BEFORE.... .....AFTER?

Whew...its been a bittersweet week around the Krueger house. While thrilled with the idea that we are finally executing a project that has been in the pipeline for a long time, I also struggle with the fact we are tearing apart a perfectly good house in light of the Hatian disaster.

This process has gone something like this....first with excitement, next sheer overwhelmed-ness (if thats a word!!) at the thought of packing up the whole first floor, (insert exhaustion), next by shame that I let my house get SOOOO cluttered and out of control with toys and stuff, (did I mention I never want to move?), then motivation to simplify my life (4 van loads to charity!), followed by relief the house is empty, (did I mention Kyle and I are beyond tired?) and finally a tinge of sadness....my home that was so diligently kept for 27 years by my parents will no longer be as it was. I sat in my highchair in that very kitchen as my children have; my mom stripped every cabinet door, stained them and rehung them; the wall we are removing between the famliy room and living room was our movie screen during family 8mm movie night; the dining room was the very place of many family holidays, birthdays and special occasions. For a moment, I wandered through the empty rooms this evening remembering the countless mundane moments that define my memories of growing up within these very walls. I then took a deep breath, and started to look forward to 8 am when the demolition crew is scheduled to arrive. Though the inner walls are moving and changing, the same four walls that surrounded me in childhood will still protect and shelter our family for years to come.

Enough sap...just needed to do something with this bittersweet feeling inside!

Here are some before pics....