Last week I took a break from the blog, work outs, and pretty much everything in life that didn’t revolve around our new house. At first I thought taking those “stressors” out would help, but by the end of the week I realized working out would have prevented a mental breakdown or two (i.e., at an event on Wednesday I mistook granola for ground beef). Honestly, my brain is nowhere to be found right now. How long can I make the “baby brain” excuse?
Even with all last week focused on the house, I feel like I didn’t get much done. We did officially close on the house, put together numerous pieces of furniture, hung TVs on walls, measured for blinds, put in a security system, installed the surround sound, and fixed random things that some how broke in the first few days of us living here. So, I guess the week wasn’t a total wash, but it’s somehow still a complete mess inside with boxes, clothes, and little things that don’t have a “place” yet. The last pieces of furniture should arrive this week so I’m hoping the house will feel put together by…2017. #Goals
Aside from all that, I’m throwing the hands up and praising Jesus for finally moving into our own house! I don’t think anything I write will express how happy and excited I was that first move-in day. As a 28 year old, it’s nice to not live with your parents. I forgot how amazing it was to have your own house…to have your own friends over, to have your own space, own kitchen, own furniture, a place to call yours! Living with my parents was a complete blessing and I thank them for allowing us to do so, but this was long overdue…especially when the original plan was to live with them for no longer than 9 months. I love them with all my heart but I hope to not have to do that ever again! I can say that it would have been completely different if it were just Angelo and I, but with 3 kids and 2 dogs….just no.
There are many beginnings and endings during the process of building a new home. The design, the build, the move, and the decorating all come with their own struggles and emotions.
The Land: We bought the piece of land almost 2 years ago. There were many surveys completed, hundreds of emails back and forth with the bank, numerous trips to the county departments, and countless truck loads of new dirt to build up the land. It took an entire year for us to start building on our property. That felt never-ending, but it ended, and the construction started.
The Layout & Build: When we first started designing our house I knew one thing and one thing only. I wanted an open floor plan. I jumped on Google and Pinterest and printed out a handful of different house plans to bring to Scott, our draftsman. Meeting after meeting, additions and subtractions, ups and downs, we finally created the house plans we loved (and could afford). Then the plan was measured and the outline was staked out on the grass, the concrete slab was first poured, and my exact thoughts were “This is going to go fast!” And it does…that first initial shell of a house. Then it slows down immensely. This sounds bad, I know it does because it’s a 1st world problem, but I got sick of making decisions for the house. I got sick of Angelo calling me and saying “Hey honey, you need to pick out the tub. Hey honey, you need to pick out the ceiling fans. The kitchen cabinet knobs, the bathroom knobs, the mirrors, the granite, the faucets, the grout, the paint, the trim color, the roof color, the tiny light in the pantry that nobody will ever see…” And the list goes on. I’m an extremely easy going person and at one point I kind of gave up and told them whatever works, I’m cool with. Kevin, our builder, would snap me out of it and say “NO! Don’t give up now, this is your house!” I’m so thankful that process is over and done with and I’m completely satisfied with all my decisions. This house is my masterpiece!
The Move: Weeks before we moved, I upped my game in purging everything at my parent’s house. Everything in sight I wanted to throw out. I had boxes upon boxes filled and ready for Goodwill lined up in the living room. The past 17 months made me a simple, simple person. There was no room to be anything else other than simple. No room. We had two bedrooms crammed with beds and clothes. Five people, two dogs, two bedrooms. It was a sight to see.
Move-in day came and went smoother than ever expected. We had a group of manly men hauling furniture from two storage units into our new home and that part was done in no time.
It was like Christmas morning for the girls when they opened boxes of toys they hadn’t seen in over a year. Almost instantly I had more boxes for Goodwill. It was comedic looking at things I actually saved and had in storage. Once upon a time, 2 houses ago, we had a bar and pool table room (pre-kids) and that bar had shelves lined with empty “rare” beer bottles I had collected from different countries and bars. You should of seen my face when I opened a box of empty beer bottles. Also, I have completely gone in a different direction with the house decor so all the boxes of house decorations have found a new home. 🙂
The Inside: This is where we’re at now and it actually started in January. Being pregnant with baby #3 and thinking about decorating a house gave me hives. I hired an interior designer and my long nights on Pinterest, Joss & Main , Wayfair, and multiple other websites started. It’s been none stop looking at furniture, art work, chandeliers, bar stools, accent chairs, rugs, etc. Meetings at the house to measure rooms and walls. Buying things and realizing I have nowhere to put them while at my parent’s house. Hoping and praying the huge dining table we bought months before we moved will fit in our new, smaller dining room. I’m happy to report all furniture has been purchased. Later this month my interior designers will come in and “finish” the house. There will be a reveal and it will be glorious.
New Living arrangements: Angelo has created all these “rules” for the new house. He rants them off, the girls argue with him, and I just laugh. It’s humorous how we are when we get a fresh start to something. A new house, a new baby. We say we’re going to do all these things differently. No food in the bedrooms, no shoes in the house, all toys stay in your bedrooms. We try and it’s actually going well so far. There have been two major transitions for us. One being the sleeping arrangements. We have all slept in the same room since March 2015. The first week was a transition period and Sophia did amazing! Penelope, on the other hand, woke up a grand total of 10 times one night. She’s getting used to it, as we all are and the past couple days have been great. The other transition was for the girl’s not having their Grammy living with them. They can no longer run to Grammy when they get in trouble or come to me and say “well Grammy said I could!” Now they have something better: Trips to Grammy’s house and all the excitement that goes with that. It’s an amazing “new normal”!
So, it’s almost done yall! I can almost just sit down in my house and feel like I have nothing to do…right?! Will that ever happen? I’m excited and optimistic!
XOXO
