Happy Monday! I have a week pretty much to myself because both boys are in camp all day! I have a list a mile long of things I want to do, but I may enjoy the time to myself and get some good rejuvenation time.

Today I’m linking up with Jen and the Not Just A Mom girls for a home tour. This is perfect because I realized I never shared our finished home renovations.

When we started, our front room was the living room. It was a combination office, sitting room, and playroom when we moved in. As the kids grew up, it morphed into the Lego room instead of the playroom. The desk was over to the left and the chair/bookshelf straight ahead/to the right.

The dining room was open to the living room and the kitchen.

During the first week of the quarantine, we had our whole house repaired so we had holes in the walls and ceiling. We didn’t fix them because we knew we were heading into a major renovation. It took way longer than we thought so we had holes for over a year!

Our family room was one big room with the kitchen. It was perfectly comfy for the four of us, but got a little tight when we had any guests.

We also had a double deck across the back of the house. One half was covered with a real, houseworthy roof. The other half was uncovered. When the boys were little, we used that deck ALL THE TIME! Now that they are bigger and involved in more activities, we don’t spend nearly as much time on it.

When we moved in to our house almost 8 years ago, I knew it was a little smaller than we wanted. We picked the house for the lot, the view, and the location. We back up to a giant cornfield that cannot be developed and are in the middle of our town. It’s really perfect! I have been planning this addition for seven years and it turned out exactly how I wanted it!

We met with an architect and came up with the addition of my dreams. We added a mudroom with a small deck off of it. We extended and enclosed the covered part of our deck to make a family room. We opened the old family room up to the new family room. We turned the old family room into a dining room. We turned the old dining room into an office. We turned the front room into a library if you ask me and a Lego room if you ask Luke. We redid the uncovered part of the deck with wood like Trex.

We started the renovation by taking out our garden and taking down the swing set. Luke helped me and was so excited to use the drill!

Then, the contractors came and started taking the deck apart. The frame and foundation of the deck were in great shape so we were able to reuse a bunch of it. They took the deck floor off. And then we waited.

Then, we started with the foundation for the mud room. I got so excited for every little bit of progress! Keep in mind that we were learning from home every Wednesday and a few weeks while all this construction was going on. It was great to see it all happen, but it was tough to stay focused all day!

After almost seven months, the job was done. During those seven months, Edwin, Ever, Ever, Leo, and Romero became a part of our family. They were here for birthday celebrations, school breaks, and we met some of their children. I do miss seeing the guys, but I am so thankful they are finished.

The library/lego room is off the front hall and open to the office. The chairs aren’t quite right in here, but they are so comfortable and in great shape. Ideally, I’d put a loveseat in one corner and a smaller chair in the corner in front of the window/shelving. Living room furniture isn’t at the top of my home purchases, so it’s something to think about in the future.

The office is open to the library and has a no door doorway to the kitchen. I’d like to get a small filing cabinet in here eventually, but for now the kids’ table is in that corner holding a charging station and all of the kids’ devices.

The kitchen/dining room just need some artwork. I’ve commissioned my mom to create a four canvas picture for the empty wall. How’s that coming Mom? 😉

The mudroom has 3 doors in a small space and I love it. I decided to add a fun pattern on the floor. I love the tile! We have a small deck off the mudroom and I am so thankful we added it. It is perfect for taking off shoes before coming in and it looks better on the side of the house. I want to hang hooks in the mud room for jackets or pool towels, but I want it to be exactly what I’ve pictured so I’m not rushing into it.

The family room is where part of our deck was. We added on about five feet and those extra feet give us a little bit of elbow room. I need to hang some blinds in the family room. I am loving all the light, but at night we could use a little privacy. I’m looking for a club chair, two tables, and a coffee table for the family room. I haven’t seen what I’ve pictured in my head so I’m not rushing into it. I know my vision is out there somewhere.

Our deck is about half the size that it was, but I love it. I ordered a fun yellow umbrella for a little shade because it is full sun all the time. The table and chairs were my grandparents and I love them! I am thrilled with the composite wood and low maintenance.

So I know you are wondering, where will we put the Christmas tree?? We used to put it in the living room, now library/Lego room. I’ll still put a tree there because I love to see it in the window from outside. The main tree will be in the new family room. We’ll put it to the left of the television so I can still see it when I drive up to the house.

We love the way everything turned out. It gives everyone a little more elbow room and we can’t wait to host Christmas this year! I’ll be back tomorrow with new books and books I’ve been reading. Have a great day full of sunshine and books!