Thursday, April 29

Grace at Home this special week


Friends, do I ever have good news to share!

Many of you know that my oldest son, Will, is an aviator with the U.S. Navy. And some of you know that he has been deployed since last October. 

Not only has Will been gone since October, but his wife had their first baby on December 31—and because of COVID-19 restrictions, he wasn't allowed to go home for the birth of the baby. 

Well, this week is the time our whole family has been anxiously awaiting. Will's squadron made it safely home, and Will got to meet his firstborn. If you follow me on Instagram (and I would so love to connect with you there—please say hi!), you might have seen this photo:


I knew, of course, that my heart would melt when I saw my "baby" hold his baby for the first time. But I'll confess that I burst into a torrent of tears the moment I saw this photo. 

You can imagine how hard it has been for me to concentrate this week. But I'm so glad to welcome you to the Grace at Home party, where we celebrate all the ways we make our homes places of grace and beauty. Here are some features from last week's party.

If remodeling a bathroom is in your future, you'll want to see the master bathroom renovation from Renae at Peacock Ridge Farm. Just wait 'til you see the "before" pictures!


If you're considering building a bunk room in your house, you really should see this space from Andrea at Living on Cloud Nine. Just think of how much fun kids would have in a room like this!


If you're planning to have overnight guests in your home sometime soon (thank God for vaccines that will allow more people to travel!), you'll be interested to see how Marty from A Stroll thru Life gave her guest room a refresh.

And for some wonderful ways to make your guest room a truly welcoming space, check out these easy tips from Denise at My Home of All Seasons.


If you're like me, you're always on the lookout for new recipes. Lately my husband and I have been trying to limit our carbohydrate intake, so I was tickled to find this low-carb chicken casserole recipe from LouLou Girls. (Confession: I'm not a fan of broccoli, so I'd leave that out, but otherwise this sounds delicious!)


If you're looking for some really good marriage advice, I highly recommend this post from Linda Stoll, who just celebrated her 45th anniversary. I have to confess that I giggled a little when I recently saw a marriage book written by authors who confided that they'd been married almost 20 years. I have two rules for marriage advice: I only take it from people who have made it through at least 30 years together, and I only take it from people who have been through some really tough times. Marriage is wonderful, but it's not easy!


Finally, if you're needing some encouragement for your soul as we continue to struggle through these long days of a global pandemic, read this post from Michele Morin at Living Our Days
Thank you to everyone who linked up!

Now for today's party.  Here at the Grace at Home party, you can link up any post you've written that demonstrates how you're filling your own home with truth, goodness, and beauty. I invite you to link posts about
  • DIY projects
  • decorating
  • recipes
  • hospitality
  • homemaking tips
  • parenting
  • marriage
  • faith
  • self-care
  • soul care
Whatever you do to make your home a place of grace, I'd like to hear about it.  Here's what I ask of you.  Please include the permalink to your post, not your blog's home page.  Please let people know that you've linked up.  No more than three posts per person, please.  Note that if you link a post here, you are giving me permission to share your post, including a photo.  And visit at least one of the other party participants--that's what really makes it a party, and during these difficult times, it can really make someone's day! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

25 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing the love, Richella ...

    ;-)

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  2. My Dad was in the Army so I know first hand how special these reunions are and I couldn't be more excited for your family. Thanks so much for hosting. I hope your week is blessed, CoCo

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  3. Such a touching picture of your son and his son!

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  4. Oh that picture brought tears to my eye also, what a precious and special time. Thank also for sharing my guest bedroom.

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  5. Congratulations, what an amazing experience. So happy for you!

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  6. Beautiful and so encouraging! Thanks for sharing my thoughts on perseverance.

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  7. I have tears in my eyes! Such a blessing....but I have to add as a Mother of a son, God has really brought your son an amazing wife. I know they must be an awesome couple.

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  8. Love the photo of your son and his baby, first meetings are always sweet, no matter when they happen! Have a wonderful week ahead.

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  9. Loved seing the pic of your son and grandchild. So heartwarming! Thanks for sharing...
    Niky @ The House on Silverado

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  10. So happy for your family!! I loved your note about marriage advice from those who have really been there for the ups+downs - amen! Best, Jen

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  11. What a beautiful moment for your family! I hope you enjoy the recipes I shared this week. Thanks so much for hosting this weekly link-up!

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  12. The best is that opening photo, Richella! Melt my heart.♥

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  13. thank you so much for featuring our low carb chicken casserole!!!

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  14. My heart soared when I saw the picture of Will meeting his son on IG and FB the other day. That photo must be framed!

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  15. oh my goodness! the picture of your son and his baby is absolutely precious. I t just brings tears to my eyes. I'm so thankful that God brought him and his squadron home safely. Please thank him for his service for me. What an enormouse sacrifice from all of you. Thank you so much for the feature. I really appreciate you.
    Hugs and blessings to you.

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  16. I'm so happy for your son and his family, as well as you! God is good, all the time!

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  17. Congrats on having your son home and reunited with your family!! Congrats on the new baby!!
    Thanks for hosting this lovely party each week!!! It is truly appreciated as I know how much time is involved!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  18. I saw your sweet picture on instagram and it just made me so happy! What a blessing to have your son home and to see him hold his baby for the first time. Thanks so much for sharing that beautiful moment with all of us. It truly made my day! Thank you for hosting Richella and I'm thrilled to be included in your features this week. So very happy for all of you!

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  19. Thank you so much for hosting!

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  20. i cry every time I think about Will meeting his boy. So precious. Thanks again for sharing my bunk room. Have a sweet weekend.

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  21. Oh wow--that photo almost makes me tear up. So glad your son finally got to meet his child and see his wife again.

    Our youngest son just moved out a few weeks ago, so we're in the planning stages of creating a guest room. So those links are timely. I'll have to come back later and check them out.

    I loved Linda's post. I agree, marriage advice from someone who has been at it a long time is much more valuable.

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  22. Hi. Havent been by in a while and just found out that you've become a grandmother - life only gets better with grandchildren! You must be so happy!! What a beautiful baby....Hope all is well with you!

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  23. I'm so happy for you! To have your son home with that beautiful baby And thank you so much for his service. Truly appreciate you hosting us every week for a wonderful party. Have a great week. XO- MaryJo
    PS- This bunk beds are amaZing!

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  24. That is such a sweet photo. You can see the pride and joy your son is feeling. What a happy occasion! Thanks so much for hosting and I hope you are having a great weekend!

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  25. Yes, this picture gets me! So happy for you all to see this moment at last! My baby had her first baby this week! I'm the only one who has been able to see our new grandson so far, since the hospital only allows one visitor (and thankfully my daughter chose me!), but they will come home from the hospital today and everyone can meet him at last. I can't imagine how your son must have felt having to wait so long! Thanks for sharing this moment with us, Richella.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I read every one; they make my day. If you have a specific question, please be sure your email address is attached to your profile or leave your email address in the comment; I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Every blessing!