So I’m just going to say it… ITS MY BIRTHDAY!
I’m turning 30 for the second year in a row. Don’t judge, 30 was a hard one for me. It’s not as fun to brag about like 20 was!
In all seriousness though I’m a ball of emotions today. Not only is it my birthday but today it’s been exactly a year since we began our kitchen/downstairs renovation. It’s hard to believe. You could say I had big plans about what this day was going to look like!
It was one of the best surprises he’s given me. I knew our lives would forever be changed!
I ’d been waiting for this day for a very long time. Namastay! ☺️
This year things are looking a little different!
Instead of having a big party with everyone we love, we’re praying our friends and family just stay healthy and stay home!
If someone would have said hey, just so you know there will be a massive pandemic a year from now and your whole life will be turned upside down… well I still would have done it.
The changes we’ve made to our home have truly been a dream come true.
I can see my kids play and so much progress has been made.
- Is our home done? No.
- Are things so uncertain now it’s scary? Yes!
- Is it extra hard to navigate things, without even the pandemic aspects? Yes to all of the above!
We went from having 7 to 10 people in our home two to three days a week over the last few months to having ZERO.
We went from an on time completion date {my birthday} to honesty no end in sight. I pride myself on being honest about our journey. If you just looked at the things we have or the home we’re creating, it’s easy to think well whatever people may think. But we have saved and worked so hard for this reno. When everyone was updating years ago or moving we stayed. Instead of traveling, we budgeted. We expanded our family and well you better believe that cost moola.
Years of hard work and saying no to so much has lead to this.
When we began this renovation, we didn’t do it with a loan, we did it with our savings. We spent years planning this and being smart about where our money would be spent. Never did I think with all the planning we did we would be where we are now. It’s funny though, it was all going too well in essence.
These are crazy times.
When we first found out about the quarantine all I did was cry. Not only did I cry but I lived in fear. I almost allowed the fear others were portraying to make me act the same way. I started thinking about what if my kids began to starve because I don’t even having a microwave or range to cook them meals. People were losing their minds. At least some of them had a working home or at least the basics to feed their family. We didn’t even have drinking water. That’s not a joke, it’s the truth. I’m not a fan of sink water.
- How could the need for toilet paper be so great? I’ve never stocked piled that stuff in my life. We buy only what we need and nothing more.
- How could I not get groceries for my family. Why were people panicking, while others were buying needed supplies to turn a profit?
- How could this be happening?
FEAR!!!
Fear is what was driving people to act this way, not faith.
All of these statements can only be because of fear and I will fully admit I went there BIG TIME!
The truth is we haven’t shared much about our renovation since this quarantine began. I get asked a lot on Instagram for updates and I really don’t know how to respond. I never want to come off as ungrateful because I’m so blessed to have the things I do. I never want to come off as a complainer because so many people are suffering and even dying. I’m lucky, and I know that, but friends it doesn’t mean it isn’t hard.
ITS SO HARD!
The word I’ve found myself quietly whispering is adapt. Adapt to the changes that are in front of you.
- Adapt to being a teacher
- Adapt to being a mother 24/7
- Adapt to being a supportive wife
- Adapt to being a chef
- Adapt to failing
- Adapt to being out of control
- Adapt to change
- ADAPT
The last day the workers were in our home.
These words have never been more true. If I chose to stay in the place I was in the beginning of this pandemic, I’m not sure what the last few weeks would have been like. It’s almost frustrating to me how many seem to act as if nothing has changed on social media. I can’t do it. Everything changed. My life has been turned upside down and I’m not going to hide it. I stopped homeschooling my children after many years of it because it wasn’t what I wanted. It’s not that I didn’t feel qualified but I knew that it was the right decision for all of us. Yet here I am homeschooling my four children in a home that’s under renovation.
I mean really God, really?
He’s put everything in front of me that I didn’t want.
