Four years. That's how long we have been living on our house. According to our time line we should be done restoring it by now. Relaxing in our updated kitchen with granite counter tops. Watching television in my completely remodeled family room. Sleeping in my graciously appointed bedroom with spa-like master bathroom waiting for my middle of the night trek.

So far, the only thing on that particular list that has happened is the family room. In fact I would hazard to say that the kitchen looks worse than when we bought the house. Slowly pieces of the kitchen have been torn away, walls demolished, windows replaced with doors, drop ceiling removed and stomped upon with unmitigated joy.

Now the harvest gold kitchen sink and white vinyl floor mock me from my family room. White vinyl. With seven children I can tell you it isn't pretty. In fact if you stop over unannounced for a visit, keep your shoes on. Your socks will thank me.

Our full kitchen remodel is scheduled for this summer. It is all planned out. The cabinets are picked out, the faucet, the island, the lighting, the appliances... now it is just a matter of purchasing them.

This past weekend I was away and when I returned home a drawer was missing. An empty hole just sitting there in the cabinets.

To some "normal" people this would be a distressing event. To me it was joyous. The fact that my husband with his fix and make do New England work ethic threw it away rather than fix it. Saying that it wasn't worth his time. That signals that a new kitchen is eminent.

Either that or he wants me to finally make good on the promise I made all those years ago. That when he tore the harvest gold sink out and tossed it into the driveway, I would dance naked around it.

If it will speed the process up any, I'll gladly do it.

Our fixer upper. Manic remodeling. I know this so well. I have been doing this this past few weeks. because I can not possibly allow my new refrigerator and freezer to come into the house the way it is right now. The house is not worthy of their stainless steel goodness.

Andi and Tim, at Newborn House, have refinished all their exterior doors, bringing them back to their original glory. The final results are incredible. And serve to remind you of why many of us began the process.

West End Bungalow has had their own version of reno-mania going on. This past weekend they restored original doorknobs and replaced them back on the door. This after making their bathroom door be able to close last week. I bathroom door that closes all the way and stays closed is a luxury I dare not dream about.

Reno-mania, like Beatlemania, but with more swearing and way less singing.

Chris Jordan is in the process of restoring her historic house from a century of neglect and bad taste. She blogs about the rest of her life at her personal blog, http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com