It still feels a little surreal to me how much has changed in the past two years. I lost my dad and my grandma. We tried to sell our house and had two contracts fall apart. And, you know, that whole global pandemic thing. Not making light of it; just still feels somewhat surreal.

5 years ago David and I had a real clear vision of what our goals were and now it’s all a bit murky. I’m sure we aren’t alone in this. That’s life, right? If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans, right?

Anyway, it’s kind of an odd space in which we’ve found ourselves. Content where we are, but wondering what the road ahead is going to look like. We truly don’t know at this point, so we’re doing a little dance between “create a lot of options and opportunity” and simultaneously “bloom where you’re planted.”

Part of that blooming has involved home projects. We redid the exterior of our home earlier this year with new hardy plank and stone accents. We switched out some lighting fixtures and added beadboard to the kitchen island. After a decade with our beloved squishy sectional, we decided our living room needed a facelift.

We ordered couches and chairs from La-Z-Boy. They were scheduled to arrive in roughly 4 months, so we were pleasantly surprised when we got a call last week saying they’d be delivered in only 2 months.

Our living room has always been very dimly lit by the one light off the fan, and with new furniture coming, David decided the time had come to install some can(less) LED lights.

He contemplated standing on the top of a tall A-frame (NOOOOO); but luckily that wasn’t going to work, so instead he rented a trailer and scaffolding from Sunbelt Rentals and we decided to knock it out within the 24 hour trailer rental window.

Together, David and I built the indoor jungle gym and he got to work. I love how handy David is. He figures these projects out and while I help by lifting scaffolding or adjusting the laser level, he does all the figurative heavy lifting. I, on the other hand, took Kaitlyn to soccer.

Hailey stayed home to help and when we got home a couple hours later, I was impressed at the progress.

We ate and I got the kids to bed. It took until close to midnight for him to get all the wiring done in the attic, which is so intimidating to me, but he swore it wasn’t that complicated. Then, the moment of truth… would it work?!

It did!! Oh my gosh, did it ever. The difference it makes in the room is impossible to capture, but wow. I don’t know how we sat in the dark for so long now. We love it.

Of course, as any home project goes, you’re kind of waiting for the surprise twist. Ours came in the form of a buzzing dimmer (too much wattage load), so we ordered a new one.

It also came in the form of a dropped scaffolding piece that gouged the floor. I won’t say who dropped it but it wasn’t me… 😉 I googled some videos and David patched it over the weekend. No biggie.

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The real treat for me, though, was yesterday when the new furniture arrived. Have you ever ordered something that was a delayed delivery and you start to question whether you really liked it as much as you thought?

This was totally me on these couches. The girls love the sectional and I was beginning to worry that the couches may not be as comfortable, or spacious enough, or the right color…. but as soon as they unwrapped them, I fell in love!! They’re fabulous.

We are waiting for the Ruggable I ordered to come in. It is my first time trying this washable rug brand so I’ll let you know how it goes, but I’ve heard fantastic things!

Next on the project list is a new lighting fixture in the dining space. The girls have outgrown our little craft table, so I’m selling that and looking for a full size dining table. It’s kind of weird to watch our space grow up with our family, but it’s also fun to bloom where we’re planted and upgrade a space we spend SO much time in.

Have you been on a project kick this past year or two while spending more time at home? If so, what has made the biggest positive impact?

More presence and patience? Not really. I’m finding that the gap of time between 1:00 and 4:00 is not treating us well. Typically we’ve finished school stuff and it’s before activities, and it leaves time for the girls to bicker which tests my patience. I decided to come up with some Halloween themed science experiments and crafts (I got 4 off of Pinterest) and add them to our free afternoons over the next two weeks. I think more focused/structured time after lunch will be good for us/them.

More time outside? Not really. My typical 2 mile walk, but that’s it.

Less phone? I spent time of Insta posting a little and responding to messages, but not scrolling so that’s still good in my book.

Read a novel? No, again. Today, I read!

Less alcohol? Glass of wine last night hit the spot. No regrets. 3/9

Meditate? I did and it is so peaceful. I don’t think I’m doing it right yet (I spent the time mostly adding groceries in my head and contemplating whether or not to cut my hair), but the quiet time and breathing exercises are nice.

Track groceries? Nothing spent.