Bloggy Tour Of Homes «

Bloggy Tour Of Homes

July 28, 2006 by Mary Owlhaven

(Edited to add one more picture at the bottom) I’m joining with BooMama for the Bloggy Tour Of Homes. Visit her site for all the details.

My home is not grand or amazing, except for the fact that it actually fits all of us! I love it! We built it ourselves in 1993. At the time we had 3 kids and never dreamed that 12 years later we’d have 8.

When we first moved in, we had 1500 square feet and 3 bedrooms. Since then we have finished the upstairs, bumped out a wall, and added a dormer. That added 2 more bedrooms, a bathroom, and a family room. It works really well for us. So, here are the photos from my place!

1) My front door. In nice weather I love to sit on the front porch and read a book while the kids ride bikes and rollerblade on our driveway.

2) Where I blog. On the couch in the corner of my living room- that way I don’t miss anything!

3) Main living area. We have a ‘great room’ with living, dining, and kitchen all connected. Very informal and friendly.
4) Kitchen-I really should have taken a picture of it at dinnertime, when it is wall to wall people, cooking, chopping, emptying dishwasher, setting table, and (in the case of my youngest) hanging on mom’s leg and begging to be picked up!

5) Our back yard, complete with pool, play yard, fort, sand box, and tire swing. Tons of stuff for busy kids to do!

And I had to add one last final picture of our kitchen this morning during breakfast prep! I have one kid on toast, one on eggs, one on potatoes, one on bacon, and two on the floor!

Hope you enjoyed the peek into my life. Go visit BooMama to see who else is giving house tours!

Posted in Home | 65 Comments

65 Responses

on July 27, 2006 at 11:21 pm the "other" Sarah

What a lovely, love-filled home. Thanks for inviting us in for a peek. I love the flowers in the front yard – so cheery! When you say “built it ourselves” do you mean your family did the actual labor for it? If so, I am very impressed – it’s beautiful!
on July 28, 2006 at 12:28 am momrn2

What a GREAT home! The front door is so inviting and the large kitchen and living area are great! I’ll get my link on my page changed to direct people here!!
on July 28, 2006 at 7:41 am Jan

I love a house with a front porch! So welcoming.
on July 28, 2006 at 7:50 am Stephanie

I am impressed with all those kids you got everything so clean. I couldn’t manage it with my 4! Thanks for the tour!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:03 am Shannon @ Rocks in my Dryer

Love it, Mary. One of these days I want to see it in person!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:06 am deana

What a beautiful happy home. Thanks for the invite!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:11 am Randi

Your home is so cozy and I love your big kitchen! Plenty of room for everyone!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:17 am GiBee

I love your home… especially the family room. It looks so inviting!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:19 am Kim

I love it too! I LOVE your front door and that kitchen and would also like to see it filled to the brim with broods of helping hands!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:19 am Overwhelmed!

Nice home. Thanks for posting pictures. When I get back home, I might do the same thing!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:20 am Michelle-This One's for the Girls

Love your couches and the “big” great room. I can just imagine your big brood crawling all over the place! Thanks for having us.
on July 28, 2006 at 8:33 am Queen Beth

I just love your house! So warm and welcoming!!
on July 28, 2006 at 8:48 am Kim from Hiraeth

Hi Mary!

Thanks for the invitation! What a lovely family home!
on July 28, 2006 at 9:11 am Mrs Blythe

What a great home, my kid’d love the big pool. I love the big sofas in the living room. And your front porch is just gorgeous. Blessings.
on July 28, 2006 at 9:28 am jeana

Love the kitchen pic with all the kids. What is your son doing to the pool?
on July 28, 2006 at 9:35 am Brianna

Great house! That breakfast sounds REALLY good…I wish they were here to make me some!
on July 28, 2006 at 10:25 am jettybetty

I love the kitchen picture, too!

=-)
on July 28, 2006 at 10:52 am Pastormac's Ann

Thanks so much for inviting us in. So clearly a home and not just a house! Beautiful!
on July 28, 2006 at 11:02 am abc momma

It looks like there’s a breakfast tray out. Does someone get breakfast in bed?
on July 28, 2006 at 11:12 am Stephanie

Thank you for the tour of your home. It is so warm and inviting! I love your porch. I think I would be stuck there for hours!
on July 28, 2006 at 11:13 am Barb

Exactly as I pictured your home. Kid friendly, full of love and everyone working together. I love it.
on July 28, 2006 at 11:30 am Sue

My husband always wanted to build a home! How wonderful for you that yours is created with love by your own hands! It’s so obviously a warm and happy home!!!
on July 28, 2006 at 11:33 am Owlhaven

ABC– yes, my son turned 12 this week, so this morning he had breakfast in bed.

