You want to see this, right?
Here it is for your viewing pleasure.
Isn't it gorgeous?
This is the living room that belongs to
a busy, active family.
source/Lawrence Reaves
Well, at least that is how it is advertised.
You can follow the link if you don't believe me.
Here is the reality at my daughter's
busy, happy family home
when the cousins are visiting.
Here you will find the two year old
with a bowl on his head.
And you will find a mini-trampoline
at the end of the sofa
with Cousin SweetCheeks jumping on it
and the 4 year with his soccer ball pjs on.
And...We have piggy-back relays
over the block obstacles.
(while SweetCheeks continues to bounce)
And THAT my friends is the REALITY behind a
BEAUTIFUL LIVING ROOM.
Oh..and then there's this!
The perfect decoration!!!!
I am happy to say little Bright Eyes
got a tad jaundiced but is now
pretty and pink again!
I am happy to say little Bright Eyes
got a tad jaundiced but is now
pretty and pink again!
yep,and that's the normal for most homes with children. Love the last photo, that makes it all right!
ReplyDeleteThis is the best decor that any mother or grand mother could ever ask for. How I miss the toys and the children playing in the house and the toys being strewn across the living room (dining room and anywhere else in the house). Simply Beautiful Nana!
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly how my sister's house looks with her two boys---- the one with blocks and kid's stuff all over. It is normal. Have a great day, Diana! xo
ReplyDeleteDiana, Now that is the reality of family living. Nothing wrong with it either, not when it all ends with kissing.:):) I see some wonderful baby sitters in the making. I miss all the forts my girls would make.Blessings to all of you, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteYes, I was going to say that the way to have a beautiful living room with an active family is to GET RID OF THE FAMILY.....but society frowns upon that so most of us make memories with the kids (esp if they are grandkids) and enjoy the laughter, smiles, and hugs while we ignore the mess for a bit. Your daughter has the right idea! The little ones grow up way too fast!!!
ReplyDeleteThat living room was a showplace room that people just walked by and somewhere there was a family room or something that had real life in it. YOUR pics look like my place when the kids are here. MAYHEM! :) :) :)
ReplyDeleteThe first room is beautiful...but I'll take the one with all of the love and laughter!
ReplyDeleteSharon
Aww love to see all the cousins having fun. I would take the room with the chaos any day.
ReplyDeleteYep that's reality! When it's picked up it only lasts for a short period (like when they're asleep)! It's okay- all of a sudden they're grown up and then the home is all yours to make pretty! I miss the chaos! It's cute to see the cousins playing together- good memories!
ReplyDeleteI would take the second living room in a flash, with children, lol, much closer to reality!!!!What beautiful family!!!! Sorry bright eyes became a little jaundiced, but so common right, she is a beauty,
ReplyDeleteReality show living room versus a real home, that is what I see.
ReplyDeleteFirst living room is pretty. Now that second living room is just full of love and oh so many kisses and full of happy, happy, happy kids! That's what makes my heart take a leap! Oh, little bright eyes is just sweet and precious~
ReplyDeleteI agree Diana! My mother always said (she had us four girls) if people are coming over to see my house and not me then I don't want them here! Looks like a lot of fun going on over there!
ReplyDeleteThey are surely having fun, and making lasting memories.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Diana,
ReplyDeleteYou just gave me my first big laugh of the day . . . thank you :)
Keep Smiling.
Connie :)
Yep, that's the way it really is...you won't see that in a magazine. Love the kid photos and the bowl on the head...seen that one before. Bright Eyes is going to have a lot of teachers to show her the ropes. Hope you are feeling better and have a good day!
ReplyDeleteMy house doesn't look like that and I don't have kids! Houses that are perfect aren't lived in. I want life in my house. Our time on earth is short and let's enjoy our life here before we see our Saviour face-to-face. Your little Bright Eyes is well loved. Sorry to hear about the jaundice, but I hear that's common. Glad she is better now.
ReplyDeleteThe perfect living room for a busy, active, and happy family! Where they feel welcome and at ease with one another and the surroundings. So happy to hear the Miss Baby Bright Eyes is pink again! xo Nellie
ReplyDeleteI need to give my blog readers a reality check too!!! We have our 7 yr old about half of the time. As I look around the room......big barbie house...barbie horses....legos....clothes....homework....just an average day for us! Love the bowl on his sweet little head! Hugs, Penny
ReplyDeleteKeepin' it real, Diana! I've always tried to do that, too! Glad to see that their house looks like mine did when mine were younger! xoKathleen
ReplyDeleteI used to say that my living room was decorated by Playskool. When my kids were little, there were toys everywhere. Now, I have a more grown up house. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI just love the photos of the girls kissing their new sweet baby cousin, Diana! She is darling. And I'm glad you are keeping it real! The "people" (if there really ARE people who live in that first room) in that living room need a reality check!!
