Well, it’s official my friends – we are all moved into our new (old) house. If you missed the story about our move, you can catch up with it all here. There’s actually a really neat story behind this move for us, so it’s definitely worth a read if you missed it.
I’m sure it’s no surprise to you all that it’s been an absolute whirlwind since we took possession two weeks ago. Moving is no joke my friends. There’s a whole lot of boxes, a whole lot of chaos, a whole lot of work and a whole lot of emotions tied up in a move. This was our eighth move now together, so I guess you could say we’ve gotten pretty good at navigating all the things. But, for many reasons I think, I’d say this was also by far our most difficult move. A big part of that were the immense emotions we had wrapped up in both of these houses. We put so much thought and hard work into our old home, we truly loved that house and the beautiful neighbourhood it was in – it was extremely hard to say goodbye to it all. At the same time, we had such a strong emotional attachment to our new house given the memories tied to it for us and all of the many signs along the way that made us feel like we were meant to call that house our home once again (you can read all about it here).
On top of the emotional connections we felt to both homes and of course, all of the typical work of moving (which can be overwhelming in and of itself), we had even more piled onto our already very full plates. As we walked through the house on the day we took possession, we got our first glimpse into just how rough of shape this house was really in. Each and every room was filled with things that needed repair, things that the previous owners had left behind for us to dispose of, and every inch of every single surface was covered in years worth of dirt, dust and grime. It was so bad. Not only was it sad to see this house we loved so much in such a state of unkemptness and disrepair, but I can’t even describe how overwhelmed we felt with the condition of this house that we were somehow supposed to be ready to move into just one week later.
We both walked away that night wondering what the heck we’d gotten ourselves into.
We tried to remind ourselves that this was a journey we were meant to walk through and that, while it felt so incredibly disappointing and overwhelming right now, it would all be worth it in the end.
The next morning, we called in some reinforcements and got straight to work. We hauled out load after load of furniture and garbage the previous owners had left behind & Brady repaired as much as he could around the house while my Mom and I cleaned every inch of each and every room. Through the next six days, we spent 12-14 hours a day cleaning out the house, just so we could move into it. On top of that, we had the help of three incredible ladies to help us clean for four of those days as well. Between the five of us, we scrubbed every inch of that house and, by Friday morning, one whole week later, we finally had the house clean enough to start moving in some boxes.
A week of 12-14 hour days cleaning was not how I’d imagined starting this journey with our new home. Honestly, it was such a disheartening experience for us all and it had us questioning many times whether we’d made the right decision to leave our mostly finished and very clean home to take on such a substantial project, one we’d clearly underestimated.
Thankfully, as we started to move our furniture into the house on Saturday, it gradually started to feel like home again for us. And that first evening, as we gathered with our friends and family around the table for dinner, things finally started to feel right again. For the first time since we took possession of this new house, we had a glimpse of the home we remembered. And, while we’ve had a few hiccups since (and will continue to for a while yet I’m sure), I know we’re right where we’re supposed to be.
I’m hoping to share a “before” tour of the house with y’all next week, but in the mean time, keep an eye out on Instagram for a few sneak peeks.
On the blog this week…
And now, here are my favourite reads from the week…
My favourite reads from the week…
LOVED this article that my sister-in-law put together about exterior design mistakes that even home builders make.
Starting new can be scary. Really loved this article about three steps to restart at any age.
Who doesn’t need a little more organization around the house. Here are some great ideas to get started.
Summer’s not over yet! Definitely adding a few of these summery drinks to my Summer bucket list!
SO many great tips to help style a mantel.
Can’t wait to try this creamy garlic corn chicken with cheesy polenta.
Curious which direction I’ll be going with our new home? I’ve been pinning all of our new home inspiration here. Think English Cottage with hint of Tudor style.
Pulling so much inspiration from this Instagram account this week.
Finally, here’s the new book I’ve been curling up with this week.
Wishing you the most lovely weekend! Let me know if you have any fun plans in the comments below!
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Moving is such an emotional experience.We leave the familiar and take a leap into a new chapter in our lives. Your new (old) home will soon be just home and with all your talents it will be beautiful,warm and a sanctuary to all who enter it. Enjoy yourselves and be patient. Blessings in your new house.
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to share these kind words Kathy, reading this just made my day! It really has been a roller coaster of emotions for us, but I know we’re on the path that’s right for us. It’s hard to find the patience in the journey sometimes, but you’re right, someday soon it will feel like home again for us. Thanks again!
This post gives me all the feels. Iโm picturing the iconic Mercer home on Ravine Drive and Iโm so happy that you and Brady decided to buy this house. It just seems like it was meant to be and I know Mary is smiling from above as she sees her beloved home come back to its intended glory. โค๏ธ
Awwww, thank you so much Tracey! While it’s all a bit surreal still (and at times completely overwhelming), I know we’re on the right path. Mary would be so thrilled to see this house she loved so much back in the family and I know she’ll be with us every step of the way as we bring it back to life and make it our own. Thanks again Tracey!!! xo