Do You Remember….

 

I want to thank you for all the positive and encouraging comments on my embarrassing post yesterday.

I try to think about my blog from the perspective of my readers sometimes, and I can’t help but worry that y’all might think my hubby and I are a little wack-o! 

Truth is…well…we are! (a little) Smile

Believe me, we do not think ripping up the floors we put down less than a year ago and installing new wood flooring is fun.  Not at all!

We are dying to get this renovation done and make our house start feeling like a home instead of a construction zone.  This process is starting to wear on us. 

Do you ever get in a project that seems like it will never end? Or that you keep hitting road blocks and obstacles along the way that make it way more difficult than you expected it to be? 

That’s us right now.

So I laid in bed last night trying to give myself a pep talk which included counting my blessings.  It also included thinking of how far we’ve come over the past year, and not about how far we still have to go. 

Then I thought about what my mom used to always tell me…”Traci, this too shall pass.”

Which caused me to remember of all the other projects that my husband and I have done to together and FINISHED.

Do You Remember….

 

When the pipes busted under our kitchen sink in our previous home which led to replacing cabinets and renovating our kitchen?

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Click on the picture to view to transformation.

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Or when we built from scratch a guest house above our garage in our previous home?

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Click on the picture for a tour of the guest house.

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Or what about the time we built a new laundry/mud room in our previous garage?

You can see the whole process and all of the project tutorials by clicking on the picture below.

 

And our most recent crazy renovation in our current home would be our kitchen makeover.

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That was definitely a wild ride that we were thrilled with when it was over.  Click on the picture to see all of the before and after pictures.

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Why am I taking you with me on this walk down memory lane?

Because when you are stuck in a project, like us, that seems like it will never end, it helps to remember that you’ve done it before and you can do it again!

Go Us!

(Do you see how I am trying to pep myself up?)

It’s the same way in life, isn’t it?

We get overwhelmed with all that we have on our plate.

Sometimes our lives can be a total mess, much like our home renovation!

Our hearts can be burdened with financial stresses, troubled relationships, worries, fears of the future, loneliness, loss, and much more. 

In times like those, it is important to remember.

Remember who God is and what He has done in your life.  Looking back at His faithfulness over the years helps provide a peace in our hearts for the future.

 

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.  Deuteronomy 7:9

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Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.       Joshua 1:9

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I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

 

Have a blessed day!

17 Comments

  1. This is a good pep talk for all your readers, Track! We all get to that tired and overwhelmed place at times. Once again, blessings to you for turning a life experience into an uplifting reminder. Your blog is real and genuine and one of the reasons I read it faithfully! Have a blessed day.

  2. Dear Traci,
    You are such an inspiration! From your beautiful projects to your outlook and positive thoughts.

    I have totally been where you are right now with this house project (my journey in the link – http://leahandnathan.blogspot.com/search/label/House%20Project). It is amazing how thankful you become for such a talented, hard-working husband when you see the effort they put into such a project. We still have a few minor things to do with our project but are taking a much needed break from all things house related. I even try to pass off laundry, but that hasn’t worked so far! :) haha

    Hang in there! The work you’ve done so far is amazing…just like all of your projects!

  3. Traci ~ Each of your before and afters is absolutely beautiful!! You’ve done such a great job on each project! And I give you so much credit for buying your present house so that you can make a beautiful home for you and your boys. It takes a special person (NOT ME!!) to have the foresight like you have. God bless you!! ~ Linda

  4. Hello Traci,

    I love your positivity! Yes, sometimes life throws us curveballs that we can’t control but our attitude is ALWAYS within our control! Your guy is a real gem. It just AMAZES me how hard he works to create a lovely home for you and your family. And what an example he’s setting for your boys in how a woman should be treated! You are truly blessed.

    Terri

  5. Hello Traci,

    I am one of your newest readers and I need to thank you very, very much for today’s messge.

    As I began to read “Do You Remember”, I got a call from a surgicenter where I had been a patient a year ago. The final bill for just use of the facility was $16,000.00. We have been paying our part off monthly and, as we were told would happen, we were waiting for the insurance company to pay the remainder. Like many insurance companies, they have made life miserable for us. They have asked time and time again for the same information which we know they had received, and under false pretenses, they have procrastinated and prolonged making their portion of the payment. We have contacted them religiously to find out what they needed from us to help move the process along, but litle ever came from our calls.

    The phone call I received today was to inform me that time had run out and I either had to pay them $8,000.00 or my bill would be sent to a collector. Having lost my job in May has greatly reduced our income so paying them is not an option. We will call yet again to speak with someone else at the insurance company but in the mean time, yes, I am not feeling very “strong or couragous”.

    What I want you to know is important. After I hung up the phone, I desperately needed to read everything you wrote. Isn’t it interesting how people come in to your life just when you need them the most. My Mother has Alzhemers and says very little anymore, but she used to always say to me, “Lucy, you never know how much you have the ability to influence someone else’s life”. How right she was! You, Miss Traci, greatly influenced my life today and I am forever grateful. As I read the verses you shared, I calmed downad and began to feel so much better. Maybe not strong enough….butbetter! Bless you for being there when I needed you. I will continue to stop by and can’t wait to be a part of your lovely world. Your new friend, Lucy

  6. Thank you so much for your encouragement! I’ve had a lot on my heart today, and even though it wasn’t anything related to home improvement,you said just what I needed to hear. Thank you! (And y’all are doing an amazing job on that house of yours!)

  7. Traci, you are a special person and I love your blog as you already know. You touch people all over. I look for your blog each day for a lift and a smile. Thanks for sharing. Did Jonathan sing this weekend? Miss his beautiful voice.

  8. You and your husband do AMAZING work together! Don’t get discouraged…you will have a custom built home when you’re finished! It seems like you’re remodeling/building quickly, but easier for me to say that because I’m not living in the middle of construction! Hang in there! Your home is beautiful and you have a beautiful family!

  9. Our 9 1/2 month old granddaughter will undergo surgery on her right kidney and bladder tomorrow morning…at 22 weeks pregnant, our oldest daughter found out that little baby Bridgert had Hydronephrosis in that right kidney…in the heartache of knowing our little angel will have to undergo that surgery, we hold tight in our faith and the love of our Father…
    I loved this post of yours, and it brought me more strength and made me feel so joyous inside knowing with every fiber of my being that God knit Bridget in perfection and He is right there with her as she goes through this surgery and recovery.
    Please, say a prayer for her for me Traci…and know that your daily posts always make me smile – your and your family are an inspiration for me – that is for sure! :)

    Laura D.

  10. good reminder! we too are in the midst of a whole house reno (going on a little over a year now!) and it’s really starting to get old. and we haven’t even hit the hall bath (gonna be major – floor to ceiling) or kitchen (removal of wall, building island, all new surfaces) or entryway (another floor to ceiling gut)! i have really been getting tired of manuvering around paintcans and toolboxes and having a layer of sheetrock dust perpetually covering everything. but this weekend, i too went back to my before pics from one year ago and was amazed at how different the house looks. before, it reflected the previous owners…the original owners of the house who were in their mid-80’s. now it (mostly!) looks like a fun, colorful, LOUD family lives there. which is (mostly!) true! thanks for sharing your befores and afters! it’s really important to take that look back to see how far you’ve come!

  11. Great transformation and very impressive kind of work. You did well indeed! It looks clean because of it’s white paint and it looks great. I have now an idea on how to renovate a certain messy kitchen. Yay! :)

    Cheers,

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