House Changes

The house we are now calling home needs very little done to it - a complete change from our previous abode, but a welcomed change with all that is going on lately. We knew that we would need to paint the room for the boys (I don't think they would have been big fans of the green and purple color scheme, and to be honest neither was I). So what better way to spend this three day weekend than painting!

We painted the green and purple walls a nice gray color for the boys.

 
We brightened up the kids/guest bathroom with a champagne color. 

The Painting Crew

Our Summer Projects

With grad school and extended work hours, we tried to take it a little easier this year on summer house projects. Our work kept us outdoors, which was enjoyable since winter can sometimes last 9 months. These were projects where we could all help out too (not much help can come from the little man on the previous projects unless it had to do with destruction).

We landscaped the front corner to eliminate some grass and fill in around the Little man's tree.

We had the driveway widened and repoured. Once it was finished we landscaped the patch of yard next to it. M even has a little garden growing onions and garlic.

After putting in the dog kennel we took out some more grass so we could landscape and add a path from the patio to the kennel. We also stained the fence this summer.

How We're Spending Our Time

Not much else has been happening since work on the driveway began and these two have been spending a lot of time on the back steps watching the process. Hope we can find something to fill our time with once it is done!

A Working Entrance

Ever since we have moved into the house, we haven't been able to use the front door properly. It wouldn't remain closed unless it has the deadbolt locked with the one key that we were given. It also sat crooked in the frame so a lot of air, cold air might I add, came into the living room. Of course, I need not worry because I married Micah the handy man and how did he spend his first day off after a long week of conferences? By putting in a new door of course!

The old door is seen in the upper left hand corner, the new door in the bottom right hand corner. Not entirely sure what is going on in the lower left hand picture - maybe Micah is showing M. and Jon how you install a door Spiderman style.....

Little Saturday Project

Patio Touchups

If you will recall in this post, we finished the majority of the patio but still had some things that we needed to finish up. So how should M. and I spend our first day Micah free? Working on the patio of course! It took the majority of the day, and a little extra muscle and entertainment from Sarah and her two kiddos (so thankful they stopped by), but we got it done! Right before bedtime M. helped me plant the remainder of the plants that will grow along the border - he keeps calling it his garden and is so proud to address each plant by the correct name. We are very excited to enjoy our morning bowl of oatmeal and cup of coffee outside tomorrow morning!

If You Build It....

We will sit on it.

We've had a little dream to create a lovely little space that helps us to enjoy these beautiful Laramie summers (and beefs up our landscaping). If you remember correctly our backyard previously looked like this:

So it comes in really handy to be a dreamer and have a planner of a husband.

I would show you his fancy graph paper sketch and chicken scratch math, but those things remain top secret. See this post if you feel like you need to know more about the exciting delivery.

Basically, after a lot of digging and leveling we finally made it to the point where we could start laying stones (my FAVORITE part)!! After a long days work, we...well mostly Micah, were able to get all the stones put into place, minus the twenty-five that need to be cut.

Can't wait to get back from our travels to enjoy this. I think that it will be my new favorite place!

Why Else Would You Stay Up Until 1am?

{Before}

We finally upgraded from camping chairs and bought a couch!!! We arepretty excited about it. With the couch has come many thoughts to paint the living room a different color - we felt it had too much brown. So, paint was purchased and after the little man went down for bed, the painting began.

Micah helped me out once he returned from climbing and around one in the morning we finally called it quits. We love the color - Young Cadet Blue - and think that it makes the wood floors stand out more. Oh - and the couch is super comfy!

{After}

A Hard Days Work

After the morning was spent giving haircuts, we headed outside to get some housework.

This is what we started with:

This is where we ended:

Still need to tackle this:

Ugh.

Rebirth

We bought these hostas last year at the end of summer. We were able to get six for less than $30.00 so I was pretty excited. The north side of our garage is pretty bare and after laying mulch last summer I knew I would like to add a few plants. Hostas do well in shade, but I wasn't sure if they would make it.

I kept checking in on them as spring rolled around and nothing was happening. I was a little bummed, but thankful I hadn't spent a large chunk of money on plants. Then just this week we were out in the yard doing some work and I went to pull weeds only to discover.... the hostas came back!!!

What Happens When I Don't Have Work...

The first week of summer should be spent sleeping in, reading, enjoying extended warm cups of coffee or tea, taking many strolls around town by bike or foot, and enjoying the calmer moments of life right? Well, apparently not for this family. Micah started grad school on Monday and the little man and I have been entertaining ourselves by doing some house projects and garden work.

