A work in progress

Our house is 8 3/4 years old.

Sounds silly, I know, but we moved in when it was completed in Feb. of 2006.

Grace had just turned 6 and was HIGHLY upset that she couldn't have her 6th birthday party in our new house. (We had it in the rental house we were living in.)

She was even more OUTRAGED that Evan did have his 5th birthday party at our new house in March.

We'll let bygones be bygones.  It's water under the bridge and 8 3/4 years later.

That being said, along the way we've upgraded many things...(our house was a modular spec home that was moved here and we added the porch along the front and the garage.)

We've changed light fixtures, door handles (from brass to nickel), I've painted all the kitchen hardware (from brass to hammered black,), we've painted doors, walls, and added a patio.

When our house was put together on our land, it had aqua shutters which have faded badly over the years.

Since Brent was working on making all our windows more airtight, he decided it would be a good idea for the kids and I to paint all the shutters.

So that's what we've been doing for a week now.  (in our spare time, which is why it's going so slowly.)

 I got the paint to match the front door I updated last fall, and each shutter took 2-3 coats. 

I painted the first coat on the last 4 today.  22 shutters total.  Slow work friends, SLOW work.

The kids now tell me since Brent has put up two of the sets, that the house now looks like a ketchup and mustard house  (yellow siding, red shutters.)

Funny.

Since the windows are being fixed, that means the inside of the windows needs fixing too.

Brent has taken off all the skinny fake oak trim (which I HATE in new houses) and we will replace it with thicker trim, painted white, and the inside wood around the windows will all be new too.

Yeah, more painting.  (insert sarcasm here.)

Right now, we just have ugly windows inside.

We're moving in stages people. 

Time and money are always the issue.

At least SOME areas of the house are staying the same.

I have more plans, but they are slowly being processed.  In my mind, and on paper.

I'm also in the midst of planning a 50th wedding anniversary party for my in-laws.  That is also time-consuming.

I guess this is what it means to be home owners, right?  Always changing, always updating, always maintaining.

We'll keep you posted.