the process

Well, let’s just say that renovating a house takes a lot of time.  We don’t have a lot of money to spend (who does?), so everything requires patience and creativity.  I think that much of this process is about growing us. Maybe even more so than achieving a great looking house.  I know there is potential here (for the house), but I think often my impatience gets in the way of simply enjoying the process of getting to our goal of seeing this little Shambles returned to the quaint little house she once was.

As I have shared earlier, our ‘process’ started back in the summer of 2009 while we were still living overseas.  As God was directing us to make this move back to the States, we had a lot of ‘stuff’ to liquidate where we were.  At the same time, we knew we were facing a lot of expenses getting ourselves re-settled when we returned to Alabama.  The temptation was to try to squeeze every dollar (or euro) out of each item we tried to sell.  We DID

Here are the bare bones of the living room after the carpet was removed.

sell of lot things (Craig’s List rocks! Even in a foreign country), but we also had the opportunity to help meet needs that others had where we were.  The amazing thing is that for every item we gave away locally, we would get an email afterwards telling us that someone here in the States had donated items to us (mattresses, a sofa, a refrigerator, a desk, a table,…).  Truly, we were learning that you simply cannot ‘out give God’.  He knew and continues to know our needs before we do, and He has already provided the means.

I personally get frustrated with the seemingly slow rate of progress at times.  I am aching to get to what I call the ‘pretty stuff’. I want color on the walls, window treatments on the windows, and fresh flowers on the dining room table.  However, as my husband has to remind me constantly, things have to be done in a certain order. I can’t put paint on walls that are cracked and dirty.  They must be prepared – meaning patch the holes, mud them, sand them, clean it all, prime the walls…THEN you can add the color.  UGH!  So much work before I get to do the fun part.

Yep, this whole ‘process’ thing is really growing me! I’m glad that God sees the potential in me (us) and is willing to keep working on me

 

Getting closer…

 

(Okay, so I haven’t updated in forEVeR…I have at least five drafts that I never completed, so I am trying to catch up a bit and get on to where we are now.  This post was originally dated July 15!  Yep, I’m several months behind. Working on it

So, we officially have a completely signed sales contract. Doing this all from afar makes for a slightly slower process, but we are getting there.  Waiting for the final figure and arranging funds.

We have been enjoying a little ‘stay-cay’ (stay at home vacation) for the past two weeks and have managed to keep ourselves pretty occupied with enjoying some down time with our two teenage kids.  Can’t remember the last real vacation we took together.  It seems that during vacation time, we are always preparing for a move of some sort.  Well, not a lot has changed,…only now stay at home vacations are the IN thing.

Now the move back to the States begins to feel much more real.  Dreaming of enjoying fall in Alabama, complete with SEC football, cookouts, and fall decorating!  We haven’t lived near family in, well, EVER.  Having grandparents to the north, south and east and within two hours drive will be a first for us.  It’s amazing how God’s drawn us to the beauty of that thought.  I never thought I would have such a desire to be ‘back in Bama’, but…

 

‘ere we go!

So, this journey begins across the ocean; France to be exact.  Our family is moving back to the States and has been house hunting online for months.  Thanks to the tireless efforts of a cousin easily distracted from his own architecture business (thanks, Joel), our eyes were drawn to this little shambles a few weeks ago through three photos (among a couple hundred that Joel took for us).  After roughly two weeks of negotiating, we finally have an agreement and hope to close on the ‘orange shambles house’ in about three weeks.

A few months ago, our family experienced its first ever live rugby match (Paris Stade verses Perpignon).  Let’s just say it was a colorful event.  Among the humorous things were the songs and cheers from the stands.  Mind you, we are cheering in French.  So, many of the songs or chants were familiar…but with a French twist.  Hence, the title of this entry minus the ‘H’ (because the French do not pronounce it).

‘Ere we go! Let the games begin!

 

New day, new mission

This is just the quickie beginning to a blog that will follow the (hopeful) successes and (dreadful) failures in the process of restoring an old shambles of a house into the home that this family needs. We greatly desire that each lesson learned along the way will teach us more about our sinful, broken selves and what God must feel in the process of restoring us to Himself.

This won’t be a blog that’s into the latest expensive trends. We are a DIY family learning as we go; though, the hubs has a degree in building science from Auburn University (WAR EAGLE!) and years of construction experience, so we do have a fearless leader calling the shots, drawing the plans, and declaring the breaks.  You won’t read the words ‘eye candy’ or ‘ginormous’ on this blog. We are about essential, practical, livable spaces in which your black lab can roam freely.  We live in our home and don’t apologize for the mess.

Hope you enjoy the process with us!