Designer Vs. Durable: What we want in our new house

      I will never forget one of the very first Shearer family gatherings we hosted at our first home on Clay Street.  I think it must have been for a birthday party.  Mark and I hadn't hosted much, and I am not even sure if we had any kids yet.   Towards the end of the day someone came upstairs and said that one of our dining room chairs had broken.  We went downstairs to find one of our chairs in PIECES!  At the time, neither one of us found it funny.  I can laugh about it now.  We also discovered a giant bottle of bubbles had been spilled on the carpet.  

     Now many years later and 3 kids in with this parenting business, we have come to realize that STUFF HAPPENS.   Chairs get broken, bubbles spill, toys get flushed down the toilet, and walls get colored on.  It doesn't mean you have bad kids or you aren't a good parent.  You can't be EVERY where at every minute and like I have written before, Emmett more than any of our other kids has taught us that. 

With all of this being said, Mark and I spent quite a bit of time talking about what we want in the house that we are building.  We have lived in many different homes, all different floor plans, ages, and styles.  We have come to realize what is important to us in the home that we are building.  Here is what we have come up with: 


1.  Safety (No worries here, we have a great builder that we trust)
2. Functional:  It was important for us to have a home that works for us now, with little kids, but will also be a good fit as our kids grow and our family changes.  We also wanted to make sure we have room for guests :)  
3. Durable:  Yes, as durable as you can make it!  Lol.  Our kids are hard on things, especially the boys.  They bang things, slam things, and run things into walls.  The hang on things, pull things, and spill things.   (We love them to pieces, but goodness! Are all boys like this?!)   For this reason we are not going to be putting in the fanciest of....... anything.  We have tried to get good quality for the things that are not easily replaceable, but everything else will have to wait until the kids get older. 

Mark's Wish List
1.  A big garage. - ✔
2.  A movie theater room. -✔

Katie's Wish List
1. A pantry- ✔
2. A sewing/craft/preschool space- ✔
3. MORE THAN ONE BATHROOM!! - ✔
4. An open kitchen dining area with an island.- ✔

At the end of the day, we realize that what the house looks like really isn't all that important to us.  We want our kids to feel comfortable and safe.  We want them to feel at home and we want to make amazing memories in this house.  We will try our best to take care of our home, but things are going to get broken, spilled, and worn.  That doesn't matter.  What matters is that we are going to have a space to share with others, and we are so excited for that!