<strong>JOB DESCRIPTION:</strong><em>Nathan works for Cerner and Marian watches their five children, ages 2 through 12. She studied historic preservation in college. Together, they bought a four-story house in the historic Northeast area of Kansas City and have renovated it.</em></p><p><strong>Tell us about your home.</strong></p><p><strong>Nathan:</strong> It&rsquo;s a Victorian shingle-style built in the 1880s. </p><p><strong>What made you decide to move to the historic Northeast?</strong></p><p><strong>Marian:</strong> We lived in Brookside and wanted a bigger house with a bigger yard. We toured several houses in the neighborhood and discovered you get a lot of house for your money here.</p><p><strong>What shape was your home in when you first saw it?</strong></p><p><strong>Marian:</strong> It was a sad sight. There was a hole in the ceiling and a huge bees&rsquo; nest. There were raccoon tracks in the bathroom. There was no paint left. There were vines growing on every tree and turret. At night, you could see shadows of where paintings once hung on the walls. I bet some of the contractors thought it was haunted.</p><p><strong>So how did you see past the decay and know you wanted the house?</strong></p><p><strong>Marian:</strong> The woodwork is gorgeous, especially near the stairway in the huge entryway. And I love the fireplaces.</p><p><strong>Nathan:</strong> The leaded glass windows. You can&rsquo;t find them like that anymore. I also love the big open rooms, which aren&rsquo;t typical of Victorian houses with all the little rooms. The attic is a big playroom for the kids.</p><p><strong>How long did the work take on the house?</strong></p><p><strong>Marian:</strong> A year before we moved in.</p><p><strong>What&rsquo;s your favorite room in your house?</strong></p><p><strong>Nathan: </strong>The kitchen. I love how it blends new and old well. There are modern appliances, but the cabinets look old. It&rsquo;s big enough for our whole family.</p><p><strong>Marian:</strong> The dining room. It has a built-in china cabinet. You couldn&rsquo;t have something like it built today.</p><p><strong>Are there any downsides in having an old house?</strong></p><p><strong>Marian:</strong> It&rsquo;s drafty in winter. That&rsquo;s hard to remedy because it&rsquo;s difficult to find good-looking replacement windows that don&rsquo;t cost a ton.</p><p><strong>What advice do you have for people renovating an old house?</strong></p><p><strong>Marian:</strong> The thing with old houses is that you have to accept they&rsquo;ll never be perfect, but they have so much charm. We have fantastic neighbors.</p><p><strong>Nathan:</strong> It&rsquo;s great to see them come back to life and take shape the way you want it to. I&rsquo;d do it again.</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">See the Wegeners&rsquo; home and others on tour </span></strong><br /> <strong>When:</strong> 1 to 6 p.m. Nov. 28</p><p><strong>Where:</strong> 1841 Pendleton Ave. and three other houses</p><p><strong>What:</strong> Pendleton Heights Holiday Homes Tour</p><p><strong>Price:</strong> $10 per person until Nov. 15; $12 after</p><p><strong>Details and tickets:</strong><a href="http://www.pendletonheights.org/">www.pendletonheights.org/</a> events/holiday-homes-tour</p><p></div>