We are two weeks into our new home. I've been busy unpacking boxes while the kids are busy scattering their contents around their new rooms. Why do people with kids even attempt to keep things tidy? It seems like such a disappointing process.. a hampster wheel really; you clean, they make a mess, so you clean, so they make a mess.
I know in my last post I said I wasn't exactly 'excited' about this house, this move and being back in my hometown of sorts; but after two weeks here, I can say I'm thankful for it. I'm thankful for this house that has kept me busy and my mind occupied these past few months. I'm thankful for my friends who have kept me company, who have come from near and far to entertain my kids, who have hung photos, who have called and texted and asked how to help. I'm thankful for the military discount at Home Depot who has helped me afford some of the things I've needed to purchase and I'm thankful to Brian, who worked so damn hard his entire life so that in the event something were to happen to him we'd still be ok.
This house was built in 2012 and was purchased by an older couple who ended up having some health issues and needed a one story house so begrudgingly put it on the market. They have taken immaculate care of it over the years and minus a few cosmetic changes, it has been and will be a wonderful home to raise these three kids of mine in. I've never really done any 'Home Improvement' style work before (I even outsource my IKEA furniture building) but when I walked in this home and decided this was the one - I knew there were a few updates and changes I wanted to make in order to make it ours. The day after we closed on it, I had painters here. I let Izzy and Hudson pick their own room colors (one accent wall each; Izzy picked fuscia and Hudson chose navy blue - I chose a light purple for Adeline) and the rest of the house was painted a light gray color. Next I had waterproof Pergo flooring installed throughout the entire downstairs. The previous owners had carpet in the living room and dining area which I really can't stand and I wasn't able to match the original hardwood flooring they had throughout the rest of the downstairs, so it all had to come out and be redone. This ended up being a good idea anyways, the water tracked inside and spilled out of the ice machine by three kids and a dog - I will make my money back 5 times over throughout the lifetime of these floors. I also had new carpet put in on the stairs and in all of the bedrooms upstairs because I hate germs and it would gross me out to no end to see my three kids rolling around on somebody's previously used carpet.
Outside of the initial coordinating of contractors, it was actually relatively painless to get all of these things done. Choosing colors and styles was fun and getting to see it all put together after the fact gives me a great sense of pride in having done it all by myself.
This past week I've been able to get some of our photos on the walls and it's starting to feel a little less like a house and a little more like a home. I've been having a lot of Brian's photography printed onto canvas and hung throughout the home (thank you Cecilia for your ladder balancing/yoga skills in helping me hang the ones on the staircase) - you can see his photo of the Depoe Bay bridge below. He took this photo in 2015 during a week long stay in Depoe Bay, Oregon with Izzy and I right after returning from deployment. We rented a house with views of the Coast that had this strange hot tub in the living room which sounded a lot cooler in the ad than it ended up being in real life as the chemicals from the hot tub made the entire house smell of chlorine. Nevertheless, it was a great week spent together as a family and he managed to capture this beautiful photo of the bridge which was within walking distance of our rental.
Below is a before/after photo of the downstairs great room. Let me know what you think!
