Today's chore: Put up cabinet in laundry room. I'm excited to be able to get the laundry room more to my liking.

I dehydrated green peppers and tomatoes yesterday and still have some more to do, but they will wait until tomorrow.

I think today I'll clean out the spice cabinet.

I'm really ready to go on painting and whatnot, but we still have good week or so before we know definately if the house will sell or not.

I'm ready to stay here and get on with life, but I know DH really wants to sell. I do too, but in my gut I just don't think that is going to happen with these people. And basically we've been on a holding pattern for four years with FIL living here, so I am really ready to do something. (And Spyros says I have no patience!?!.....)

We didn't do a lot around the house so we wouldn't inconvenience FIL. But looking back I realize that it was a two way street. And while we've gained some, we've also lost a lot of time.

I know staying in the house will not be the easiest thing, and it will take longer to pay off the debt and save money, but I think in a lot of ways it will be beneficial to us and other family members.

Spyros's family has owned this house for over 20 years so there are a lot of memories here (good and bad). And having Nichole (SIL) come over this past week helped me to realize that having a childhood home to visit (even if the furnishings have changed) is something very precious.

If we are able to keep the house it will be one more way to keep a family together and hopefully help it grow. And since the house is so big I think it will benefit all the parents when they are older because we will have a home that they (at least two sets of parents) can go to instead of an institution.

I don't want children, but I always pictured a lot of people constantly at my/our house, so I think this is a way for it to happen. There is so much we can do here if we just open our minds and hearts to it.