Intro

...an old house, two toddlers, one dog, and a 30-something couple trying to make it all work.

The House:
Built (we think) in 1916 by a J.O. and Ruth Wilson, a hardware store owner and his wife. Stucco two-store American Foursquare. Big beautiful front porch, enclosed back porch, stone one-car (ie no-car) garage to the side. Four bedrooms, one bath plus toilet off the kitchen. We're owner #3, and hope to follow the precedent by being here for 40+ years ourselves.

The Location:
Ozark Mountains, AR. Small town. We moved back here after the birth of our first baby, to raise kids and love on our parents and enjoy the mountains and clean air again after several years in a Big Place. We're not sorry, not one bit, although it does have its challenges.

The House Challenges:
Currently, water leaking in from the chimney area and out from the dishwasher drain. Some old wiring still remains; no fence to keep the kids away from busy roads; godawful ugly paneling still up in the kitchen. I'll stop there for fear of frightening myself... I could go on for quite some time.

The Triumphs Thus Far:
(I'll try to blog on these for a bit to give you something to read and me something to feel proud of.)
Wood floors refinished.
Broken window ropes repaired throughout the house.
50+ year old carpet replaced on stairs/hallway.
Old paneling replaced with 1/4" drywall (MAY WE NEVER NEED TO DO THAT AGAIN, AMEN.)
Dining room painted.
Master (ha) bedroom textured w/ cement/paint mixture to look like stucco. Fairly successful!
Blinds hung in living room, entryway, stairway, office bedroom.
Garden started.
Exterior painted.