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| The humble Worley home, May 2006. |
We bought it when we got married and lived in it for about 13 years. It was a decent old house, with 1500 square feet, central air (added the first hot summer we lived in it), a remodeled kitchen ... and one bathroom.
As the family grew, we talked occasionally about whether we should move or add on. Most of the time, three bedrooms seemed like plenty, but there was that one bathroom.
The decision to do something finally came one morning when we were rushing around getting ready for church and found ourselves all brushing our teeth at the same time in that one tiny bathroom. With one sink. I thought “OK, this is ridiculous.” And kinda funny, too.
We started looking for other houses nearby, but just couldn’t find that perfect mix of location, size and price. So, we looked more closely at our own little house, with its 2.5 acres and perfect location. Then we started talking to a custom builder and an architect.
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| Just before we started adding on, when I was starting to outgrow my maternity clothes. |
When Baby Claire was 7 weeks old, we finally started work on the house. Major work. Like, rip off the side and part of the roof work. And dig a basement under the new part. Attach the garage. Build another staircase. Remodel the kitchen (again).
We moved out for seven months to a rental house down the road and watched our little house slowly turn into what we have today: a good blend of old and new. More than double the space (with almost double the mortgage payment), beloved creaky floors in the old part, more storage in the new, a gathering place for big reunions and dreams of future generations coming to visit.
We’re still surrounded by farmland, with the creek at the edge of the property, and a gravel road running past the house. It’s a work in progress, but we’re getting there. And now we have 3 (three!) bathrooms. Which is enough. Most of the time.
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| Home, April, 2016 |
