Stain is a Pain.

This is our house, as it currently sits in it's stained cedar-sided glory.  We love it.  In fact, the cedar-siding was one of the big things that drew the hubs and I to this house.  It felt charming, homey, and rustic (for lack of a better word) to me... while it reminded the hubs of his family's canal house from his youth.  We knew we just had to have it.

Now, fast-forward nearly six years and while we still love our home... keeping up with the stain is kind of a big pain (ha).  It seems like we constantly need to work on our siding each summer and the thought of a painted home seems to grow on the hubs more and more each year.  So much so, that the hubs told me we should look into paint colors so we can paint our home next Spring/Summer.  Um, what?!  I don't know if I am ready for this.

And this is probably why he brought it up.  With the end of this summer drawing near, the hubs has been feverishly working on a few spots on the back of our home where the weather seems to wear the most.  In order to get rid of the trouble areas, the hubs had to sand down and reapply stain to each board.  Not so much fun work.  

So, my mind is left thinking.  And thinking.  Do I really want to give up the stained look we have going on now and join the paint world?  Will I regret saying 'ok' down the road, if we do end up painting?  I just don't know what to think... and so I blog.  While I do understand why people choose paint (minimal upkeep) over stain (almost constant care, if you do it yourself), I'm curious... What do you think?