Feeling Very Blessed

In setting up any home after moving, you get to the pleasure or chore of choosing and hanging artwork and pictures on your walls.  In many cases the one who chooses, has the chore of hanging them as well.  In our home, Mark takes pride in hanging pictures and artwork, as well as helping me choose what goes up.

Our past home was big enough for both our tastes.  As an example, our last family room was a very masculine room and held his Northeastern Native American (specifically Mohawk) artwork.  I liked his artwork and we chose the colors of nature to compliment those pieces.   I, on the other hand, like to have family photos around me. they remind me of where I came from and have family, a loving family.  To Mark, hanging family photos reminds him of all the old ladies in his childhood Polish neighborhood.  He would rather it be artwork...and less is always better!

With a smaller home - approximately 1800 Sq. Ft. total, I'm trying to fit our artwork where it works.  As I unpacked, I set all the family photos on the upstairs hall floor - trying to get him used to the idea that that space was being reserved for family photos.  What I didn't realize is just how many we had scattered throughout our past house.  

Today is a very rainy, chilly day so we can't work outside.  I've cleaned house, really cleaned the entire house for the first time as almost everything is settled except for finishing the artwork/photos.  We've chosen most of the locations for the actual artwork so now I've started on the family photos.  I stopped by the store and picked up some collage frames to group photos so Mark will not have to hang individual frames.  That way the walls won't look quite so cluttered and be full of nail holes.

I didn't expect what would happen when I brought all the framed photos downstairs and laid them on the table so I could work on them.  They just seemed to form a collage.  As I laid the last few on the table, I stood there looking in teary amazement.  I  realized at that moment just how blessed my life has been - and these pictures showed that.  

Photos of my grandparents, parents, and in-laws as younger adults; photos of groups of friends at events together; our children as babies, teenagers and now parents to our grandchildren - our lives were laid out in front of me.  It was truly overwhelming!  Never had I put all of those photos together.  I grabbed a chair and had to put my camera almost on the ceiling in order to take the picture above of the collage;  you can now see what I mean - we are truly blessed!  I then started to take apart all the frames, one by one, and as I did I got to relive all the memories from the pictures. It was WONDERFUL!

There are many people all over the world that have had hard lives, illness, trials and tribulations with  no family to speak of and we have had this wonderful life, full of family and friends.  And we have proof of the many people we have loved and who love us - there is nothing better in this world!  No better wealth!

Thank you to all of our friends and family for making our lives so rich.  Know that we are still enjoying our display of you all around us so we can be reminded daily of just how lucky and blessed we are.  There ARE a few of you who are camera shy, so I have a favor to ask.  Next time we are together, I want a picture of you so you too can be included in our family blessing hallway!  
As soon as we hang the pictures, I'll take photos of the finished hallway.