ReplyDeleteWell the first one is pretty, but a home filed with love and laughter is so much better! And we have exact same blocks packed away. Can't wait to break them out for Clare!
ReplyDeleteIt can get hectic, with kids.
ReplyDeleteBut believe me (and you), Nanas know that this time is fleeting. Enjoy it! Even if it does get hectic. :-))))))
Oh yes. Bouncing children. Sometimes John stays and hangs out with the boys and me in the afternoon after they are brought home...usually long enough for the snack...when the bouncing begins, he's off like a rocket. ☺
ReplyDeleteI love the color of jaundiced babes, but am very happy to know that Bright Eyes is pink again. When I start saying, "That child's coloring is so beautiful" parents should be warned.
I'm always cautious of a mom of school -aged kids with a perfect looking home. It means that there is no fun going on there!
ReplyDeletereminds me of my daughter's house...they really LIVE in it even with all her pretty furniture and "stuff"!
ReplyDeletethat picture of the baby is so precious...jackson was a little "yellow" too but they put him under a "billy" light for a day or two and he was just fine!
hope your weather is not too bad, i think this will be our last "cold" week, supposed to be around 79 here by the weekend...it's about time!
Dear Diana, I do like to keep a few pictures of my cleaned up Den to have proof it doesn't always have Legos and Linken logs covering it!
ReplyDeleteAs a Grand Mother I can say I do have a much cleaner home them when mine where little... But. I would choose busy and toys all over the place then a model HOME any day!
Did you say you jumped off the couch onto the mini trampoline? :o)
Love, Roxy
My house goes from the before to the after when the grands are here. Good to have a lived in home!
ReplyDeleteThe first picture I would be a little afraid to visit, but with your family it would be welcome and have fun. It looks lived in and enjoyed. Your family looked like they were having so much fun. Bright Eyes is being loved by all. Everybody will look out for her. Have a wonderful day and enjoy those grandchildren, they grow up way to fast. Hugs and Prayers from Your Missouri Friend.
ReplyDeleteLived in homes are the best! My boys used to have those cardboard "bricks" too. My living room floor was covered with those and matchbox cars for years and years! Happy times! Glad bright eyes is doing well. :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like fun. There will be time for a pretty living room when the kids are grown. Have fun while they are little and enjoy spending time with them, Nana D! Sweet hugs!
ReplyDeleteI thought she had a little jaundice in that picture with sweet cheeks..Thought maybe it was just the picture..Glad all is well..Cute post..The important thing is that everyone is happy and having fun..
ReplyDeleteLovin that first room you posted :) wink laugh
ReplyDeletegood to see all the kids having fun..
aww Bright Eyes, you sweet little pink bundle of joy.
Sweet kisses for the new baby. You are right, that first photo looked like a show piece not some place that people actually live in.
ReplyDeleteI get it! You can have a living room like this if you have a big family room or playroom for the kids. Right? :)
ReplyDeleteLoved seeing your family doing real things, and the photos of the baby are darling. I can see she gets lots of hugs and kisses.
Beautiful indeed!
ReplyDeletePat
Loving the ''LIVING" room! Such joyful reality from these pictures. Family memories making up a wonderful life! Keep enjoying! <3
ReplyDeleteWay to go on almost 700 FOLLOWERS DIANA!!!
Another beautiful grandbaby??? You are truly blessed, Diana. I wouldn't even mind the messes.
ReplyDeleteHope you are well and staying warm. xoxo.
Little ones and baby, beautiful, just beautiful! Prettier than the prettiest magazine living room!
ReplyDeleteDiana, and a beautiful situation as it should be. What fun they are having, not even realizing the memories they are making. Oh, little Bright Eyes. I would take that one off your hands in a heartbeat..Happy Thursday to all..Judy
ReplyDeleteand the laundry basket. Don't forget the never ending presence of the laundry basket! Glad little chunka love is doing better. let's catch up soon! hehe.
ReplyDeleteReality is so much better than "perfect and in place"....The love and fun just jumps off the screen. And those last three shots...oh my ~ melt my heart.
ReplyDeleteA quick memory. Being a Pastor's wife...people always dropping in since we lived next door to the church. When my four were little I put a sheet on the living room floor with kids and toys...when the door bell rang....gathered up the four corners of the sheet, tied a knot, stuck it in the bedroom and walla ready for company...oops...did I leave a kid in the sheet...1,2,3,4... All account for...HaHa
Yes, yes, YES!! Love this, Diana! I'll take a REAL living room over a magazine photo any day. . . even though our real life is rarely photo-worthy!
