Oh my goodness! It has been far too long since my last post. The past few months have been a beautiful blur, so let me bring you up to speed on what has been going on with our little family.
In May, I was out for a run with one of my dear friends. She and her family live just a few miles outside of town and we enjoy a gravel run on occasion. On this particular run, we noticed a cute little farmhouse on our route that had a for sale sign out front. Steve and I had talked about looking for a country home in a few years...maybe when our little one was starting school. Well, curiosity got the best of me and I checked the listing. Of course the pictures on the listing looked cute and all I could think was, "Wow! This would be such a fun project; restoring this old farmhouse" (You all can remind me that restoration sounded "fun" years from now when our projects still are underway!).
Long story short, we contacted our real estate agent to get an idea of what would need to be fixed around our current home...and one thing led to another. Nine days after the infamous run, our offer had been accepted on the farmhouse and the very next day our current home sold! We were moving to the country!
The months and weeks since then have been a whirlwind. We moved into the farmhouse knowing that it would be a big project. The home had been a rental for some time and was just waiting for a family to come along and pour some love (and a lot of elbow grease) into it. We rented a shipping container to store the majority of our belongings while we moved in and started working on projects. Steve went to work right away ripping out carpet, scraping popcorn ceilings, painting, tearing out flooring, gutting bathrooms, gutting the kitchen...you name it! For the first seven weeks, we all lived in what would have been the 'parlor' room. We had our mattress, a pack-n-play, a dog bed and two make-shift dressers all packed into the tiny front room. It was cozy to say the least! I referred to it as 'camping, but with air conditioning.'
After seven weeks, we finished our bedroom, Matthew's bedroom and the upstairs bathroom. Moving into our new bedrooms was somewhat of a celebration! It felt like a true luxury to sleep in our own private space again. Spending those seven weeks taught me (or maybe reminded me of) a few things:
~ I am so grateful for the space we have now, no matter how imperfect it may be
~ Flexibility is key; in parenting, in home design, in relationships and in life
~ Time flies by so very fast, and I am so thankful for the unique memories created in
those cozy seven weeks.
As of now, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, the upstairs floors, some of the downstairs floors and part of the kitchen have been completed. Projects have slowed down for the time being since we are both back at work full-time. For the most part, projects have gone very smoothly and the process has been fairly stress-free. This stress-free mentality is not something that would have come so easily to me years ago. I have a different perspective than I did in years past. Making this move was somewhat of a coming of age in a way. Moving to the country has been symbolic of a return to a simpler time; a simpler way of living. A desire to let the simple pleasures and God's goodness rule our hearts and an intentional letting go of the things of this world. Our goal is to restore this house to its original beauty (with a little Chip & Joanna Gaines farmhouse flair) and live within our means in every aspect of life. This house is not perfect. No house is perfect. And I think there is beauty in that. The life and love that is created within the walls is far more important than the style that outwardly defines those walls.
We have been blessed by so many friends and family members who have tirelessly helped with demolition, projects, childcare, meals and support. The outpouring of physical and emotional support has been so meaningful. When I was struggling during the first few days (leaving our close neighbors was extremely difficult for me), our life group ladies brought food, wine, goodies for the house and prayed over our new home. When I had a vision for the main bathroom, my dad gave up his weekends to help us create a beautiful space. Neighbors have stopped by with fresh produce and flowers from their gardens. Friends have hauled furniture, mowed our lawn, helped us fix our riding mower (more than once), paint and many been there to enjoy a cold drink after a long day of work.
This move has been a blessing. We are enjoying the country life. The days are long. The projects seem never to end. But there is satisfaction in the process. And there is no better way to end the day than sitting around the fire, reminiscing on a job well done.
Blessings my friends.
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