getting started
**In case you didn’t read our “About” section, we bought an Amish house!
If you are not familiar with the Amish culture, they are a unique group of people who have, for religious beliefs, forgone the use of electricity and most, if not all, modern conveniences. Our dear friends live just down the road and knew a previous owner of our new property, so they knew this house was not always without heating and electricity. But sometimes, not using electricity is not enough devotion for the Amish. The ability and temptation to use it must be removed. That left us with no heating or cooling source, little intact duct work, and electricity that had been severely tampered with in a dangerous way. To top it off, the windows that remained were nothing more than storm windows, some with large gaps and cracks.
Realizing you can’t do everything yourself is the first key step to surviving a major renovation. We needed to decide what we were best suited for and what was best left to the professionals. With parenting and farming to do on top of all the home renovation, we decided that hiring someone to put in a furnace and air conditioner and replace all the windows would allow us to be more productive on the farm.
Superman and I built a small platform and steps in order to have a sliding door put in. Now he’s on the roof fixing a leak…superhero to the rescue!
It was totally worth it! Not only do we get a better view of the farm, it makes entry and exit much easier from the busy areas of the farm and house.
Unfortunately, June turned to July and the supply chain issues that affected the entire country had now reached our door. The heating and cooling guys were not able to deliver on the 2 week timeline for ordering our units. But, patience is a virtue. It’s a virtue I need to work on. What better way to work on it than to take up gardening, food preservation, farming, and home reno all at once during the hottest months of the year with 5 kids who have been spoiled by A/C their whole lives? [If you do not know me personally, I am a huge fan of sarcasm ;)] They eventually came through, and to say it is tough to make yourself go outside after you finally get the satisfaction of cooling down is a huge understatement. But, chores don’t do themselves and around here, the growing and harvesting seasons don’t last forever, so back to work we went—outside.
Eventually, we were able to settle into more of a routine, and (since it was finally bearable inside) use our extra time to get some small things done. I’d like to encourage you, if you are renovating large parts of your home. Some days you look around and are amazed at all that you have gotten accomplished and some days you look around and think to yourself that this mess and chaos you’ve created are here to stay—like there is no hope of a finished project and no end in sight. Sometimes, the feeling of defeat is enough to get the better of you and hold you down, but hang in there. Try to remember the fervor and excitement you had when you envisioned this project and made the first swing with the hammer. That is still the goal and it can still be accomplished! Also, don’t pressure yourself too much, these things take time—lots of it! If your house is anything like ours, there are all kinds of surprises under the surface, some good and some bad. Don’t lose heart! If it makes you feel better, come and see the things we have uncovered. Hopefully we can help you get your energy back! In any case, we hope that you follow along with us as we attempt to restore the charm to this place, and as we showcase its architectural history and make it our home.