And Jeana, I have no idea what my son was doing with the pool– probably just feeling it longingly because he wanted to get in

Mary
on July 28, 2006 at 11:36 am Lisa

It’s just beautiful, wish we had a yard, looks fun and busy!!
on July 28, 2006 at 11:42 am Lori

Wow! What an active house! I love your couches! I just want to curl up with a good book or a great movie!
on July 28, 2006 at 12:20 pm Rebecca

What a great family house you have! My backyard is packed FULL of kids’ stuff, too. I love your kitchen!
on July 28, 2006 at 12:28 pm ashley

wow!! such a busy place! i love the kitchen. and the couches are awesome! they look so comfy!
on July 28, 2006 at 12:30 pm emily

loved to see your home! especially enjoyed the shot of everyone making breakfast.
on July 28, 2006 at 12:34 pm shawnda

It’s fun to see your home and esp. the kids prepping for breakfast!!! Thanks for sharing!
on July 28, 2006 at 12:34 pm shawnda

It’s fun to see your home and esp. the kids prepping for breakfast!!! Thanks for sharing! And thanks for your prayers for our family!!!
on July 28, 2006 at 1:01 pm Wendy

How fun! Beautiful front porch, by the way.
on July 28, 2006 at 1:01 pm Katrina

Great home! And I’m glad you added a picture of your busy kitchen! Thanks for the tour.
on July 28, 2006 at 1:57 pm melissa

enjoyed your tour! looks like a busy kitchen.
on July 28, 2006 at 2:15 pm Jennifer, Snapshot

I can’t see the pics!! I’ll have to come back tomorrow. I keep forgetting about opinion Saturday anyway, and maybe this will help me remember.
on July 28, 2006 at 2:50 pm renee

I was so happy to see your son in the kitchen helping fix breakfast. My little guys help out a lot right now, but I sure want that to continue as they get older, and you have encouraged me that there is hope!
on July 28, 2006 at 3:05 pm kim

What a nice home! I love the look of your front porch and door, with the high peak above. It looks like a wonderful family home!

Thanks for opening up your home for the tour!

kim
on July 28, 2006 at 3:39 pm Sarah

Mary, your home looks so full of love and fun! I can’t wait to have a kitchen full of help, like you do! Thank you for opening your home to us:)
on July 28, 2006 at 4:33 pm Tammy

Thanks for letting us peek into your lovely home…it does seem full of lots of love!

Please come by and step into my humble and small abode…not many have dropped by (I think since I was late posting) so would love the company!
on July 28, 2006 at 5:23 pm Joy

Oh, I love your home! Especially the pic of everyone helping in the kitchen. That’s what a home really is anyhow, the people that live in it! Oh, to have eight….that’s my dream.
By the way, you do not look old enough to have kids that age!!!
Blessings
on July 28, 2006 at 6:58 pm autumn

Very nice..Love the kitchen area
on July 28, 2006 at 8:16 pm Sheri

That is a wonderful kitchen! Your front door and where you blog aren’t showing up for me…oh well! I’ll just pretend!
on July 28, 2006 at 10:27 pm Nikkie

You have a beautiful home! I just love your living room! thanks for the tour!
on July 29, 2006 at 12:31 am Diane J.

Love your big inviting home, Mary. I’ll bet it’s nice to have such a spread of ages there, from 1 to 18, and I’ll bet it’s never quiet or boring at your house!! Plus there’s always someone to play with.

I covet your big kitchen, I must confess.
on July 29, 2006 at 6:39 am Horizon

Love to see the picture of your kids in the kitchen- reminded me of home- two teenagers and a four year old- always busy.
You have a lovely home which feels very homely and inviting. Thank you for the tour.
Bests
on July 29, 2006 at 7:44 am Beckie

What a great house! You are very blessed!

I love your kitchen!! In fact, I think I may show it to my hubby for future reference. )

Thanks for inviting me over — I had a lovely time.
Blessings! )
on July 29, 2006 at 8:09 am Carol

It’s much more than a house, Mary – it’s a home! And yours is filled with love. Wonderful how you made the house fit your family rather than limiting your family to what you thought the house might hold. That kitchen is great! Mine only holds one or two backsides at a time – the rest need to move out or we’re liable to dump stuff all over each other.

