I drew my family’s house, my childhood home, for my mom for Mother’s Day. It reminded me of some gift art my 7-year-old self drew for another occasion… It’s still hanging up in the bedroom my two sisters and I shared as kids!

It’s neat to see what sort of details I noticed as a kid. The garbage bins (screen left side of garage) and drain pipes were so important to me! I remember hearing the empty bins scraping along the concrete as my dad brought them in after garbage day; that’s how I knew he was home.

As I was drawing my family home as my 31 year old self, I noted particularly the landscaping. My mom assigned me the chore of watering the plants during summer breaks when I was a kid. I remember how time consuming it was, but never appreciated it as much as I do now. Maybe it’s because Karl and I are in the middle of redoing our own front yard…but I can’t stop admiring the hard work my mom put into planting and maintaining her flowers.

It’s amazing how perspective can change over 24 years. Here’s hoping that Karl and I can make a home as inviting as the ones we grew up in!