10 Years In Our Home

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10 years ago this month, we moved into our very first home. We lived in apartments during our single and newlywed years and the thought of having our own place was thrilling! The house had been completely flipped and was mostly new inside – flooring, paint, doors, and appliances.

Here’s what it looked like when we moved in.

And here’s what it looks like now! We installed new gutters, painted the doors and shutters, and have tried our best to keep up with the landscaping.

I found some pictures from the first year we lived here and I thought it would be fun to do some before and after photos to see how the house looks now! Let’s start in the living room.

THEN

NOW

THEN

NOW

The bad lighting and old phone cameras make those pictures look worse than they really were, but do you know what I feel when I see those pictures? Gratitude. I have always loved this house and have been so grateful – even during the eight years with the saggy hand me down couches.

THEN

NOW – Same dining room set that my grandparents purchased in the 1950’s! I will be adding one of the leaves to the table soon to make room for our growing family. ❤

THEN

NOW – The kitchen has always been my favorite part of this house. It’s so open and has plenty of counter space and storage for dishes. If it had a pantry, it would be perfect!

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We’ve done lots of projects in this house over the past decade. You can see all of those (with paint colors and all the resources linked) over on my home tour page.

Organized homemaker tip: Keep a running a list of all the home projects and repairs you do. Write down the date, paint colors, contractors used, and any other details about the project. I keep these details in a Google document so that I can access it anywhere.

This will be very helpful if you put your house on the market, but it also helps you to track your progress. My mom always recommends re-painting rooms every five years to keep them fresh, and a list like this will help you stay on top of those projects.

No matter what kind of home you have or how many projects you’ve been able to complete, these things are ultimately grace gifts from God’s hands. God gives us these things so that we can offer them back to him in worship. I’m so thankful for ten years in this 1,300 square foot cozy home that we can now share with our children.

As the hymn says, “All I have needed, thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

“In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4

Everything we have is made possible because of Jesus – and He is always enough.

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I am taking next week off for Thanksgiving, but I’ll be back on the 28th with some Christmas prep inspiration!