting the papers and bills and actually using the drawers for what they are intended... you know, to store things. Once I had the clutter removed and everything organized, I decided I wanted to add a little something to take the space to the next level. I had been eyeing the AromaBreeze Fragrance System at Walmart and decided it would be the perfect addition to my desk. I chose the hot air balloon because it just has such a whimsical, vintage feel. I am obsessed with it! The cool thing about these AromaBreeze Fragrance Systems is that it uses no heat, so it's completely safe. It can be plugged into a wall or operated by a battery. The no heat thing was key for me. I'm a little clumsy, so I could just see myself tossing a paper to the side and starting a small desk fire. Thankfully, that won't be happening here. Fun fact: the immediate fragrance throw also lasts 50% longer than wax. 
I had a hard time selecting which scents I would be using, so I opted for my favorite 5 and called it a day. Seriously though, how cute is this baby?

After several more changes and tweaks, my new and improved desk looks like this...

So clean and so spacious! I painted an old frame to match the pink in my hot air balloon. This cost me pennies, and I love looking at one of my favorite pictures of my parents and me from my wedding. How was that almost four years ago? Tangent. Moving on... 
I can also now clearly see and use my planner. I live by this bad boy and still have not grasped the concept of a digital calendar. It's probably more efficient, but I just love putting pen to paper, making lists, and checking them off. 
Lastly, I kept a cute little note box that happens to match my hot air balloon and picture frame perfectly, and I paired it with a picture of that handsome husband of mine. That'll make any day better in my book. 

Overall, I am really pleased with the new space. It's not revolutionary, but it's now a place where I can get work done and feel productive. It always smells good thanks to my new AromaBreeze Fragrance System (so weird not smelling dog hair anymore), and there are splashes of color throughout to keep the white from being too overpowering. I just love it. 
If you are interested in purchasing your very own AromaBreeze Fragrance System to brighten up your home, it's available online and at select Walmart stores. So you don't have to walk around aimlessly looking, I'll make it easy. This is where I found mine:

Confession: I got so excited about my hot air balloon that I also bought the ScentSationals Spotted Owl Warmer for my mantle. There is something to be said for a house that smells good, and I couldn't resist. I just thought this ScentSationals warmer was so on trend, and the choices in warmers were more unique than anything I have seen before. Naturally I had trouble picking my favorite wax (There were so many scents to choose from!), so 5 of those came home with me too. It happens. It's not like they expire! That's Chelsea logic at it's finest. PSA: For both the AromaBreeze Fragrance System and the ScentSationals Warmer, make sure you follow the directions carefully. I am impatient and like to toss the directions aside, but even I read the instructions for these. They were simple, but do read them!

Home Is Where The Navy Sends Us

All you military spouses are nodding your heads right now. Home is where the Navy sends us. Truer words were never spoken. When we first began this military journey 2.5 years ago, I didn't believe that anywhere other than Texas would ever be home. Texas is all we knew, and I couldn't imagine ever loving anywhere as much as we love our home state. 

 

To a degree, I was right. Texas still is home, and it always will be. When Parker and I talk about "going home", Texas will always be it. The majority of our family is in Texas, and to me, home is where your family is. I know there are so many other wonderful places in the world besides Texas though, and I don't want to be old and gray and not have visited any of them. Thanks to the Navy, we are adding quite a few stars to our world map and experiencing places we otherwise probably wouldn't. Getting to come back to Texas for a year has been a gift. It will probably be a while before we are back here for good, but it was fun while it lasted! I'll be taking my new favorite shirt with me to VA and wearing it proudly. Gotta represent the homeland!

I was also very wrong about believing nowhere else could ever be home. Each place we have been has felt abundantly like home. Pensacola became home to us. Kingsville became home to us. Even Corpus Christi has become home, and we lived here just 3.5 short months. Norfolk will be home too. Home for me is where my little family is. As long as I have Parker and the Jen pup, I'm home. Here's to the next chapter in our story! I know it will be full of ups and downs and plenty of adventure. There is never a dull moment with these two around.

 

Our little sign is getting longer! Can't wait to see what this thing looks like 20 years from now!

Heart Full

Coming off of this weekend, my heart is simply full. It was a weekend full of love every way you slice it. We spent the weekend with my family again, something you won't find me complaining about one bit! With our move to Virginia on the horizon, we both knew this was probably our last time to go to my parents' house before Christmas. We maxed out our opportunity and stuck in dinners and breakfasts with friends amidst good old-fashioned quality family time. 

 

I bugged everyone all weekend by pulling out my phone to take pictures every time a semi picture-worthy moment occurred. I would blame it on blogger problems, but I was avid about documenting my life in college and drove everyone nuts then too. I'm going to just chock it up to Chelsea problems. Anyway, I digress. The weekend. Parker has had the itch to get back in the shop and build something as of late, so he was oh so happy to help my dad with house projects Saturday. Jenny was reunited with her favorite cousins and couldn't contain her waggy tail, but she did manage to spend quality time with each person by acting as a couch pillow. 

 

I was also reunited with my favorite look-a-like after a couple of months of not seeing each other, and that's a great day for any twin. Can you tell who is who? Hint: I'm the one with the milkshake.

Hands down, my favorite part of the weekend was Saturday night. We had tickets to the Casting Crowns concert and were so excited for an evening of worship and community as a family. Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian band and one of my very favorites. I have seen them three times, and they never disappoint. I've mentioned that this hasn't been the easiest year for my family, and it hasn't. I want to elaborate on this in a separate post later in the week, but for now, I will just say I was bursting with joy at the chance to worship together as a family of 8. Every day isn't promised. Health isn't promised. I am learning to take advantage of the moments we have. Moments like the ones that made up this weekend are what make my world go around. Sitting here at home on a Sunday afternoon, my heart is full. 

Our Greatest Blessing

At the ripe old age of 24, I look at my life and see a million ways God has blessed Parker and me. We have our health, we have great friends, and we have each other, but without a doubt our greatest blessing in life has been family. I don't think we really realize until we are older just how much it means to have a support system that will love you unconditionally. From getting into trouble with the athletic department for switching places with my twin in high school to deciding to marry Parker, my family has always been on my side. I know I took this for granted growing up because it was all I knew. I was so spoiled with a loving family that I didn't remember how truly blessed I was. I was talking to a friend who lives at home, and she mentioned she is so ready to get out because she and her mom butt heads. It made my heart hurt because I would do anything to get to walk into the living room and hug my mom anytime I want. Getting married and moving out is exciting and new, but there is always that part of me that can't wait until the next time I get to hug my family.

This weekend, we had the privilege of getting to spend time with a lot of my extended family, and I came back with such a full heart realizing how richly blessed I am. I'm not gazillionaire, but looking at this picture of so many people that I love and who love me makes me feel like I am the richest person in the world.

This picture is missing a few people including my dad, but being with these people for a day was pure happiness. I think the military life and living far away makes us appreciate the gift of family in a way we never have before.

We spent the three hour car ride home talking about how much fun it was to all be together again. If I had it my way, I would see both of our families every weekend, but that's not realistic in this always adventurous Navy life. Weekends like this last one are just special, and it was such a reminder of how truly blessed we are. Another blessing: road trips with the husband. Never a dull moment with this guy!

What do you consider the greatest blessing in your life?