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Sharing Your Family’s Story

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sharing your family's story on the walls of your home! love this.I follow this gal on Instagram who has the most gorgeous house.

Every room is so lovely and so simple.

She does not hang ANYTHING on her walls.

When our house got hit with mold damage this summer and we had to repaint some of the main interior rooms, I decided that I wanted to be just like her.

As we took down a bunch of hanging plates and various canvas art that I had been collecting over the years to prep the walls for painting, I told the hubs that he could put away his hammer for good because I was going minimalist.

And when the room had a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore’s Gray Horse I looked around and felt really good about my new… nothing.

For about 48 hours.

After that every time I walked into the living room the walls basically begged me for nail holes.

Not to mention that it was weird hearing our voices echo all the time.

Who was I kidding?  I was never meant to be a minimalist.  Just look in our garage and it will tell you everything you need to know about the truth in that statement.

Besides, some of my favorite homes to visit are the ones where the walls aren’t filled with perfectly coordinated artwork, but rather pictures of family and loved ones.  Of fun times and memories.

There is something so attractive and inspiring about a home that gives you a little window into their story.

Because God is in that.  He is the author, after all.

So I decided to make the walls of our mold-free home tell the story of our own family.
gallery wall 5gallery wall

I started in the center with a photo of our little family on the day we brought Happy Baby home from the hospital.  We were all gathered on the hospital sofa bed waiting for the nurse to discharge us.  After almost 100 days in that place we were so excited at the chance to get home and start our life together as a family of 4.gallery wall 1

To the far left I included the first photo I ever got of our entire family SMILING.  I couldn’t believe it.  Everyone is looking at the camera and appears to be really… happy.  Because usually when it comes to family photos someone is having a nervous breakdown about something (as evidenced HERE and HERE).

Next I printed a photo of Happy Baby when he was about 1 month old and still on oxygen.  It’s a tough picture to look at sometimes because it brings back so many painful memories, but it is a part of our story.  And I can honestly say that his birth and struggles awakened me to a deeper way of living and loving than I ever experienced before.

Then there’s that photo of Happy Baby looking awesome and adorable right before the Lord surprised us with the joy of getting to have his feeding tube removed.photo galleryThe top photo here is my favorite out of all our wedding photos.  I remember wondering if my cheeks were going to explode from all the smiling that was happening that day.  We were so young, so carefree — so skinny. 🙂  We had no idea the trials we would face in the years ahead, but we knew we had Jesus and we had each other.  That is all that mattered.

And that bottom photo accurately depicts Happy Baby’s budding sense of humor and that way he daily helps me not take life so seriously.

gallery wall 4

The far right is a family picture a dear photographer friend captured for us.  She gifted us a free photo shoot because she, herself, had been through a NICU experience with one of her babies and felt it was God’s call on her life to serve other NICU families with her gifts.  Thank you, Bobbilee.

The bottom chevron frame is a picture of the Happy Buddy on his first trip to Disney World when he was 6 months old.  We still question why we decided to spend the 14 trillion dollars it took to go there when all he did was look cute for that one photo and then sleep the rest of the time.  And throw up on my favorite shirt while we waited in line at the merry go round.

And of course I had to include a photo of Happy Buddy eating a cookie because that child asks me 1400 times a day if he can have a treat.  I’m so scared he’s going to go off to college and eat nothing but donuts and cake for 4 years.photo gallery 2

That top photo was the one I taped in the Happy Baby’s NICU incubator for him to look at all those many hours we all weren’t able to be there with him.

I love the middle photo of father and son.  We affectionately remember this Easter photo shoot as that time the hubs cut Happy Buddy’s hair and accidentally used a number 2 guard on the hair clippers instead of a number 3.

Finally that bottom photo was one I took on a date night with the hubs a few years ago.  We were in a rough patch in our marriage, but this photo reminds me that we were committed to each other no matter what.  For better or worse.  And we came out of that season with a much better understanding of how to love each other well.

gallery wall 2gallery wall 3

I look at these walls and I see God’s faithful hand graciously woven through each photo – each captured moment from the journey He is writing for us.

And that is way more interesting to me than looking at a whole bunch of nothing.

How do you share your family’s story in your home?

– Julie 🙂

“The Lord directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

*You can find most of the picture frames I used for our gallery wall at Hobby Lobby.

