One Year

We have now been living in our house for one year (technically, yesterday was the anniversary). Home ownership has been an experience for us, especially since our home not only needed TLC but a major face lift.

The list of projects completed in a year:

• Replace all window, put in picture frame molding around new windows
• Have central heating and air installed (by professionals)
• Install new Pergo flooring in kitchen, dining room, living room
• Paint inside of whole house, excluding one bathroom
• Install new lighting fixtures in living room, dining room, entry hall
• Install new front door
• Tear out wood paneling in playroom, pay to have some repair drywall
• Paint entire outside of house
• Re-roof house
• Re-do guest bathroom (we paid to have someone do this, except we painted and put up hardware)
• Have new carpet installed on the stairs and downstairs rooms (2 bedrooms, playroom)
• Chop down dead tree
• Yank out ugly bushes
• Take out HUGE old satellite dish

Pictures from the most recent projects, painting and carpeting the downstairs.

This is the playroom (tried to find a "clean" picture)

The stairs
The office, which is the 2nd bedroom downstairs

Here is a list of project we hope to accomplish:

• new doors and molding throughout house
• re-do main bathroom with new tub, vanity, lighting, flooring and painting
• new carpet in our bedroom and Abby's (at which point the whole house will have new flooring
• install the ceiling fans sitting in the garage in all bedrooms and playroom
• outside landscaping, including actually having decent grass and planting more trees
• install Pergo in the entry hall
• replace fence

Whew! The list of things left to be done is getting smaller, but still seems overwhelming! However, this summer I think we will focus on the landscaping/planting, installing the new fans and the entry hall flooring (at least we already have bought the last two things!).

It goes without saying that we obviously did not do all this work alone. We have been so blessed along the way with willing helpers: the people who cleaned up the place before we showed up (and let me tell you, it was hard!); Kevin's brother who spent most of his summer helping us out with the flooring, windows and a million other odd jobs; my mom who added her expertise and childcare; my brother who flew up to help with the roof; guys from our small group who also helped with the roof; Kevin's cousins who helped paint (and provided the paint!); our neighbor who is a wealth of information and help; church members who helped with odd jobs; etc.... (gosh, I hope I didn't forget anyone.... know I did!)

When I look at the list of what we accomplished, I understand why this last year has been so busy, on top of all of Kevin's church stuff. I also see why I feel like I could do guided tours at any of the 4 Home Depots within 2 hours of our home (I normally have to orient myself by figuring out where the bathroom is, but once I do that I'm golden on the rest of the store). I know home ownership is not always this hard and hope and pray that next time, with the benefit of this house, will go smoother (every time I get frustrated I remind myself that all this work will just put us in that better of a spot when we sell--you know, after the market recovers!). And, must admit, after our first 5 years of not being able to paint, or pick out our own stove/carpet/flooring/etc, it is nice to be able to choose so much. Just miss the maintenance crew that fixed every little thing! :)

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What the office used to look like...

What the playroom looked like