The Nesting Itch

I've lived in my house for over 2 and a half years. I bought this house on my own, but I bought it with the idea that one day Sam would live here with me. I bought it with the idea that I'd one day have a baby live in it with us. The house was just perfect for all of this! Apparently, though, I've turned into the typical homeowner as I look around the house wanting to change this and improve that. Sam and I have all these projects on our to-do list and wonder when any of it will get done. There are two big obstacles to getting these tasks accomplished: money and time! I know I'm not alone in this issue - we all want bigger, newer, more efficient. My wishlist includes new counters, a larger bath tub, a deck outside, new flooring, an updated rangetop, and all the little fixes around the house. If only we could afford these things! I look back at how I felt when I bought my house, just excited to have a house to call mine with a lawn and trees out front and in back, a two-car garage, high ceilings, a utility room, etc. What happened to the excitement and the joy I had with the novelty of my house!?

I realize I am part of a generation that wants immediate gratification. There is a sense of entitlement to have what we want when we want it. We don't have time to wait our turns. My generation can't listen to a long, drawn out story; we have no patience for slow drivers; we even get upset when the high-speed internet takes too long to load a webpage! So, it's no wonder I want my house to "keep up" with my changing life! The problem is there's this ITCH to do something to cross off something on my wishlist. Mom calls it nesting. I know what she means - it's preparing to feel nestled into my house to begin my new family with Sam. It's wanting to add value to my home so one day we can sell it and move to something else (bigger, better?).

We can all dream, right?! We're considering lots of things we could do to change the house and to cross off a wishlist item while not breaking the bank. Yet. . . Breaking the bank? What the heck am I talking about?! We don't have a freakin' bank to break - we have no money! What the hell am I talking about? We can't even think about it.

So, we'll do it ourselves, right? Yeah, that was a GREAT idea. Mom reminded me that two summers ago, Sam and I painted the kitchen on our own. Although our relationship survived that project, it was not easy. If you've ever done a house project with your partner, you totally know what I'm talking about! Taking on a new project now, before or right after our wedding is NOT the best time to take on the possible arguing and disagreements.

I need to stop living in this immediate gratification kind of world. We don't need to "keep up with the Jones's" or any other family! We just need to do the best we can do to stay happy, healthy, financially responsible, and comfortable. I'm not giving up on my ideas, I just need to slow it down. Don't be in such a hurry. It will happen one day, right? So, my itch will just have to continue without a scratch! But, man, it's such an itch!