Throw Back Thursday - This Old House Edition

In the ultimate #tbt, our first home is for sale again. We bought this home from an elderly gentleman who hadn't lived in the house for some time. When he did live there, he had insulated the walls with newspaper, painted much in puce and band-aid colors and happily used stick on tiles to dress things up. There was one bathroom on the first floor of what could be a walk out first floor; wiping away the realtor speak, it was actually in a filthy basement. 

The bones of the house were good. It was the starter house to beat all starter houses. I'm lucky enough to be married to a smart, capable, motivated man who saw the potential in this house and was willing to champion the cause. It was a good thing too since I couldn't get near the joint for months, being 5 weeks pregnant as I was when we closed. 

NOT 5 weeks pregnant

World's Best Dog

OK - I'm really serious about the dog.

Rocky was the best

Scott made me a walk-in closet. He laid carpet with a knee kicker. He lashed 1/4 of an acre of over grown yard. He laid floor and hung cabinets. He and his cousin wired and his dad helped him plumb. My brother painted a spectacular mural on "the baby's" nursery.

this is how you get to the filthy basement

and just a year later I let Sam crawl up those same crazy stairs

this IS the filthy basement

Both rooms

Here we are comfy in the post Duck Dynasty era

He's sitting on the floor that I was once nervous to walk across

see the potential??

squint harder

We built a shed together (after Sam was born). I'd like to emphasize that. 

We built a shed together. 

I've said ever since then that engaged couples should skip pre-cana, marital counseling or any other formal preparation for the big event. They should build a shed together. Here's the rub. One person has to be in charge. One person has to be the helper. Project manager and assistant. It is enlightening, to put it mildly. But I digress.

We made a home. It was our first home where we brought home the world's best dog, followed by our first baby. There wasn't a corner of the house that we did not touch. It was our very own to every detail. It was also full of years of projects and potential and memories and love.

This is the kitchen with Scott well into its progress, followed by Sam making himself at home in it. The last is what it looks like now. See the exposed tile? This was the flavor of the whole house!



 









 

See the floor under Sam's feet. It started out unwalkable and rotting!

the kitchen today with the same drawer pulls that I picked out

As life happened, we moved to Buffalo and just in time for the family support since I didn't know yet, but this was fixing to happen:

Remember how things all happen for a reason....
So this week, I told my mom about the house being for sale and how the soon-to-be former owners converted Sam's awesome seascaped nursery into a bathroom. 

She said how sad it had made her, how she couldn't believe how quickly time passed since Sam was that small. In truth, I'm not sad. Sure I can feel Sam the infant with the intoxicating smell and whispering breath on my neck snuggling in that fabulous nursery. I smile at the silly toddler whose sense of humor came early and with abandon. That boy has grown up so happy, healthy, smart, strong and kind and still silly and fun like that little mopped headed boy who adored his "gee gog" (good dog). I couldn't wish for anything more. As new parents, we were full of anxiety and excitement for the unknown. Now we know, the tiny thing that changed every fiber of our being is turning out to be quite something.
 
While this boy melts me to smush.....

 .....give me this creature who I know is doing ok in the world all day any day.

And the rest of the critters are pretty great too. The journey has been tough, unpredictable, and at times quite harrowing. Though it is the day-by-day experiences that have brought us here and I wouldn't change this place for anything. I wish the former owners well and the future owners this much happiness.

And the house? Well the house in most pragmatic terms, was a terrific house and good investment. So here's to a Throw Back Thursday that reminds me of how I've enjoyed the bumpy journey and boundlessly grateful I am for the blessings of my little family.