Ten Years on Bellaire

Ten years.

Ten years ago today, we got the keys to this house. The Bellaire House. Brownie HQ. The fixer-upper (what an understatement!) with more space than we needed, but full of big dreams.

I’ve had a quiet dream of a big open house/kitchen reveal/thank-you party on our 10th anniversary here. Gathering our friends and family who have helped so much. Celebrating together! Well, the kitchen is far from finished, work upstairs has been frozen for years now, and the thought of spending time on extras like landscaping or decorating is laughable. That big party will have to wait...

I suppose I’m grieving the loss of that 10-year dream. We thought we’d be done. We thought we’d be landscaping. Enjoying a vacation instead of shopping for tile. Who could have predicted that we would add three more girls to our family, or that we would spend almost a year of that time without a steady income?? We’ve spent thousands of dollars (and hours?) on the work, but it’s slow-going. So very slow.

I’ve been chronicling our work on the house from the beginning, but I had no idea how valuable those words and pictures would become. On days when it feels like we’ve gotten nothing done, reading back through the blog is always a much-needed boost. A reminder. An encouragement to press on. Because what we find there is faithfulness. GOD’S faithfulness.

-He’s been faithful to teach us to trust Him. With employment, money, time, our girls, our families, our plans. Countless opportunities.

-He’s been faithful to bring us joy through hospitality. We’ve had the privilege of hosting countless people for lunches, dinners, birthday parties, holidays, and playdates. And they have come, not even caring about the condition of the house, happy to spend time together.

-He’s been faithful to protect and strengthen our marriage. It’s no secret that renovating is stressful. So many decisions to make. Usually two very different opinions. But most of the time, we actually enjoy the discussions. We’ve gained a deeper appreciation of each other’s strengths, and had plenty of opportunities to show each other grace.

-He’s been faithful to show us His generosity. While we haven’t had loads of extra money to spend on the house - or anything else - He has provided the extras. Inexpensive trips with family, free fun thanks to James’ employer, people who have given their time and talents so freely.

-He’s been faithful to teach our girls. They’ve seen planning, patience, success, failure, frustration, anxiety, stress, arguments, cheering, and lots of hard work. They’ve watched us respond to each of those things, and not always well. But they have cheered right along with us. They've spent hours cleaning up the mess from the latest project. They’ve learned to take care of themselves (and each other) when things are especially stressful or noisy. And they’ve gained some valuable construction and life skills in the process.

You expect to learn from parenting, marriage, family, relationships, church, work. I never anticipated learning lessons from a HOUSE. But as we move forward with the latest plans, we’re taking time to look back at all that God has done here on Bellaire. He’s been so good.