Convincing my in-laws to abandon their city-living and move with us to the outskirts of nowhere was a breeze. Where the grandkids go - they go. But, creating a proper "home" for them once we got here, was less of a "breeze" and more like a hurricane... a really long hurricane.
Our grand hope of moving all three generations under the roof of our "new" century old farmhouse was quickly dashed - upon arrival. Mr. Steady almost fell through the kitchen floor and our moving truck delivered a pile of splintered wood...so we lived like refugees for a while.
Not kidding.
Fortunately, my in-laws have the patience of Job. They were undeterred by the adversity and faced the storm along side us - hunkered down in the East Wing.
A little note:
The original "center" of our home was built in 1920 with logs milled from this very property 4 generations ago. We were told by the wife of the builder's great grandson (who we purchased the home from) that the "East Wing Addition" was built in the 1960s - We don't need any historical documents to prove this. The tortoise shell shag carpet was proof enough. Yuck!
It basically consisted of 3 rooms (shotgun style) and a single car garage (added in the 90's).
It was dated.
It was dingy.
It was dark.
And I was downright mortified to call that mess their "home".
Unfortunately, it was over a year before we were able to shift our time, money, and attention to the East Wing.
We started 2016 off exhausted from months of working (literally) our way through the rest of the house - ripping up floors, moving doorways, adding and removing walls, replacing stairs, windows, and plumbing fixtures - just to make the main living areas officially "livable".
Endless construction, a dwindling budget, playing musical rooms, starting a new business, and the arrival of our second daughter amidst the mayhem - all took a toll. And we hadn't even STARTED on "The East Wing Addition"
But, we came here with a promise: that we "would be fruitful in the land" and I WANTED MY FRUIT! We couldn't let fear, discouragement, or exhaustion stand in our way. So, we taped this little Word of motivation up outside the door to the East Wing ( I know you're loving that wallpaper and high-gloss puke colored paint!) and we started sowing!
And now...5 months later... we are finally moving Mr. Steady's parents "in to their home." A total of 2 years has passed since we arrived here at Rehoboth Farm, and I can finally proudly say "Welcome home."
...Yes, I said two years. Patience = Job.
I can't wait to share the process with you! Design, demolition, dirt, danger, dilemmas...and finally DONE!
It took every ounce of energy and every penny we had....but, it's done. We learned so much. We endured so much. And now we have so much to show and share. It really is a very beautiful thing. So beautiful, in fact, that I have begun a series of posts born of this adventure.
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