Finally...

 We've been doing more housecleaning this week--since it's the first cold week of the season, it's a good time to do this. We came across a box of frame photos in the garage. Even though we've been in the house a couple of years, we're still gun-shy about putting nails in the flawless and un-nailed walls. That's why many of our frame photos and paintings are still boxed up from the move.

Today, after opening the box, we found something we've been looking for for two years...a gift from my son's grandmother.

My mother passed away of cancer in July, 2007. A few months later at Christmas my mom's children and grandchildren were given a surprise. When it was evident my mom wasn't going to survive the cancer, she hired a niece to create a plaque for each person, each with an inspirational thought or saying unique to the person. The gifts were incredibly personal and mean so much to each of us, especially since they were given to us after she passed away. At our old home, we had a perfect place to hang each of the plaques. When it was time to move we packed up everything and unpacked it an hour north.

We found five of the six plaques. Our youngest's son's was missing. We thought, "no problem--it'll be found." The problem was, it wasn't. We looked at each box labeled posters or paintings, but we didn't think it could possibly be in a box labeled photos.

Even though we didn't have our complete set, we wondered where the best place to hang the plaques would be. We decided above the sliding glass door in the great room would be nice. After we found the last plaque today, we knew where they should go. After a flew well-placed nails and eyeballing the levels, the display is up.

Yes, it took a few years for the nuggets of inspiration to see the light of day. It's another way this house is truly our home.