I imagined living in our house every time we put another board on the wall. For over six years I dreamed of hanging pictures and curtains in each room. But something interesting happened when we finally finished all the hard work—nothing. No decorating. No organizing. No cleaning out boxes. Nothing.

We burned out. Our bodies and minds were tired. The internal motivation that kept us focused for all the years let go. The house was finished. And we could finally rest. We’ve done a little bit here and there over the last two years, but the need to make regular progress has come in irregular waves.

Something changed this summer. Maybe I finally acknowledged that we are actually living in the home we dreamed about for so long. Or maybe I learned how to be still, rest, and find balance for the first time since 2017. I’m not sure what the reason was for the change of focus, but I’m excited about this new direction. We are finally making our house a home.

The back two rooms—the storm room and craft room—are now fully functional and organized. We ordered and assembled a murphy bed for guests and set up a folding home gym in the storm room. I ordered curtains with color and hung them over two windows in the kitchen area. Then I went through my necklaces and earrings and hung them up instead of having to rummage through a box every morning. All were small steps, but steps toward making our house our home.

I’m excited for the next few weeks as I start new little projects and finish others. Yes, there are still boxes shoved in corners and drawers filled with random items. But little by little we are tackling those areas, throwing away the unnecessary and passing along what can help others.

What projects do you need to tackle? How long have they needed to be completed? What will it take to make your house a home?