Looking Up

I ascended our stairs for the first time yesterday! Glory be and hallelujah! The brilliant and dry weather this week was a superb opportunity for the framing crew and they made fantastic use of it. Last week there was nothing there, at least from what we could tell. Now we can go up to the second story (we have a second story!) and actually walk around in all the rooms. The doorways and closets are all defined (we have doorways! we have closets!), and we can finally picture ourselves in the space, truly. The kids came with me and they too are starting to feel a sense of anticipation and excitement. Jacob said that being there also made him feel homesick, though, and he is looking forward to moving back. We all are.

I walked through again today with David and some other family members. Now that the the big picture is more clear, they asked lots of questions about the little things. What goes in this corner? Will there be a door here? Or a shelf here? I found myself a little fuzzy on the details, even a bit flustered. I would have liked to bask in the progress, at least just for the moment. It seems so long ago that we made these decisions. One nice thing about this stage is that we can make some small adjustments, since the framing can still be changed. It was a pleasant surprise to see how much more open the house looked without a chimney and fireplace smack in the middle of it, As a result, we decided to dispense with the fireplace altogether, as that will allow for a better flow between our living and dining room/kitchen.

I was told today that there is a point in this process where one feels like the worst is over. Last week, I found myself awash in regret-but those doubts are finally retreating. It's a relief to feel confident that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, a sustaining thought as we tick down our list. Now, onto tiles and cabinets!