Fifteen years

Last evening during our evening sit in the Arabian tent time. . .
I said. . ."how can we have been here fifteen years already?"
He said. .."In fifteen years we'll be ready to retire. . .we'll be 65."
Fifteen years ago at age thirty five. . .
we bought the farm.
All it needed was a bit of tender loving care. . .
some vision. .
and a bit of Terry.
The first summer we painted the house. . .
and had a party.


After our first summer rain. . . .
we put buckets in strategic places in the attic. .
and called a roofer.
When we called for the roofer this time. .
and were asked how long we wanted the roof to last. .
we did a quick calculation of our age. .
and said twenty five years. .
That will put us about seventy five years old. .
and it is highly unlikely we will care one speck about the roof then.

Later in the fall of that first year.. .
we added on a garage. . .
a laundry room. .
and a small storage room which a few years later became our second bathroom.
The laundry room was finished . . .
in early January of '95.
On January 5th my mom and dad came to see the laundry room painted.
She had a heart attack during the night. .
and never did see the washer and dryer hooked up.
The laundry room completion reminds me of something else.
My mom by love. .
came every week and picked up all the laundry and washed it and dried it. . and ironed it. .
and brought it back.
Thanks Mom. . . that taught me a lot about how to be a good mom by love.


The next year. . .
we planted a hedge.
Last night. . I could not take the picture from this view. .
since I can not see over the hedge.
We have had the best of times. . .
and the worst of times. .
since the summer of 94.
Mostly though. . . .they've been very good.
All for now. . .

Comments

  1. Nice memories...bittersweet ones, too. I was also blessed by a Mom-in-love who stopped by regularly to pick up the laundry, and returned it smelling wonderful and crisply ironed. That was following the birth of my firstborn and until we were able to afford a washer/dryer.

    Fifteen years? The longest I ever lived in one place was fourteen years, and the last four years of that time, I was mostly away at college.

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  2. Wow there's quite a difference between the before and after. Good pics!! We have been in our house for 32 years and I think of all the changes and am amazed as to how time flys.

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  3. I always enjoy before and after pictures and reading about the journey in between. It must have been so painful going through some of those years...and joyful through the others. I do like how you address your mother-in-law. Great admonition for me being one myself. Beautiful finished product.

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  4. It's lovely to go down memory lane. Both, the sad and the glad memories, the Lord has used to shape us into who we are today.I loved seeing the laundry on the line. Thinking back, that was one of my favorite things to do. I LOVE the smell of freshly sun-dried clothing. Thanks for sharing! God bless.

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  5. That was a lovely look back, Lovella. Fifteen years can go by in an instant - although I've never lived anywhere that long. We've been in this house longer than any other. Before this one, the longest was five years.
    What a lovely memory of your MIL - yes, a precious example of love.

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  6. What you have done with that house shows how care changes thing. Not over night, but over time, caring shows. Your garden is a bit of paradise, achieved over time.

    I'm not sure that at age 75 your won't be watching another 25 year roof being put up...keep up the good work with exercise and good eating!

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  7. The stories the house could tell! I love the "look back" and seeing the changes ... It's also nice to see something get better with age ...
    May you have many more special memory building years to come.

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  8. You and Terry do have vision and you have put alot of elbow grease into what is now a lovely place for you to live and others to visit. Loved your pictures. Kathy

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  9. Don't the years simply fly by? I can so identify with the roof decision...as just a few years ago we made the 25-year-roof decision...why would we want to pay for a 50-year roof? Great memories...your house has seen a wonderful transformation.

    I'm thinking those lawn chairs on the peak of the roof look rather scary...in your first pic!

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  10. It's wonderful to see how 15 years of love and care have made your abode bloom and shine, right along with your family.

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  11. You two have done such a beautiful job over the past 15 years! Your place is just lovely! Wish I could visit.

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  12. If the walls could talk... You two have done an amazing job of loving this home back to life. And, one more thing, you are definitely going to be concerned about a roof when you're 75. Ha! By then, you'll probably have donned your leather and be touring the continent on your Harley.

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  13. So nice to see pictures of your home over the years. I love how you have made a not-so-nice place (15 years ago) absolutely beautiful! Such love & memories combined to make a welcoming & restful place that you affectionately call your "bungalow".

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  14. that a great review of your home...
    I just went by my old farm in Sumas flats yesterday, and of course had to snap some photos until the big dog came snapping out at me.

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