A lesson in trust.

It is hard to believe it, but exactly one year ago, the hole that has since been filled with this house that I sit in today, was dug. Since that day in June, one year ago, so much has happened. A house has been built from the ground up and along side it, our family has too.

It is hard to put into words what it was like to go through the process of building this house and I'm sure that Jason and I would have very different thoughts on the subject. For him, I know, it was a lot of hard manual labor and a LOT of stress. It was a true test in organization, in patience and in stamina. For me, the organization and patience played a role too, but ultimately, the whole process was simply and purely a test of faith. I needed to trust in many, many things in order to make it through this whole ordeal. First off, I needed to trust Jason. He was the one completing the work, or getting the right people to do so. Jason was also in charge of the money and ensuring that at the end of the day, we could actually afford to live in the house we had put so much time and effort into. He did not disappoint and carried through his end of the bargain which doesn't surprise me in the least. If Jason is anything in life, he is someone you can trust to do what he said he was going to do. The day I married him, I put all my trust in him, knowing that the promise we were making to each other was a forever deal. Just as saying "yes" was so easy on our wedding day, trusting that we weren't getting too far over our heads and wallets was another easy one for me.

Far more difficult than trusting Jason, was in fact, trusting myself. Simply and most basically, I needed to trust that I would like the way the house came together. Even though Jason was consulted and did have a say, I made most of the cosmetic choices in our home. From the layout, to the wall colours, to the appliances and flooring, I sourced, priced, and selected it all. Obviously Jason was around to affirm my choices and a-ok the dollar figure associated, however he trusted me to see them all through. There were multiple times throughout the summer where I questioned what I had chosen and how it would all come together but in the end knew that I needed to just trust. I read in an In Style magazine once that when renovating or building you simply need to pick things you like, and trust that your personal style and signature will pull it all together. So this is what I went with and for the most part, I am happy with what I chose. Things I didn't like, I changed, and luckily for us, the big ticket items were love at first install and there were only a few, insignificant decor choices that were quickly altered or rethought.

Lastly, I needed to trust that our expected baby would wait until the right time to join us in our new home. Up until 2 days before he was born, we were still moving from the apartment into the house and it wasn't until the day he was born that we actually left the apartment for the last time. If Colin had been born any sooner, we also wouldn't have had any Hydro as they hooked us up only hours before coming home with him from the hospital. This baby of ours was truly on time. Very prompt and courteous, right from the start.

When I think back to last summer, I really only remember two frustrating/uncomfortable parts: being ridiculously pregnant and driving up and down route 90 picking up materials. I think Jason and I would both agree that now that the house is far from where we started, all the stress, long work hours, and deadline worries are not in fact what we remember. Instead, we remember the milestone days where big projects were complete, the after work BBQ's with our crew, and all in all, the summer where we built this house of our dreams.

Of course, the work continues around here in order to one day claim that the house is finished, however that goal seems far less important as it once did. For the first time this past weekend, Jason and I did something I don't think we have ever done...we puttered. With a few projects on the go right now around here, we worked here and there at them all, with no agenda, no time line, and no ultimate plan. At the end of each day, I felt great about what we had accomplished. Maybe it is was fact that most major projects are complete now, or maybe it was the fact that I know we will have so much more time to work around the house over the next 3 months than we have ever had, however, for whatever reason, it was fun. Either way, one year later we are a lot closer to completing our to do list and have enjoyed each and every day we have gotten to spend out here. This house has already seen many family and friend gatherings, new babies, a families first Christmas tree, and a whole heck of a lot of food in it's one year, I can only imagine was it will see in the next 40+ years we call it home.

Happy 1st Birthday, Clarence Rd!