I was flipping through last years calendar today (transferring dates, always a fun January task) and I realized that as of this week we have owned our house for 6 months. I was kind of shocked. I knew it hadn't been long but it felt, it still feels, like MUCH longer than 6 months.
I remember walking through the house on the day we closed thinking "what have we gotten ourselves into?" This is the third home we've owned and it wasn't really in any worse condition than the other two, both of which we renovated in a relatively brief time. But with those houses, both 1920's bungalows, the changes were mostly just paint and decor. Yes, we replaced the kitchen counters in one and we ripped out the whole bathroom of the other, but the bones of those houses were so beautiful that really all they needed was a little love. This house had much less character to begin with, and a truly truly terrible kitchen.
On that day I felt like we would never make a presentable home out of the mess we faced. With Will ripping the carpet off the stairs and telling contractors where to knock down walls and put in vents, I thought about the finished, not the way we would finish it but never the less finished house we were already living in and I felt totally overwhelmed.
This afternoon I went hunting through iphoto looking for photos of the before and realized that we've come much further than I ever thought we could. There is still plenty to do. The yard is practically untouched. The mudroom, the basement, and, of course, Will's long list of things to finish, but I can barely remember the house as it was. Which is a really good thing because, ugg, it was pretty ugly.
So now when I feel like we aren't moving fast enough to get that to-do list done or the mudroom in working order, I'll *try* to think back to those before photos or these or these and stop stressing. I can't guarantee that it will keep me sane, but I will try. So, to help me remember and just in case you'd like to see, here are some before and after of the kitchen, dining room and kids room (see links above for bathroom and living room)
