It’s moving day tomorrow with a lot left to be done before then. Why I am here then, you might be asking? The girls have gone with their daddy to gym night and I am taking a short breather with a cup of tea and an unsatisfying bit of dark mint chocolate. This is my spot of order amidst the moving chaos.
My fingers are splashed with paint as I am the official painter in the house but the walls are slowly getting done. Coat after coat. I’m looking forward to sharing some pictures soon. In my ideal world, the pictures would be shared once we had the place looking magazine article worthy because oh yes, this old farmhouse has magazine potential. I will admit that I had visions of my kitchen being frequently pinned on pinterest and the cleverness of my laundry/boot room being oohed and aahhed over. Oh, confession is good! However. The truth is that we are moving in with no doors or shelves on our cupboards, only counter top on our island, half painted trim, a washer and dryer in the laundry room…oh and a freezer…and we have gorgeous floors. But really, high reaching dreams aside, I am so thankful. So, so, so thankful. I am thankful to have a counter top rather then the dining room table. I look forward to throwing in a load of laundry and continuing with my day. I am celebrating many things.

I know a few people who have magazine ready homes and they are quite peaceful and welcoming. I also know people who have messy and half finished homes that are equally peaceful and welcoming. I think that I like both since it is the hearts and attitudes of those living within who make the home a happy place to be. So I will show you my pictures gladly and I may even gush a little about the man who has done crazy things to create our home. Many things that I suggested because they saved money, but that I had little idea of how much time they would take.

I haven’t always been easy to get along with in these past months of renovations. Frankly, Dan hasn’t always been either. Still, frustrations and a few late night squabbles aside, it has mostly been good. We are making it through with love and marriage intact. Someday we are going to look back and laugh. It’s possible that right now you are shaking your head and thinking, “it can’t be that hard.”. So I am swallowing my defensive feelings and saying, “you are right, it shouldn’t be…but…it is.”. Renovating an old house, doing all the work on a limited budget has proven to be a challenge. I’m also going to make a suggestion. If you ever decide to renovate or build, may I suggest that you consciously set aside regular nights where you do something other than renovate or even talk about renovating? Even if you just sit on the couch together, it will be worth it. Because you see, usually a marriage won’t be stronger because you moved in a little sooner and it will be stronger because you took time to strengthen it.

And with those thoughts jotted down, tea drunk, and chocolate consumed, I return to my painting!

What are your evening plans?