I went back and reread the posts from last November. We were so full of excitement! Many things around here haven’t changed: after the Ski Swap last night wherein I scored sick deals on some of the best skis on the planet, we once again have more skis than chairs. That tells me life is about priorities.

Some dream projects got done or are being done. We have dramatically changed the look and feel of our house beyond my expectations. Some things – master bath – feel like they might never be done, but at least it is live-able and we aren’t broke. We have been so fortunate that MK is so smart, so determined to do everything once and for all the right way and the most cost effective way. I’d blush to try and estimate what we’ve spent on the house, but in reality it’s so much less than it would have been in any other house, or without the two of us working on it ourselves. And I still get excited each time I walk in to a room a notice what we’ve done to it. Super rewarding.

We joke all the time that we’re never doing this again. That our next house will be a square. That we won’t buy anything that meeds major repairs. But we’re young, and the more I reread my past blogs, the more I know you can never say never, or you’ll be contradicting yourself all the time!

We got the new windows for the house from Lowe’s. They all went in despite how crooked our house is with almost no trouble. We are finally wrapping up that project, sealing and painting around the outside today, and I’ll be finishing them up on the inside tomorrow. It may seem like it took forever but remember we are the type to enjoy naps, trips, and football so much more than house work. Everything in moderation, right? We managed to get it done just in time for the snow etc., so we’re all good.

The doors, which we got from Home Depot, are another story. We put all but 4 of them in right away, then took time off to work on outside projects that needed to be done before winter. Getting back to work on the doors, they have been a mess. They do not like cooperating with the crooked house, they are stubborn. To top it off, Home Depot did a crappy job with our measurements and we’ve had to trim them, which is a major PITA.

Fortunately for my parents they now have a bathroom and room door for when they visit. The guest room closet is another story.

So I would recommend Lowe’s for windows. Not Home Depot for doors. Even if your house isn’t crooked.

Also, feel free to come visit and work on trimming or painting or fixing or something. Otherwise they might end up like this for a while.