O' Christmas Tree

I've spent the past couple days removing Christmas.

The first thing to go is always the tree. Although, it didn't go far. Mike removed it from the house -- but, it's just sitting on the porch. I'm thinking it will be there at least 3 weeks until it finds its way to the curb or to the back yard wood chipping pile.

My favorite part of Christmas is always getting and decorating a Christmas Tree.

When we were kids, we would go out to my great-grandfathers farm. He had acres and acres of Christmas trees. My dad would climb to the top and cut the top off and that would be our tree. One Christmas I can remember him sitting and swinging back and forth, twenty feet in the air, from the top of tree he just cut. There would always be hot chocolate waiting for us back at my great-grandfathers.

Our first Christmas together, Mike and I bought our Christmas tree from the boy scouts. We hadn't thought too much about it, and had no way to secure it to the car to get it home. So, we stuck it in the back seat with the top through the sun roof.

David's second Christmas, he knocked the tree down -- shattering many of the ornaments. That year the tree was propped up against a wall in the foyer. The tree stand had broken and we just couldn't find another one.

One year, after Kate had been born, Mike trimmed the trunk of the tree in the living room. On the couch. There was sawdust everywhere, for weeks and weeks.

Removed trees usually spend sometime on the porch until they find peace. I think last years was there until February.

I love all the ornaments -- mine, Mike's, ours, the kids. Our tree always has a  festive strand of DNA, an old class project that made it on the tree one year and has been ever since.

So, there's always something a little sad about putting it all in a box.

At least I can still enjoy the tree resting on the porch.

The beginning

2014 will mark the 8th year we've lived in our house.

It's a good little house that has served us well.

But, is slowly falling apart. And drives me completely crazy at times.

Part of the problem is us -- myself, husband and two children aren't the cleanest, most organized people in the world.
Part of the problem is the house -- a 1950's cape cod that shamefully lacks storage with a layout that makes us feel boxed in.

It's just sort of one of those things you learn to deal with -- boxes, clothes, stuff everywhere because there isn't always a place to put it.

The house I grew up in was like that, very much a home and very much lived in. And as an adult with a family, ours has become that as well -- lots of junk drawers, messy garage, Christmas boxes are everywhere (sometimes I don't find things until after the holidays), overrun landscaping.

I always think it will get cleaned and sorted out eventually.
But, it's been almost 8 years now.
And, it's still the same.

This past year I found a house. A wonderful house, full of closets and open space, a big back yard, great neighborhood and an even better price. We chatted about it a bit, my husband and I, but the amount of work that would need to be done to get our house in sellable condition was overwhelming. And, the fact that my husband and children do not want to move. At all. Never-ever.

I've tried before to get things worked out and cleaned, made lists for rooms, half started projects, but, alas, I always eventually get overwhelmed by the cost or the amount of work to be done or some other reason and stop.

But, it looks like we are here to stay. At least for the time being.

So, why can't this house be what I want it to be?

I'm not sure how well this is going to go. And, I will probably have to keep reminding myself that the process itself is going to take some time. My husband and I both work, so time will be a constraint. And, money. If we are going to do this, I want to do it right, so some of the bigger projects may have to wait awhile.

I'll try to document our successes and failures along the way. And anything else along the way.

I'm excited, but wary. I like things completed right away and get frustrated when they aren't. My house right now looks a bit like a Christmas explosion as well, so the thought of tackling any project feels exhausting.

But, this is our house. And, it's time to make it a home.

Wish me luck.