We live in what some might call a Fixer Upper.

Endlessly bouncing from one house project to the next, our to-do list is seemingly endless.

Sure, we could have shelled out the extra bucks for the brand new home. Lived stretched to the end of our means for the granite counter tops and the pristine backsplashes.

Some days, that even sounds tempting.

But let me tell you something. There’s true beauty in finding a home that needs a little work. In adding a family’s touch on top of another family’s history.

With every replaced tile, demoed bathroom, and newly built addition, we tackle each project with a little more respect than the last.

We learn what it means to build as a team and truly respect the work a determined hand can do.

We pass down knowledge for generations to come, simply by showing our children how to create beauty from ashes.

We fix what is broken, create new things, and fully appreciate the hard work that brings it all together. All the while thanking God for strong bodies and imaginative minds.

Sometimes new is good—great even!—but let’s not forget that new doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Sometimes a little history goes a very long way.

For more encouraging stories, be sure to follow Kayla on Facebook and on her blog at The Rustic Hideaway.