Six years ago, we were sanding floors. It was a morning like this, warm with a cool breeze and a clinging dew. Outside, you could feel the quiet beat of a neighborhood, a tune laden with memories of childhood.
We made god-only-knows-how-many trips to Home Depot to get supplies for sanding and the unexpected little projects we uncovered along the way. We wore our layers of sawdust and sweat like a badge of honor. I wouldn’t want to do it again, mind you, but it was oddly satisfying.
Sue brought her friend over for the “before” tour, and I saw the questioning looks on their faces. They were upbeat, but even that couldn’t hide it. Later, they admitted they couldn’t see the potential that we saw. But Ryan and I did—not the first time, when we only looked at pictures of the house online, but when we first stepped foot on that charmingly gabled porch. We knew.
We worked for this house. We didn’t just sand. We painted every wall, inside and out, as well as closets, hallways, stairwells, trim, and even glossy, navy-blue ceilings. We ripped out counters and old light fixtures. We replaced bathrooms, decks, landscaping, siding, gates, windows, and a 25-foot-tall lightning-struck evergreen.
It was hard at times and rewarding at others. But each ounce of sweat, laughs, and tears made it our home. And there’s no place quite like it.
It All Adds Up to Home
6 Years of House Stats
- Family members added: 2 (Pavlov and Szaba)
- Home business ventures undertaken: 1
- Out-of-town guests: 31
- Dinner parties and game nights: too many to count
- Rooms sanded: 7
- Rooms painted: 11
- Kegs: 1
- Pumpkin Days: 5
- New windows: 5
- Rooms re-carpeted: 2
- Break ins: 1
- Birthdays: 21 (Pavlov counts!)
- Light fixtures replaced: 4
- Facets replaced: 4
- Fundraisers: 1
- Dog walks: thousands
- Tubs resurfaced: 1
- Showers replaced: 1
- Nannies: 1
- Neighbors who think they can telepathy talk to our dog: 1
- Skylights installed: 1
- Lights added to yard: 8
- Halloween costumes: 5
- Potty chairs: 4
- Snowed-out parties: 1
- D&D campaigns: 1.1
Happy Sixth Anniversary, Home! We look forward to seeing what the coming years inside your walls will bring.
My Castle Heart Publications 
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