My need for order is about to strangle me! Three weeks ago (yes, including the two weeks before Christmas!) we embarked on a big house project. I didn't know how big when we started!
We have hardwoods in a majority of our house, but the back of the house (two bedrooms and a den) had new carpet when we moved in 21 years ago. Yup, it's that old. Raising 5 children, numerous dogs and even more cats took its toil on the poor carpet. We had not been able to afford to do anything about it and have just lived with it the way it is because we were waiting for kids to grow up and animals to stop peeing their frustration on our poor rugs. With two kids gone, S moving to a new bedroom, Tim wanting to create a studio in the first "extra" room we've had in many years, the first project to tackle was flooring. Tim was at Home Depot at 5:00 on Black Friday and got a great deal on Pergo flooring for our den, music studio and S's bedroom. When his painting business slowed down it was time to take the plunge. (Of course, it was during the Christmas holidays. Doesn't everyone do major work on their house during holidays?!)
So for three weeks we have moved things from one room to the next, beginning with our den, which is also the room where all our homeschool materials are stored. Numerous bookcases later I have purged, thrown away and set aside to sell many of our educational resources. Filing cabinets have been cleaned out, cabinets taken off walls. Linens, clothes, music, videos all sorted through. I am so tired of organizing I could scream!
I am also taking the opportunity to redecorate. I haven't done this in 20 years. Literally, our living room curtains came to us by bartering paint services for window treatments. I have moved things around as our family size increased but so much relied on finding space for seven people and all our stuff! With only four at home our options have opened up. I can't wait to show some before and afters, but I thought I'd let you all know why I've been a wee bit quiet.
How did you spend your Christmas holidays?
Sounds like my life ... except for us it has been the past 3 months, rather than 3 weeks. :)
ReplyDeleteBut, we LOVE the re-decorated space. Oh. My. Yes.
This weekend we are FINISHING our project, which entailed about 2800 sq. ft. ... living room, dining room, kitchen, school room (which used to be the office), library (which used to be a bedroom), rec. room, 2nd kitchen, and all hallways, stairs, entry ... All of our rooms got fresh paint, too.
Can't wait to see all of your pics.
Laurel
Marty
ReplyDeleteI found you through another persons blog--I believe God sent me here for a reason--Your words are like healing balm to a hurting heart. --Thank you for writing and sharing your heart.
You understand like no one else because you have lived it. We are thinking about disrupting...although our little guy is only four I had no idea these behaviors or manipulations existed from children. It is heartbreaking and I so wanted to be the person to love him through.... --But I have other children and I want our home to be peaceful. I know we are not called to lead an easy life but Marty I don't know if I was called to live this way either. Thank you for your words ---
--- You have JESUS'S heart --it is written all over your blog...I am a Christian too!----Thank you ----thank you thank you for writing
Yup, I've been working on a remodel during the holidays as well. I'm nowhere near done, though. Slowly but surely I will get there, though. I still have three completely unfinished rooms and a half finished, but now at least functional kitchen and family room and my living room just needs the rocking chair recovered and some new throw pillows on the sofa. It will take me several more months to finish everything and we've been working on it since September.
ReplyDeleteI've been purging and cleaning as we go along, but I still have a garage full of stuff to go through. I know at least 1/3 of what's in there needs to go. Most of it needed to go when we moved 2.5 years ago, but we ran out of time so it just got packed up in boxes that haven't been opened since. I'm finally ready to start moving most of it back inside now (starting tomorrow!!) and that's when the real purge will begin.