Decorating, Fairy Thoughts
Decorating, Family, Marriage
11 Comments

About Happy Home Fairy

Julie Brasington is a Preschool Director, wife of a South Florida Worship Pastor and mom of 3 boys. She writes at Happy Home Fairy where you can find easy craft ideas, FREE printables, simple recipes, holiday fun, thoughts on raising kids, and encouragement for moms.

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Reader Interactions

11 Comments

  1. sabrina

    January 29, 2015 at 7:37 am

    You definitely made the right decision to use that hammer of yours….lol!
    All the frames are gorgeous and the pics are so very special…you DO have a wonderful story to display for all the guests that enter your home. Thanks for blessing me today and ministering to my heart. AND for giving me some decorative inspiration. 🙂

    to sabrina" aria-label='reply to this comment to sabrina'>reply to this comment
  2. Joeann

    January 29, 2015 at 9:12 am

    Can you give the link to see the friend’s posts with nothing on the walls?

    to Joeann" aria-label='reply to this comment to Joeann'>reply to this comment
  3. Leesa

    January 29, 2015 at 9:32 am

    This is my favorite family photo wall I have ever seen!! AND you made my heart so blessed sharing the details of every photo! Thanks so much<3

    to Leesa" aria-label='reply to this comment to Leesa'>reply to this comment
  4. Marla

    January 29, 2015 at 11:03 am

    Loved your photos. My house has always been full of my family pictures and sweet times.. All ages. They are in their 30s now. People always coment on them and tell me how warm the house is with them. One person asked why I had pics of my kids and all of us everywhere? I said because they make me happy when I look at them. What more could you want. A home full of happy times with those you love.. ?

    to Marla" aria-label='reply to this comment to Marla'>reply to this comment
  5. Aleksandra

    January 29, 2015 at 11:26 am

    You have a beautiful family, and although life is filled with bumps, you are right–it is YOUR story. One you should be proud of. Thank you for sharing your story. 🙂

    to Aleksandra" aria-label='reply to this comment to Aleksandra'>reply to this comment
  6. Dina Hopkins

    January 29, 2015 at 11:55 am

    Very nice wall and pics

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    to Dina Hopkins" aria-label='reply to this comment to Dina Hopkins'>reply to this comment
  7. Regina

    January 29, 2015 at 11:57 am

    You have one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen! I’m so happy you’ve decided to share that, your family, and your story with the world. It is inspiring to see someone be so honest and genuine about their journey and their faith and be a resource for those of out here trying to run a Christian household in this crazy world. 🙂

    to Regina" aria-label='reply to this comment to Regina'>reply to this comment
  8. Deb

    January 29, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    Beautiful!!! Much nicer than plain walls. FYI-Your house always seemed nice in the pictures I’ve seen you post. I love your purple kitchen.

    to Deb" aria-label='reply to this comment to Deb'>reply to this comment
  9. sarahmcsherman

    January 29, 2015 at 8:40 pm

    Love all the photos, and that they tell different parts of your story! I have plastered our walls in photos, sayings, and verses, all reminders of my family’s story, where we have been, where we are going. My favorites at the moment (besides the pics of course!) are “If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart,” and “It is well with my soul.”

    to sarahmcsherman" aria-label='reply to this comment to sarahmcsherman'>reply to this comment
  10. Tyna Begley

    January 30, 2015 at 10:44 am

    Beautiful. Thank you for the reminder. I want to do something like this. I just can’t seem to string 10 minutes together at once right now. In due season…

    to Tyna Begley" aria-label='reply to this comment to Tyna Begley'>reply to this comment
  11. Liz Lacy

    February 3, 2015 at 8:58 am

    I could not agree with you more about having your story on they walls of your house! We are in the middle of simplifying our house, but I refuse to downsize the pictures. Time goes way to fast and it is fun to look at the pictures of my kids when they were babies and little kids.

    to Liz Lacy" aria-label='reply to this comment to Liz Lacy'>reply to this comment

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Hey there! My name is Julie, the Happy Home Fairy. I am married to a Worship Pastor, we have 3 boys, and I am a Preschool Director. I love sharing easy, fun ideas to help moms build a happy home! Here you will find simple crafts, FREE Printables, yummy recipes, stories about my journey to trust Jesus with my family, and encouragement for your mama's heart. You can read more about me HERE!

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