But you know what’s funny about this situation… we have zero control over it. The only thing we can do is choose to set our mindset in a different direction. And yet, I find myself holding out my arms and saying alright, bring it on. I’m thankful for the things that haven’t changed. My family is healthy, we have roof over our head, we have a space to cook our meals, and we have each other.
This is the realest I can get with you guys. We own our own business. My husband is a freelancer and we have no guarantee of a paycheck EVER. I only can work when my Mom can watch the kids, so that leaves me making nothing. We had no choice but to stop spending money incase we need it to live off of it.
Here’s what I do know. This isn’t forever. One day our kitchen will be complete. One day things will return to a new normal. But, I don’t want to look back as it being a time where I was stressed and ungrateful. I want to remember how my husband and I came together and took a hard situation and made it into the best situation we could.
PANIC MODE
I want to give you guys a little peek into where we were and where we are now. This won’t begin to cover everything but it’s a start. I wouldn’t say it was unlivable but I also wouldn’t call it the best living conditions.
Thankfully we did purchase several items a head of time which helped so much.
Our water softener (we just had to install it)
Sinks
Faucets
Range hood
(more on that later)
Cabinets
And probably the biggest blessing of all was that we had just had some of our kitchen cabinets installed. It wasn’t everything but it was a huge start.
March 16th
We began hooking up our old dishwasher after months without one.
March 20th
We purchased melamine sheets for temporary countertops and cut them to fit.
March 20th
We began cooking in our kitchen for the first time since December. It was a glorious day!
March 28th
We spent the entire day clearing away all the clutter that had taken over. It was starting to feel like a real kitchen.
It’s crazy how we watch these shows and read all these books but think there’s no way I can actually do that. So we keep dreaming.
Or is there?
Well, I guess we are going to find out. Whether we fail or become the next Chip and Jo (dream big) at least we did it together.
Never did we expect to be finishing this renovation ourselves but here we are. Its kind of funny though how it’s all come full circle. Everything in life is about perspective. We started doing it by ourselves but then we reached out for help. I wouldn’t say that was a mistake but it certainly brought it’s on set of challenge. Here we are though, so close to the end and we’re back to doing it ourselves. We’re renovating our home with just our hands and a whole lot of love.
I’m not sure what’s to come or just how long we’ll be renovating but I’m actually really excited. I’ve gone from being sort of pouty {ok a lot pouty} and wishing it was different to just being thankful we’ve pushed ourselves into learning something new. We shifted our perspective.
Everyday is a challenge, but with every challenge we conquer it’s an instant reward.
We made the best of today and that’s what I want to focus on. Did it look as I imagined? Definitely not, but it was a really fun birthday surrounded by so much love!
MY DAY!
The little Miss and I had a late night manicure session the night before.
Cue the confetti nails!
We had a lot of fun!!
Breakfast and a very colorful card from my babes!
A beautiful gift from a friend.
A haircut for our little man.
It was… hmmm FUN. 😉
A picnic in the grass.
A little fun in the sun.
Broke-out my Christmas present. I was waiting to use it in our new kitchen. So glad I didn’t wait any longer. It’s AMAZING! Shun – Amazon
Enjoyed an adult beverage.
Thank goodness, we were still able to get Tequila!!!
Bah da bum bum bum (instrumental break) … TEQUILAaaaaaaaaaaa!!!! 😉
Moved our picnic table out back to enjoy our dinner over candlelight. 😉
After dinner we went on a walk and enjoyed some more dessert. (no pics- I just enjoyed the moment)
Quarantine birthday was definitely one for the books! Hello, 32! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store!
This entire day, I didn’t really think about everything that wasn’t done, I just enjoyed it.
I think this is when things really starting to change for me. I was no longer looking at our home as a burden, I was now seeing it for all its potential.
Things like…
- Simpler mornings
- Home cooked meals
- Haircuts in the kitchen
- A view of my kiddos playing
- Birthday parties
- Neighborhood walks
- Lots of dessert
- And so many more memories to come…
It may not be everyone’s dream but it’s definitely become ours! I can’t wait to look back one day and say “we did this.”
Holy balls! (You can quote me on that)