We've Only Just Begun

We have a new computer!! And no, that's NOT an April Fool's joke. Yes, tis true.. a new computer. Which is a good thing, don't get me wrong, but now I have this huge desire to catch up on everybody's life... and not a bunch of time to do it.

We are smack-dab in the middle of pulling the kitchen completely apart. So far, we have no walls, only half our electricity/plug-in receptacles working, a few hot wires that are dangling from the ceiling, and a sink. For the day. I think, so they tell me, that I'm losing my sink as of 4 pm today, but who knows. With electricians and cabinet installers and plumbers and gas fitters constantly coming and going, I'm almost at the point where I actually know what's going on! :) Let me assure you, I am getting so well-versed in the interior workings of a home, because every time we try to 'fix' something, we find that three other things need to move/be adjusted/be bought/be installed! It's loads of fun. But, I jest-- renovating is actually kinda exciting. I've picked out flooring and cabinets and appliances, and although nothing is installed, seeing the two-inch samples on my mantle is fun. It's like a giant painting coming together, with only the buckets of paint at this point. Matching colours and textures and choosing sinks and light fixtures reminds me of the building process, which I enjoyed a lot. Twice. I may not have the BEST sense of style, but I actually DO enjoy decorating and designing. I'll be happy to have places to put things, and a floor I don't have to vacuum 20x a day!

They say renovations are tough on a marriage. But Will and I are sooooooo laughing our way through this. Sure, it may resemble one of those "WE'VE GONE CRAZY" laughing fits, but in actuality, renovations is NOTHING compared to everything else we deal with.

• Lice. (gotta love living small-town, where we've had to deal with this plague TWICE now in 6 months. I'm ready to shave the kids' heads. Almost my own, too! And, at the mention of the L-word, if you're like me, you can stop itching your head now....)

• Vehicles being broken into and/or stolen. ALL THREE of our vehicles have been broken into in the past 2 months. It's getting a bit redundant, and I now lock the van even when I'm still sitting in it on the driveway! :) I haven't gotten hardly anything replaced, just because insurance companies are SUPER FUN and make claims literally not worth the hassle. But we have sooo much to claim, that I have to get it all done, and it's taking a LONG time.

• Blending children. It'll probably be the most talked-about topic on this blog, seeing as it's a constant battle/struggle/process. Every thing that you have to figure out and struggle through in a marriage (who does what role, what traditions you want to incorporate, what parenting styles you grew up with and what you expect in a spouse) is multiplied by a thousand when there are so many other little souls affected and along for the ride. Not that we didn't know this going INTO our marriage... I soooo get that. But there are things we just learn as we go. Communication. Expectations. Feelings. Just everything.

• Blending exes. It's an easier process for Will and I than it would be for some others, seeing as we have fairly good relationships with our exes. There was no 'abuse', no HUGE fights... no animosity, really. So, the biggest struggle is sometimes the financial issues of who's expected to pay for what in regards to the children's upbringing, when and where "the exchange" will take place, who claims what in taxes... thankfully I feel like Tawny and I are on good terms (something that is very important to me) and continue to build our comraderie. I've had many conversations with her, some in depth about being mothers to these beautiful children, and it's nice to actually be on the same page in pretty much everything.

So, what's a renovation in the middle of it all?! Really? If we can make it through things that we already have done and DO every day, this is nothing. In the big picture, Will and I may not live in this house for ever. We may not live here until we retire. We may not even be here in a year or two. We may not have a working kitchen for a few days... possibly a month or more. We don't have unlimited funds. We have carpet at the front entry that rivals Cookie Monster's attire for "fuzziest blue ever seen". But we also know it's just a house. Just a shell where the REAL home is...