For the last 5 1/2 months we have been sharing a house with another family. Toby and Brenda have two kids, a son age 13 and a daughter age 10. Hubs and Toby have known each other since they were 5 and Brenda and I met through our husbands in 2007. We are now family.
Combining two unrelated families has been hard, but we have gotten to know each other and more importantly, Christ, so much more through this experience. When you live with others it is very easy to see their issues. It is harder to look past those issues, knowing they have been buried with Christ, and to see Christ within them instead. Especially when their issues directly affect you.
But that is one of the many lessons we have learned in this season. Not perfectly, mind you, but learned more of. Christ wants us to see Him in others, because He is who his father sees in us.
Anywho...this is how we worked things out furniture wise in our 2400 sq ft house.
This is the kitchen and family room. Brenda's dining table fits in the 'eat in' area and our table, sofa, china cabinet, and our recliner, plus theirs all fits. And this way the kids eat at one table while the adults eat at the other (neither of us has a table that can seat 10) and we are all eating in the same room.
My dining table sits in front of the fire place. The fire place is two sided which worked out wonderfully at Christmas time because each family got to hang their stockings from one of the mantles. It actually got cold enough here in sunny Florida to have a fire going a few times this past winter.
This is the other side of the fire place. Brenda's sectional fits perfectly in what I think is supposed to be the formal living room. It worked out for both families to have their living room furniture in the house.
When we moved here both husbands were working for New York Life. The office was set up in the dining room. Now neither husband works for
NYL, but the dining room still works great as the office. The four adults hang out in here
alot together.
Princess and Brenda's daughter share a room. No, it's not usually this messy.
Our three boys and Brenda's son share the master bedroom. Beware of the master bathroom
Then, Toby and Brenda have a bedroom and R.C. and I have a bedroom. Four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, two living spaces, two dining spaces, and a big office have worked great for us. There is also a sun room, but it is now the 'garage sale stuff' and 'packing boxes stuff 'room so I didn't take a picture of it. Also, the garage is FULL.
When we moved in we didn't expect it to last this long. However, now it feels like it was just the blink of an eye. We have had ups and downs, but it has all been worth it. And we will leave this season knowing our Lord more, and loving our friends more.
Our Lord is so faithful.
Bridge
I took this picture right before we moved to Florida. We were driving from our house to my parent's house an hour and a half away. We were on the interstate going 70 miiles per hour. I rolled down my window, zoomed in as close as I could, and snapped away as R.C. sped past.
It took some time and some persistence on Mike's part, but he finally won Milli "over".
And just the other day we caught them "holding paws". 
You can click on the photo to make it "bigger". 
I just hope Milli isn't too "heartbroken".
We all find books to enjoy. And the two little ones really enjoy sitting at a table and looking through their books while the bigger ones are hunting certain books down. We easily spend an hour just picking out books.
Bobo is on the third book in a series called The Tapestry by Henry H. Neff. He loves to read. Bear is starting to enjoy reading more. He is good at reading, but would rather be doing something more active. He's my mover. Popeye is picking up reading as well. He isn't as confident in it as he is in math, but he loves learning and gets really excited when he realizes he can read a new book. Princess is desperately ready to read. She brings her school workbooks to me and cries if we can't do school right then.
I got two decorating books (I can't stop), a book on manners, a book on homeschooling (you can never know enough), and a book on style. I've already read the book on style (we went on Monday) and I'm glad to report that I just happen to have most of the basics you shouldn't live without. I also, by chance, found two DVDs that teach french for kids. I'm totally going to use them. And I'll make the kids watch them too so I have people to speak french with. 
This is the kitchen and family room. Brenda's dining table fits in the 'eat in' area and our table, sofa, china cabinet, and our recliner, plus theirs all fits. And this way the kids eat at one table while the adults eat at the other (neither of us has a table that can seat 10) and we are all eating in the same room. 
My dining table sits in front of the fire place. The fire place is two sided which worked out wonderfully at Christmas time because each family got to hang their stockings from one of the mantles. It actually got cold enough here in sunny Florida to have a fire going a few times this past winter. 
This is the other side of the fire place. Brenda's sectional fits perfectly in what I think is supposed to be the formal living room. It worked out for both families to have their living room furniture in the house. 
When we moved here both husbands were working for New York Life. The office was set up in the dining room. Now neither husband works for NYL, but the dining room still works great as the office. The four adults hang out in here alot together. 
Princess and Brenda's daughter share a room. No, it's not usually this messy. 
Our three boys and Brenda's son share the master bedroom. Beware of the master bathroom
