This time last year we woke up to an unexpected snowstorm…
…which led to our rented U-Haul sliding into the gutter of our old driveway (we wrote about that incident at the time).
It really feels like it was yesterday. John and I still remember that frantic phone call:
JOHN: Hey Sherry. Walk-through went fine. They’re off to close and I’m headed to the new house.
SHERRY: Okay, be careful. It’s snowy—drive as slowly as you need, even if people are honking. Just take your time.
JOHN: I will. Don’t worry.
SHERRY: Great. I just don’t want you ending up in a ditch or anything.
[HANG UP. SHERRY PUTS HER PHONE DOWN, IT RINGS AGAIN.]
JOHN: Crap, the truck is in a ditch and I think I knocked over the mailbox.
SHERRY: You’re kidding, right?
That moment is one of those vivid memories you keep for a long time. At the same time, moving makes places feel oddly distant: we sometimes forget where a light switch or door swing used to be. That makes the old house feel both like it was just yesterday and like a lifetime ago. We still find mystery switches and corners that remind us this house is far from fully known—there are more discoveries ahead as we renovate, decorate, and settle into rooms we haven’t really used yet, like the sunroom and the playroom. And no, Mom, that’s not a baby-on-the-way hint.
Flipping through our archives, it’s strange to look back at our first house when it was empty:
Some shots were only possible when the house was empty, like this angle where I stood where the media cabinet later went:
We also grabbed a bunch of pictures on move-in day at our current house—literally running around snapping photos while the U-Haul idled in the driveway:
Some rooms have changed a lot in the past year, while others—bathrooms especially—are largely the same. We’ve made real progress in areas like the living and dining rooms, but the sunroom and playroom have mostly become places to park furniture or stash items we plan to sell.
We keep a running gallery of before-and-progress photos, and it’s motivating to see how far certain spaces have come. Looking forward, we’ve started a running list of projects we’d like to tackle in year two and beyond. Some are simple, others will need contractors, and many will roll out over several seasons. Here are the main ideas we’re considering:
- Build a wooden deck off the kitchen for outdoor dining.
- Convert the carport into a proper garage with contractor help.
- Add a trellis or pergola around the new garage door for a lush look.
- Construct a large media cabinet to balance the room and add storage; build a bench for the foot of the bed and a cabinet for the bedroom’s inset wall.
- Refinish the bedroom and other wood floors in stages so we have places to move furniture.
- Add wainscoting to the hallway that leads to the nursery, playroom, and guest room.
- Finally paint, furnish, and put the sunroom to use.
- Paint, furnish, and activate the playroom as a real kid space.
- Refresh all three bathrooms with varying levels of renovation and cosmetic updates.
- Tweak rooms like the living room, dining room, nursery, bedroom, and guest room—many walls still need art and key pieces of furniture.
- Create a defined entryway with a large buffet, art, and a welcoming rug by the front door.
- Add crown molding in rooms like the playroom, nursery, and guest room.
- Reconfigure the kitchen fireplace so it can be enjoyed from the living room too.
- Install a backyard swingset/playset and a deluxe sandbox plus a play kitchen and dollhouse for the little one.
- Paint the exterior siding, trim, and shutters; frame out and square up porch columns, add lighting, and refresh the porch concrete.
- Undertake extensive outdoor landscaping across front, side, and back yards.
- Build in the master bathroom vanity for better concealed storage and symmetry.
- Create raised beds for an edible side/backyard garden.
- Retrofit the playroom daybed with a trundle for future sleepovers and guests.
- Add French doors between the dining room and office for privacy and architectural interest.
- Adjust the front roofline to add peaks for visual dimension and cohesion with the rear roof.
- One day, DIY a pool—John thinks it’s a wild idea, but it’s on the brainstorm list.
We’ll spread these projects across years—the first house took us about 4.5 years to fully finish—so there’s no rush. We try to move at a pace that keeps things fun rather than stressful, taking on big projects and then enjoying small wins while we regroup. Your encouragement really keeps our morale and momentum strong, and we’re so grateful for the support—honestly, you all deserve a plate of cookies (extra icing and sprinkles included).
We don’t follow a strict order when it comes to projects. We jump around between rooms to avoid monotony and to keep energy high. After a major undertaking we might focus on smaller, satisfying updates; other times we keep the momentum and plan the next big thing immediately. For now, we’re focused on finishing the kitchen, and once the dust settles we’ll decide what to tackle next. If year two brings even half the joy and progress of year one, we’ll be thrilled.
P.S. Clara is still obsessed with big dogs and has zero concept of personal space—more on that in another post.