In the beginning…

We moved in on May 23, 2004, after several frantic weeks in which we painted five ceilings, three bedrooms, one hallway and parts of the 25 x 30 great room.

Much of the summer was spent unpacking boxes while I had an internal debate about the house’s features. I loved the huge pantry… hated that I couldn’t get the kitchen tile to look clean. Loved having a bedroom and bathroom in a separate wing from the kids… hated that the FRONT door was also in said wing. Loved the fact that we easily accomodated 120 people at our housewarming party… still hated the front door location.

Rob spent weeks hacking through brush, prickers and poison ivy to restore the path that had once circled our lake and in the process found so many beer bottles and cans that it took us over six weeks to get them all to the recycling center. He also found a few muddy spots along the river and managed to get the tractor stuck within a month of owning it.

Love at first (?) sight.

When we bought this house, we knew it had “issues”. The water was undrinkable, the furnace didn’t work and the porch roof leaked. There were burst pipes, smashed radiators and splintered door frames.

Oh, and the exterior looked like some sort of dude ranch.

Rob loved it. I wanted to run.

We both saw the potential of the house. I also saw just how much work it would be to make it into my dream home. But it had a lake so Rob already thought it was his dream home.

As the saying goes, “You can fix anything if you’re handy with money.”

So, in April 2004, we said a prayer, signed on the dotted line and got to work.

Welcome to our adventure!

Roundstone is the name we finally gave this place we call home. Once you start looking at the photos, you’ll see why it was the sort of place that deserved a name. This blog was created to document our projects and their progress. And it serves as a gentle reminder to us that it really has come a long way – which comes in handy when discouragement sets in.