After having lived in and renovated few houses (one built in 1890), I expect disaster when it comes to home projects. Do you know what I mean? Over the years, I’ve learned that plans and expectations are often met with a swift kick-the-ass, tears, and more money spent than budgeted.

Let me tell you about the day we moved into that old, historic 1890 house in Iowa. My mom and I were driving back and forth from the old place to the new with van-loads of boxes, toddler in tow. At the end of the day, a storm hit. August afternoons are often hot and muggy in Iowa, giving way to evening thunderstorms and this one packed a wallop. Windows rattled as gusts of wind shook the house.

There was a sudden bang and crack…

…as I ran up to grab Jude (pregnant with Lennon at the time) to haul him down into the cellar. A massive branch splintered from a towering, hundred-year-old oak tree, tumbling forty feet into the driveway, over the chain-link fence. It came to rest inches from our van, blocking our way out to the street.

At the time, we were still living in the city, not quite ready to sleep in the new place. So, I called Derek to come rescue us and hurriedly explained that he would probably need a chain saw. During this season of our lives, Derek was studying for intense actuarial exams. Honestly, he was grouchy. However, he managed to free us from our tree-fell prison after a stupidly long and slightly traumatizing day.

So, what’s the point?

Shit happens, I guess. Living in a society that so relies on control can mean the inevitable unpredictability of life can throw us into chaos. When it comes to home projects, unpredictable hang-ups are part of the process.

Over the course of years worth of home projects, we’ve had a hang-up or two (dozens). This past summer, we were waist-deep in building a greenhouse and were planning on constructing a custom kitchen from RTA Outdoor Living.

Why an outdoor kitchen? Well, we live in a climate that sees 300 days of sunshine and fairly mild weather throughout the year (thank you, Colorado). Derek loves to cook, I love to eat, and we both love the outdoors.

After loads of research, I settled on designing a kitchen with RTA Outdoor Living. From the online design tool to the hands-on meetings with the design crew, we were able to piece together a kitchen that fit our needs and budget.

Everything went without a hitch…until it didn’t.

Design, communication, construction, and shipping went about as smooth as creamy peanut butter. We had a delivery window in place and the truck was moving along with our kitchen in-tow and GPS tracking.

Then, I received a phone call the day before we were set to receive the kitchen. Unfortunately, the truck hauling the goods was in a rollover accident on the interstate. The kitchen was a total loss and luckily, no one was seriously injured from the crash.

This had never happened before…

Our transport contact from RTA explained that they have handled about every problem imaginable but had never experienced a total kitchen loss due to an accident. They apologized for the delay and moved straight into recreating the kitchen. This put us back a few weeks from what we had planned, sure. But, I was so impressed with the way they handled the situation.

Two weeks later, we received another tracking number – kitchen 2.0 was on the way! I’ll admit that I crossed my fingers, said a little chant, lit a candle or two, and hoped for the best. Sure enough, transport went smoothly and delivery was a success.

This is how a kitchen catastrophe ended with the best homemade pizza (ever)

One kitchen destroyed via rollover accident and a small crack in a granite countertop later, and we have built the outdoor kitchen we’ve always wanted. RTA Outdoor Living ended up crafting two complete kitchens and scheduled a local granite artist to fix a small crack after construction — going above and beyond to ensure our kitchen dreams came true.

And the pizza? Well, it’s a hit. All of our kiddos (even the pickiest of eaters) gobble it down and request homemade pizza weekly. Neighbors, friends, and family have shared in the good food and community this kitchen has created in our little corner of the world.

So even when catastrophe strikes, know that bumps and bruises are all part of the journey to something more beautiful (and even more delicious) than you could have imagined, mortals.

Curious about an outdoor kitchen from RTA Outdoor Living? Tap Here!