Here we are. This was taken the morning of April 29, 2012. We had moved our belongings into the house the two or three days leading up to this morning, and Bo had stayed a couple of nights on his own, but this was our official first memory in the house: Garrity's 2nd Birthday Party! We had stayed been staying at my parents (hence Bo being antsy and staying at the new home alone the first few nights :) But I was determined to celebrate Garrity's Birthday at our new house!
I got up at the crack of dawn to head out to our new home and create the most Wonderful Wizard of Oz party! It was a great idea...but the house hadn't been lived in for two or more years... and it was musty and stinky and dirty and dingy and I could go on forever! Odd, I never remember it being THAT bad when we toured the home (upwards of a dozen times...).
 |
| The shrubs and decorative grass/weeds were totally overgrown! There are windows hiding behind those shrubs! |
 |
| We didn't know at the time, but the entire front of the house would have to be replaced! |
 |
| The rock and the siding was entirely taken off and replaced. The super cool roof is still going strong. Our first night at The Golf House, there was a terrible storm. Bo and I were placing bowls and buckets all over the great room! After a quick visit from the repair man, and we've never had a problem since! |
 |
| All of the windows had to be replaced. We went with more large picture windows and less with grids/ panes. The windows in the pictures are the original windows! |
 |
| This is the view from the front of the house...regardless of how much "love" The Golf House would require, we knew it was a wonderful place to live...we were just certain! |
 |
| I feel like this picture represents so much. Bo is eyeing the foundation. You probably can't tell, but the earth had totally washed up and was over the wood siding (read: rot and mold) his shoulders are slumped, and he looks both concerned and almost defeated. We just KNEW though, it would be worth it in the end. |
 |
| On the flip side...doesn't this kitschy hacienda simply oooooooze character and charm!? |
 |
| Looking back, I had forgotten the draperies and window treatments. They look perfectly in place, but they were full of spiders and dead bugs....ughhhhhhh those are the things they typically leave out of the glamorous episodes of all those DIY shows. |
 |
| The little saplings, shrubs, ivy, ferns, etc. were among the first to go. there was even a tree growing into the house?! |
 |
| The overgrown shrubs and ivy were removed too and are now just part of the yard...less is more. |
 |
| The wooden bench around the tree was gone when we moved in. |
 |
| The swing broke when Garrity was swinging with Bo one afternoon when she was three. No injuries, but Garrtiy had just recovered from a broken elbow... I feared the worst. |
 |
| Here is Bo, dreaming of a chainsaw :) |
 |
| Ughhh more rot and old windows! |
 |
| Bo also tore down this little shed. He replaced it with a gorgeous garage that matches the house. |
 |
| Such gorgeous views. Bo and his dad have worked countless hours clearing out the brush. The view is much more simple and beautiful without all of the overgrowth. |