ReplyDeleteI like the second room the best...The first is pretty to look at, but it's not lived in. Cute kiddos!
ReplyDeleteFirst picture is not for real...even with two people our front room is not picture perfect. I like your "lived in" style of living....that is more real!!!! Have a great day!!!
ReplyDeleteI do not believe any family has ever lived in that first room!
ReplyDeleteWho do they think they are fooling?
I think your daughter's LR is far more fun and practical for any real family, for sure.
It appears Bright Eyes is getting plenty of love and attention-so sweet.
I love the pictures of them girls kissing Bright Eyes.
ReplyDeleteWe must be sharing the same decorator - LIFE! Our youngsters are all grown up now but those days are still fresh in my memory. My living room now has three dog beds (our grand dog is visiting), a cat pole, and toys all over the floor. I would call it a Home Decorated By Love! Thanks for sharing Diana xxoo back to ya!
ReplyDeleteI love it!!!...Real life...have fun with your "sweeties"...Life is good!
ReplyDeleteThis is great!! Real living with healthy and happy kids having fun and making moments. This makes the perfect living room!!
ReplyDeleteLove your pics and those last ones are precious!! So glad Bright Eyes pinked up too.
Hugs XO
My living room ALWAYS looks like the first photo. Buwahaha.
ReplyDeleteI always get a kick out of those magazine photos. My cousin emailed me that she couldn't stand my perfectly perfect kitchen photos from the blog anymore. So I sent her a real pic of my kitchen- dishes in the sink, bills on the kitchen table, shoes at the back door, homework and kids...that's reality! It's messy, like your daughter's living room, but filled with love and life and I agree, that's what make a beautiful room! ps...love the bowl! ;)
ReplyDeleteReality is so much better than staged. I am getting the impression that baby is getting a fair amount of kisses. xo Laura
DeleteSo funny you posted this...Jim and I were just talking about the days when our whole living room was a fort for the week when kids were on spring break!!
ReplyDeleteDiana, that's how real life should be, not picture perfect. The children look happy and that's the important thing. Glad to know the baby is okay!
ReplyDeleteDiana, This is life filled with laughter and love!!! My youngest girls house often resembles your daughters house. Bright Eyes is so very precious-I know you are loving the time with them. Hope you have a delightful evening and great weekend.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Noreen
I love the activity of that real living room :)))
ReplyDeleteAnd Awe ~ beautiful baby bright eyes .
I await my first grandchild coming this July !!!
I like a pretty room as much as anyone, but I find more joy in the mess!!! Loved a glimpse into the sweet chaos!! :)
ReplyDeletenow, that is a beautiful room:)
ReplyDeleteI am a design junky and expecting my first child. I'm secretly afraid my living room will become overrun with toys, but in the end I;m sure the trade off will be well worth it.
ReplyDeleteWhen the grands visit, it literally takes about a nano second for the house to go from neat to nutsville so I can totally relate, right down to the bowl on the head :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks way more normal, much more comfy and real! I'm uncomfortable in a tidy perfectly organize home...clutter is my style!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! THAT is the definition of a living room of a happy family :)
ReplyDeleteThat is a happy living room with lots of wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteMary
A beautiful, normal, happy family in a toy filled untidy room doing their thang! The BEST! Blessings~~~Roxie
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw that first picture with your description..I thought.."what?" Lol Never was it like that at my house...lol
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you all!
I had to laugh at the first photo. Yeah ... right. Not!
ReplyDeleteThe real thing has much more appeal.
Oh yes...that is just what a living room looks like with an active family! (Not the first one, of course...)
ReplyDeleteL O V E x 1 8 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDitto Dayle: I love the appeal of the last several REAL photos!
Hugs and happy highways, Diana! STAY WARM!
Kelley~
Yup...That is exactly what a 'living' room is supposed to look like - Lived in!! Blessings to you and all those beautiful kiddos, Cindy
ReplyDeleteMy living room looks perfect now because all of the puppy's toy are put away, the pillows are plumped and everyone else is in bed. But then, come morning, it is lived in - all day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous room Diana - love that they actually LIVE in the living room - I never learned the art of that sadly lol
ReplyDeleteXOXO
My house is usually picked up because it's just me and my husband...but when my kids visit there is stuff everywhere and I love it. A little clutter adds that special, homey feeling. Your family looks like so much fun...you are truly blessed.
ReplyDeleteYou mean everything we see in magazines is not real? Darn! There's a whole lot of living going on in the second room and that's the way it should be.
ReplyDeleteSo, we get to choose.... lived in or elegant? I choose lived in. Because elegant is also empty and empty is loveless and lonely. Pretty yes, but also kind of sad. A room full of children is happy and alive! :-) And your children are precious!
ReplyDelete