(A little disclaimer. Often a misconception is that American's have lots of money. We don't. Just to be clear. We just try to be very wise in our use of it. Also, a house like this, in the city we lived, was a 4 bed, 3 bath, 1600 sq ft.... and was ONE SIXTH the price of the Piano House [3 bed/2bath/ 1300sqft] in Saba.... so economy is simply very different)
Over the months, we often have recalled our old home, and the joys and memories we had there. Though we are establishing a new life here and there are many things to be thankful for, we are okay with being true to our feelings and recognizing that we do miss some of the old things too.
Over the months, we often have recalled our old home, and the joys and memories we had there. Though we are establishing a new life here and there are many things to be thankful for, we are okay with being true to our feelings and recognizing that we do miss some of the old things too.
Hannah came up to me today with a sad face and said, "Mom, I liked our old house, and my princess clothes" [costumes we didn't pack with us].
So today I thought I would share a little nostalgia with you. Here are some picture of our old house when we bought it, and 20 months later when we sold it to come on our island adventure. It was a lot of hard work, many many many hours, sacrifices, and dedication. We did it all ourselves...with the help of some family and friends when crisis hit (in the hospital at 28 weeks pregnant with Sades for example). But all that elbow grease just made us love it even more! It was ours! We built the fence, and then stained it. We tore out flooring, and replaced flooring. We painted and painted, sanded and sanded. We scrimped and saved money, and bought products on sale, or used. We replaced the doors, and door frames, lights, light fixtures. We built shelves, and fixed shelves. We patched holes in the walls, tore out moldy subfloor, fixed windows, eradicated the pests, cleaned and scrubbed and cleaned some more. We tore out weeds, burned weeds, cut down weed trees, and planted grass and a garden. We built a chicken coop and raised 6 hens that gave us 5-6 eggs a day. There was only 1 bathroom we hadn't changed when we sold it.
BEFORE
AFTER
See the Fence we built? (Brown to the left of the house)
BEFORE
(Floor was old linoleum. It was peeling and you can see a big hole right of the chair)
AFTER
(I found painting the ceilings white, brought in a LOT of desired light in the rooms!)
(See the new tiled floor?! :)
BEFORE
This master bath was the same barney purple as pictured in the bedrooms below.
AFTER
BEFORE
(Nearly every wall in the house had the yellow you can see above. It also was 3 different shades in some spots as I suspect they ran out of one color and didn't have an exact match. If it wasn't this yellow, it was purple. The ceilings were also all painted gray.)
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
(Okay, Matthew didn't have time to mow the lawn before pictures... but at least it is green and growing!)
(Oh, and we bought our house in August, so the tree's had leaves. We sold our house in April, so the leaves hadn't come back yet. but no, they are not dead)
(This was our beautiful garden! Of course we hadn't planted yet as it was too early in the spring. But the year before it had been bountiful! This is fresh rototilled dirt. Ready for planting!)
(The bottom right of this picture shows some of our garden. We had pea's, bean's, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, corn, cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, lettuce, chard, kale, spinach, carrots, and LOTS of herbs!)
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
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