I’ve decided that moving with a family of seven is pretty much like giving birth. Similar to the anticipation of a new baby in the home, we all greatly await the moving day, as if it is going to be akin to an elaborate vacation. Weeks before the transfer of funds, kids begin happily packing up boxes and asking every morning how many days it will be until we get to actually pack up the trailers and trucks and move in to the new house. Once the day finally arrives, everyone, including mom, is full of energy and vigor and superhuman box/furniture hauling strength. Internal motivation to get every single box, chair, trash can, loose hanger, and Christmas decoration inside just so we can say we are DONE fuels the final push to completion so that trucks can be returned without penalty fees.
At long last, everyone sits down to rest and breaths a sigh of relief. What a day!
And then, like the first night back home with a newborn, one glance around the house reveals the burdensome truth. Oh, we are far from done.
About three weeks into cleaning unpleasant places unnoticed by previous owners (I don’t blame them, we were all in a hurry!), unboxing with a bulging belly, and painting feverishly late into the night…while also trying to get children registered into new schools, preparing them for their first day, keeping up with mountainous loads of laundry, and preparing meals made from actual food with half our supply still unpacked in the garage…my husband asks me, “So, how about we flip this place in two years? I bet we could make a ton of money, with all the improvements we are making.”
Um…..
NO.
Not a chance.
In fact, I don’t think we’ll ever be moving again, thank you very much.
Switching gears just a bit…I’ve been having memories lately about snow skiing, for some reason. (Maybe it’s because I feel like I’m constantly sweating. Mid-thirties pregnancy is an interesting animal, I’m discovering.) I used to be pretty good at down-hill skiing, before it required my own money to fund. However, I never could master a particular Black Diamond trail at Beaver Mountain. Perhaps because of my extra tall height, the slope on this trail terrified me. I never even wanted to attempt it. But one ski day after taking a wrong turn I found myself caught right in the middle of the course. There was nothing I could do to escape it. I had to go down. I’m sure I looked so completely ridiculous as I essentially combed the slope, zig-zagging widely the entire way down. It seemed to take forever, and even though I was descending that hill in the safest possible way, I was still scared out of my mind. I discovered, however, that if I would just stop every few minutes and look around, I was able to calm myself enough to continue on. Each time I would pause and cast my gaze upward I would remember how much I loved that canyon. It was breathtaking! And when I would look back up the hill I could see how far I had actually come and it made me feel more confident in myself. When I finally reached the base I felt such relief and happiness that I had accomplished something I never would have imagined I was capable of.
It’s been a little bit like that as we have been grappling this seemingly monumental task of creating a home here in this new house. We bought this house knowing that it would require a lot of work to make it our own, but until we were actually moved in, we didn’t realize exactly how much work it would take. I think my biggest mistake was not taking in to account a seriously depleted energy supply that has come with this pregnancy. I learned quickly that my timeline was simply not realistic. It has been rather discouraging at times, but when I halt my momentum for a moment and take some time to look around, I see all that we have accomplished and realize that in the two months now that we have been here, we’ve been creating for ourselves an actual home. And so far, I think it’s rather beautiful:).
Here’s a look at some of our progress…
(First, I must apologize for the extremely poor quality of the “before” photos. These are pictures from the listing that I only had PDF files for, so I had to take pictures of the pictures off the computer with my phone. Yuck. So sorry for the blur!)
Entry BEFORE:
Entry AFTER:
from the opposite angle…
Front Room BEFORE:
Front Room…IN PROCESS:
(this room will soon receive similar board and batten treatment in white with gray on the walls above)
Great Room BEFORE:
Great Room IN PROCESS:
(This room will have several phases. So far we have only painted all the black wood white and covered the brass on the fireplace with a coat of heat resistant black paint. Soon to come: gray on the walls and a custom built-in by Seth, plus a floor to ceiling fireplace surround. Oh, and eliminating that little niche. I reeeally don’t love wall niches.)
Kitchen BEFORE:
Kitchen IN PROCESS:
(Cabinets will be white with crown molding added where it is currently missing, pantry door painted an accent color)
Powder Room BEFORE:
(I’m loving the cursor I caught in this picture…)
Powder Room AFTER:
(We do plan to replace this mirror with something framed, and possibly paint the vanity a fun shade of blue.)
Upstairs loft area BEFORE:
Upstairs loft IN PROCESS:
(Bookcase will be painted. Not sure if I want to go with a darker grey than the walls here or just white. Thoughts?)
We have many more projects yet to come, including finishing the basement…the most monstrous one of all. But yeah for progress, right?!
It’s amazing how a few changes in color and design can completely transform a space from what was once just a house, into what is now becoming a home.
And though none of it is perfect, I’m rather loving it. Because it’s starting to feel like ours.
Getting there. Glad you are in charge of it 🙂