The Story Behind Stories of a House

Unless you are viewing via your inbox or Google Reader, you've seen the new blog design.  Don't worry the paint fumes haven't gotten to me and I'm not having an identity crisis. I had some credit to use for Designer Blogs, and since my business has taken a little different direction since the last design, it was time to reorganize a few things. I figured it was also good time to go ahead and have Lauren put together a new clean, modern look.

The other day I was thinking about how 9 months ago I had no idea what to expect when I started blogging. There is a lot of time to think, dream, reflect, plan, etc. when working on furniture. I didn't expect anything from blogging other than to post some before and afters, share paint colors, and have a little memory for my kids to look at one day.

***First I need to say that I asked Kevin permission to share our story, and in NO way do any of these circumstances reflect on him as a man or as a provider. He would have done anything to change our situation, along with thousands of other men and women in our country. ***

8 months prior to writing my first post, Kevin closed his business and accepted a position at a local architecture firm. The 18 months preceding that were incredibly uncertain. He had worked out of our home for the previous 5 years building his own firm, and established a very good name for himself. But when the economy tanked, so did his industry. He was especially hit hard because he mostly designed custom homes, so when the banks stopped lending, people either couldn't build or were afraid to build in the AZ market. We were one of the states worst hit by the real estate crisis. On top of that, the successful home based business I had built for several years was leveled. Along with many of our fellow Americans, our faith was tested daily and some days our ability to take things one day at a time seemed impossible. During that 18 months we lost everything - our savings, our equity, everything monetary we had built for a decade - but we still had each other and that was what mattered to us most. It is true that when you lose everything you realize that relationships are what is important, and that our actual needs are very basic.

I returned to what I had trained for in college, and was lucky to find a great nursing job that I loved, and still love. I worked as much as I could. Kevin and I sat down often with pencil to paper and cut out every possible expense. We got pretty creative. But as the weeks turned into months and the economy continued to spiral, our savings eventually depleted. Our basic expenses were more than I was making, so I started taking night and weekend call at another hospital for extra income. Getting called in at all hours of the night for surgeries that couldn't wait until morning eventually took an enormous toll on Kevin and me, so after several months I had to stop. The good thing that came of that time period was that we learned to be frugal and to do without, which we continue to do as we face who knows how many years of rebuilding financial stability.

Our 3 girls were old enough (and wise beyond their years) that we couldn't shelter them from the reality of what was happening. We taught them that the best thing to do in our circumstance is pray for our needs to be met, and the needs of others. They were faithful to it every single day, even on the days we were too tired, or struggling with fear and bitterness to do so ourselves. We watched the government frivolously spend taxpayer's money while the majority of Americans were forced to tighten their belt in order to rebuild their financial house. We eventually reached a point where we could no longer afford to be angry about what we could not control. There was no more agonizing, no more arguing. We were too tired and had given up the fight inside us.

One afternoon those prayers were boldly answered when Kevin received a call from a company hiring for a project management position at a firm close to home. We were in disbelief that he even got that call in an economy when companies in a position to hire are flooded with qualified resumes, but we were cautiously optimistic. Come to find out later, they already had over 100 resumes, and had interviewed many good candidates. Everything quickly fell into place; the interview process went smoothly, and he got the job. I still get goose bumps. Something much bigger than us was in control of the whole situation the entire time, and we did emerge stronger and wiser.

Things were ready to change again. We decided I would cut back to 2 days a week to reestablish some balance in our family and home. I envisioned a life of bliss. There was a brief honeymoon period of nesting and reorganizing, but it lasted about a month. Not having Kevin around to touch base with, and having all three girls in school for the first time was a huge adjustment. I started wandering the house like I was in a foreign country. I was lonely, bored, not coping well, and I eventually slipped into a pretty deep depression. I got a glimpse of what empty nesting might be like.

I kept telling myself, "snap out of it you little BRAT!" When that approach didn't work I sought counsel. One wise person asked me whether or not I had a passion. That seemed like a ridiculous idea when I wasn't even passionate about getting out of bed. It did get me thinking, though, about the things I used to enjoy that lifetime ago before the economy turned our lives upside down. One day I decided to pick my pathetic self up, dust off an old interest, and I refinished my first piece of furniture in 3 years. It brought me joy, and continues to today. It taught me something about the way I'm wired, and that is that my mind needs to be engaged in something, problem solving, creating, etc. I do have to make a concerted effort to keep my priorities in check, otherwise I'd be in the garage cranking out furniture all the time!  It was the outlet I needed to get my spiritual house in order, as well.

A few months later when I discovered so many DIY blogs out there I joined the fun. The response from my readers over the past 9 months has blessed me so much I don't know where to begin. I seriously love you guys! Kevin has heard me say it a hundred times - where else can you find a job that you love, and that you consistently get positive feedback for? Yeah, I get the occasional snarky or undiplomatic remark. Eh. If someone takes pleasure in that sort of thing it's not going to get a rise out of me. Thank you for the delete key, Blogger. It's a shame that there are blogs out there dedicated to gossiping and tearing people apart, but I believe the good outweighs the bad. I am personally encouraged by how many beautiful people there are taking the time to read and leave such nice comments on people's blogs. I wish there was a way to measure the impact that positive blogging has made in our world. It connects people in a pretty spectacular way, don't you think?

This chapter of my life - only scratching the surface of what I've overcome - has been hard for me to write, but I hope it will encourage someone going through a difficult time.  Change and uncertainty can be a great catalyst to put us on a new and better path. We still have a lot of uncertainty with our housing situation, but we are at peace. I don't believe we can change God's will, but if we ask to be conformed to it, listen and take action, we will experience peace and joy no matter what our circumstances: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phillipians 4:13).

My little business continues to change and evolve, but I'm enjoying the ride this time. I am very thankful for you all to enjoy it with.