The Downtown Farmhouse

The stairs are going in tonight. THE STAIRS ARE GOING IN TONIGHT!!!

Here is a lovely shot of the “before” stairs.

The stairs were immediately inside the front doors. They were steep and look closely at the top. Weird sideways 1/2 step. Death Trap people.

And our current stairs.

Not fun.

Not a fan.

rickety wobbly ridiculous ladder

Life is fun.

Now the stairs were supposed to go in last Saturday and again this Tuesday, so you praying people, start praying. Tonight is supposed to be the night

Love,

the girl that has been married for 31 years and still misses her guy when he’s gone.

It has been a big week at the old house. We have painted walls, the kitchen cabinets are being installed, the ceilings are being repaired and painted and the new stairs are being built. It is unbelievable how much as been accomplished just in the last few weeks.

We are tired.

7 months of working almost every evening

7 month of working almost every weekend

People ask….is it worth it.

Ummmmmmmmm yep. It’s worth every minute. Now don’t get me wrong. There have been many tears. Tears from me of course. Tears of tiredness. Tears of wondering how we are we  ever get it all done. Tears from time demands.

Steve and I never fight. Argue, Yes. Disagree, Yes.  House renovation is stressful on the best of marriages. Thank goodness he really loves me.

people have been asking for updates and pictures so here goes !

The kitchens are going in this week. The installers have been building and installing both kitchens and they started in Mom and dads place.

This is looking in from their bedroom

The refrigerator will sit in between these two pantrys

this is a view from the sliding doors off the deck

We have also been sanding the wood floors.

This is the apartment bedroom. The floors have only had their first sanding.

Thank goodness “naked girls” bedroom stairs will be getting a facelift.

Her bedroom has already been painted and is looking pretty.

Tile has been chosen for all the bathrooms (6) and both laundry rooms.

The subway tile will be in all the showers.

The white hexagon tile will be used in all the bathroom on the floors and the shower floors. It will also be on the laundry room floors.

The black and white hexagon will be on the floor in the common bathroom on the second floor.

Appliances are being delivered:)

The Master bedroom ceiling is being repaired and painted and the wall paint is being selected.

The bead board ceiling in the dining room and the family room has been repaired and painted.

All walls on the first floor have been painted.

The stairs are being built as I write and will be installed this coming weekend. No more ladder to the second floor. WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Laundry room cabinets have been built and are set and ready to be installed. Upper cabinets are soon to arrive.

All lower cabinets in the big kitchen are built and almost ready to be installed. They are promised to be completed by the first of this week. Counters will be measured and ordered as well.

Things are moving and shaking. Still lots to do but as it looks more and more like a house we are getting excited.

Wedding plans are also moving along nicely.

tent – check

menu – check

invitations – check

dress – check

Love,

the girl who knows about you blog stalkers at e-one asking for pictures. You know who you are.

I know it’s been a while since I posted. So much happening but so little time to write.

I was able to get a few pictures of the new drywall. It makes the house look so different. Walls people!!!

This is looking in from the front door. See the ladder? That is our current stairs to the second floor.

Also looking in the front door to the right. The front room will be the dining room. Behind the fireplace is the family room and the kitchen.

Looking in the front door looking left is the Parlour or the library. This room has the amazing bay windows and currently is the home of the refrigerator and the washing machine.

Here you are looking into the kitchen. The door to the back is the door that leads to Mom and Dad’s place. The opening to the right goes to the mudroom and the laundry and also leads out to the deck. The opening to the left goes to the pantry and to the downstairs powder room.

The ceiling that drops is actually a wall in “naked girls room.” The stairs to her room is to the left immediately beside the entry to Mom and Dad’s

This room is Mom and Dad’s kitchen. The sliders lead out to their enormous deck.

This is Mom and Dad’s family room. The door is their from entry and leads out to their deck.

The drywall is supposed to be finished this week. Next up is door and window trim, paint and floors.

The kitchens will be installed the last week of April as well as the tile guy starts.

I’m working on some before and afters. Should be fun

Love,

the girl who had a weekend off. It was glorious!

The old house is starting to really shape up.

We rented a lift for 3 weeks, oh my aching check book, to be able to reach the high parts. There are many high partssssssssss.

The old siding had been covered and preserved for 50+ years by lovely (yeah I don’t mean it) aluminum siding. The siding was removed. The nails and stapled had to be each one painstakingly removed. The holes had to be filled with wood putty and sanded, the cracks all had to be caulked and then paint. Not just one coat of paint but 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of beautiful finish coat.

She’s not completely painted yet but WOWZA is she looking pretty. And thank you JESUS the lift leaves today.

Love,

the girl who should think twice about wearing a dress during renovations. I swear the paint WILL NOT come off.

This has been a hard week in regards to the house renovation. 

However this week a family at our church lost their son to suicide. This week there has been sickness and pain. It’s has been an emotional rollercoaster. It’s sure makes our silly house renovation seem small.

This morning our Pastor spoke on sadness and depression. It is a hard subject but you know what? It’s part of life. It is something that the person next to you in the grocery store deals with. It’s your friends and your kids friends. We all have sadness and heartache in our lives. Casting Crowns sings a song that says “just be held.”

Sometimes we have to stop holding and just be held.

I had a wonderful and very thought provoking conversation with a friend this morning. She prompted questions as we sat in the office. “How are you?” “How are the house updates coming?” We chat…..it’s sweet and I love her. Then she asks, “before we get back to work and I don’t mean to keep you, but how is your dad?”

Most topics of conversation recently either involve our house renovation, my kids, the upcoming wedding or my dad’s health.

Dad has battled ugly cancer for many years. It’s like riding a wicked rollercoaster and sometimes you are waiting in line and sometimes you are in the front seat hanging on for dear life, screaming and can’t wait to get off. Currently we are in the front seat. It’s really fast, it’s really scary and we would love to get off. However we pray and trust that whatever we endure is in His time and we wait for His instruction. We rely on His strength to sustain us and are hopeful.

During the conversation with my friend, I talk about how we could not have done the house renovation without Mom and Dad. They are ridiculous workers. So faithful. They do however have a vested interest which I believe motivates their work.

I explain to my friend how our house is more than just a bucket list for Steve and I. It is more than just a project that we can say we accomplished. It’s our future. It’s not only our future but it’s Mom and Dad’s future. It will be the place they can call their forever home. It will be a safe place for them. They will be close enough for comfort without their independence being invaded on. (This doesn’t count the last year we have seriously invaded their current home.) It will be a place that Dad can putter in the garage and help me with my garden. It will be a place that on “bad days” they can stay inside and know that it’s ok. They will never have to wonder where they will lay their heads at night. It will be their home for however God allows them to stay.

Psalms 56:3 says “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Some days I am afraid but I put my trust in Jesus. He will forever be in me, by me and for me and I am grateful.