Oh! And I like your new blog redecorating, too! Very nice – clean, sleek… lovely surprise when I stopped in just now.

Thanks for the tour and hospitality!
on July 29, 2006 at 10:41 am terribespeller

I love the front of your house!
on July 29, 2006 at 12:02 pm Emily

OK…do I hate you because your house is so clean????? Its beautiful and lovely…thanks for sharing!
on July 29, 2006 at 2:38 pm Lori

I only counted six kids on breakfast prep. Where are the other two??

And where are the OWLS?

Seriously, I think your front porch is beautiful. And I like the kitchen too… especially with all those kids in it!

Thanks for the tour.
on July 29, 2006 at 3:47 pm Jennifer

You have a beautiful home, very spacious, but then it would need to be wouldn’t it? Thanks for sharing your photos.
on July 29, 2006 at 8:53 pm Maggie Ann

Your home is so spacious…I like that. Thanks for the tour…it looks very ‘homey’. Hope you have a restful Sunday…God is ever good.
on July 29, 2006 at 10:05 pm Laura

What a beautiful home The picture of your living room has sealed it for me, the next bit of furniture we buy will be a leather sofa! Thank you so much for the tour.
on July 29, 2006 at 10:20 pm Susanne

Love your front door and porch. So inviting to go sit and watch the world go by!
on July 29, 2006 at 11:59 pm Janice

I always wondered how you fit all those kids in – what a great place!! I LOVE your front porch.
on July 30, 2006 at 12:52 am Rena

Your home is gorgeous…love the kitchen.
I’m touring a day late as I was out of town…so glad that I dropped by.
on July 30, 2006 at 10:29 am Heather

Love seeing how you live! I would adore having all that space in the back yard! The great room couches are well, great! Thanks for the tour — now to go back to stalking your garden…
on July 31, 2006 at 12:58 pm Mrs. Shannon H.

You definitely have a love-filled home!! I *adore* that basket your computer is on! The whole house seems open and much bigger than the numbers you gave. Thanks for a smile and a tour.
on July 31, 2006 at 2:21 pm Diane

What a beautiful home you have! It’s perfect…as I imagined it would be. What a great heart you have……you can see it in the photos of your home….as well as your blog!

Thanks for sharing. Wasn’t BooMama’s idea a GREAT one! I love getting to know my blogging firends just a little better. Now, when I read your posts, I will be able to visualize you sitting on your couch….with laptop in hand….watching all that is going on around you as you connect with so many in blogland!

Thanks for the tour. It’s beautiful.

Diane
on July 31, 2006 at 2:34 pm sarahgrace

Wow! Thanks for the home tour- very nice!
on August 1, 2006 at 5:44 am Debra

Loved your light and airy family-friendly home! Your front door area is absolutely wonderful and welcoming… and seeing your family in the kitchen was like being there with you all… Thanks so much for letting us all visit you! Blessings, Debra
on August 1, 2006 at 5:58 pm Kari - MommaB

What a happy, love-filled home! I especially love the shot of the outdoors. Couldn’t help but notice the young man at the pool. Is he really holding a cat that close to the water?? Hah!

Your home is just as it should be… filled with family, love and fun! Thanks for sharing that with us!
on August 5, 2006 at 2:44 pm Mrs. C

Your home looks so family-friendly! Thanks for sharing with us.
on August 10, 2006 at 1:10 pm Shalee

So that’s where the infamous Owlhaven lives. My favorite picture is the last one. How perfect that everyone does their part (yes even sitting on the floor) to get things done. That is lovely Mary, just lovely.
on August 13, 2006 at 9:30 pm Chappyswife

What a pretty, warm, & inviting home! Your family sounds wonderful!!!
on November 21, 2006 at 12:19 pm bordermama

I have pictures of my kitchen up right now…not quite a whole “bloggy tour,” but its something.

Comments are closed.

About Me

I'm Mary, wife to John, and mom to 10 kids ages 3-20. Six of them were adopted, from Ethiopia and Korea. I spend my days applying Bandaids, reminding kids to use their inside voices, persuading kids fractions are useful, cooking spicy ethnic food, and snapping gig after gig of pictures. Very late at night, I write about it all.

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Dear Me in 1983
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When I'm An Old Lady
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