Living room -- updated

We've very slowly been getting our living room together. Since we moved in we've been on the hunt for a used couch that hadn't been exposed to pets or smoking. Not an easy task! Last month we finally found one that was in our price range!! Hurrah! With the addition of a real couch, our living room has suddenly started looking like maybe grown-ups could live here.

Here's what the living room looked like before we bought the house --

When we moved in things were better -- the room looks pretty nice but what you don't notice is the window trim (see all that black?), the 3 curtain rods tacked in a row right onto the trim, the food (?) stains on the ceiling, the missing outlet & light switch covers or the 20-30 hardware holes in the walls that needed patching & painting.

After living in the space for over seven months, it's finally starting to feel like a home.

Thrive or survive?

Last Spring as we started gearing up for these years of Jason being in school and working, I found myself with the desire to not just survive this time, but to THRIVE through it.  This has been much easier said than done. In certain moments of clarity, I remember that this very well may be an easy time in life and that it's possible I may look back, wishing I had appreciated it more.

Then the daily grind of life sucks all thoughts of thriving right out of me ... how do you thrive through times that in the moment feel like you'll be lucky just to survive?

A thoughtful friend sent me this at the beginning of the winter season. Just seeing it sitting in the bathroom has made me feel better on many days -- knowing someone (in California) is thinking of me :)

Another bright spot has been this little cutie ...

Funny how a person can add stress while at the same time as being a tremendous stress-relief. Mabel turned five months earlier this month. I was laid out, flat sick the week of her birthday so the photo is a bit belated ... to be honest, if a friend  hadn't given me these stickers for her I probably wouldn't be doing any monthly pictures :)