Home Makeover: Reality Edition. Our Front Hall.

{*update. I just noticed this is my 400th post! wow! A special thanks to my sweet friend Flamingo Mama for inspiring me to get started in blogging. and then, teaching me how!}
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Tisk. tisk.
It is hard to believe what we get used to!

You see, here in our dream home, we have been busy:
We moved here.
We cleaned up big, big messes.
We tended and mended some major disasters.
We begged for help.
We had a baby.
We underwent a 2 year renovation and addition.
We had another baby.
I experienced post-partum and hormonal insanity.
Caleb had emergency surgery.
We stayed busy, BUSY, with 2 little ones boys.
Our family had the rock pulled out from under us.
I started homeschooling.

Most of the rooms in our home remain half-painted, if painted at all.

Amazingly, though. Even though I love to be surrounded by peaceful and beautiful {if not at least organized} spaces, I am okay with our home being in a crazy state of the in-between.  Our sights were, and still are, set on building a family... not building a house.

But now that my babies are 5 and 2... and now that we are getting back to basics in our home... we have - interestingly enough - turned our eyes back to our homestead.  Back to the stewardship of taking care of our home.

I have much more to share. And I cannot wait to do so... in my upcoming decorating blog {insert cheesy and giddy smile here}. Coming soon...

But, for the meantime, I just had to share these before pics of our front hall.
ya know.
To get you pumped up, and all.
Since we have finally pulled the furniture away from the walls, and the paint cans are out on the floor!

...and to show you what I have been staring at for 5 years {not too horrid. I know. but golly... you would think we could have painted the joint in 5 years.....}:

This is all about to change.

You should see what this room looks like in my head........
and. maybe someday soon:

You will.