M's. room was the last room to have the carpet pulled up, so how else should you spend Tuesday morning? By pulling carpet right? All the furniture was cleared, well except for the things that I couldn't lift by myself, by 8:30. By 11:30 I had everything pulled, cleaned, swept, mopped, and dusted and put back in the room. Despite the face in the lower left hand picture, M. was pretty happy to have the carpet out (and so was I).

Downsizing

We sold our living room furniture to Micah's folks this weekend while they were in town. It removed the majority of seating in our living room, but worked out perfectly; they wanted new furniture for the basement and we made some cash to help us move through some important things. The little man loves running in circles in the "BIG" room now and we are looking forward to our upgrade of camp chairs.

Fenced In

For the past month and a half we have been working on a house project outside. We anticipated that this project would take us about a week at the most, but the weather prevented this from happening. Winter weather was very hesitant to leave, so between the incredibly rainy, windy, and cold days we putted away on our project.

On April 16th we began our project by tearing out the old chain link fence and wooden fence. Both fences will be reused for different projects (the wooden one a neighbor took and the chain link fence will be used for the garden at my school).

Two weeks later the weather was nice enough to get post holes dug and posts set in cement. Micah did this with the help of a friend while I was on kid and food duty.

The next weekend, between rain showers, Micah worked on getting the stringers put up and into place.

The following weekend brought with it another nice day snuck in between some extended rainy days, so we got to work right away once we figured out how to occupy the little man.

After working all day, we were able to get all of the pickets up leaving only the gate to be built and hung.

So this morning when we awoke to the sun shining again, Micah took the opportunity to get started on the gate in hopes of finishing it before another storm rolled in.

We aren't sure who is more excited about the fence finally being finished, but either way we are all excited to have this house project completed and checked off our to-do list.

The Little Man is SO Excited.....

That we have a new mailbox. We have been working on a house project for over a month and part of the house project required a new mailbox. For whatever reason the little man is estatic about this new mailbox. He has been announcing this news to anyone and everyone that is within yelling distance. He has also been caught gazing out the window dreamingly in the direction of the mailbox. There have even been a few times where he announces that he is going to go see his new mailbox, let's himself out of the house, and is found standing with one hand on the mailbox and attempting to engage in a conversation with it. Who knew it could be this exciting?

It's Getting Hot in Here!

Another house project was accomplished just in the nick of time as we anticipate another few days of colder weather.

Our furnace was the original for the house, so it was well over 60 years old and running well below 60% efficiency. We have been saving up for a newer more efficient furnace, and with the help of a friend, we found one for a fabulous price at a scratch and dent place.

So Micah got busy tearing out the old beast of a furnace and over the course of the day they installed the newer furnace. We had to wait a few days to get it up and running while waiting for a few things to be finished up. The wait was well worth it though, and despite the tremendous amount of dirt and dust that came shooting out of the vents once we finally turned it on, we were rejoicing at the amount of heat. Another huge excitement was that the little man's room has always been cold and extremely hard to heat - not with the new furnace! It has much more power and gusto to get that warmer air where it needs to be. Wahoo!

We have been reminded how thankful we are for a warm home and feel so grateful for the new furnace so bring on the cold weather.... well actually please don't - we are getting sick of the winter weather in the middle of May, so bring on the warm weather please.

Quiet Entrance

If you have ever entered our home through the back door you may have noticed the sticky door and the noise it makes in order to get it open. This noise and the occasional sound of someone kicking the door to help it open have acted as our doorbell for the past three years.

Well, say good riddance to the sticky door and noise because it is gone! Micah, with the help of a good friend, replaced the back door and installed the new very quiet and much easier to open door!

A bonus to the new back door is that while installing it Micah found two wires hanging from the door jam. What did they belong to you might ask? Our actual doorbell! So, no more kicking needed so we know you are coming in! The little man was super excited about the doorbell - even though he still can't reach it and just stands at the back of the door and screams, "DING DONG!"

Change Satisfies

We recently gathered at a friend's home for an international adoption gathering. We are trying to do this at least once a month - and I love seeing all of the children running around together - it is as if they have formed their own unique tribe.

The home we recently gathered in could be summed up into these words - the home I have been dreaming of since I was in second grade - Absolutely A - MAZ - ING. It was old, had lots of character, it was big and beautiful.....ahhh I am in love.

We left this "dream home of mine" and Micah immediately told the little man that this could be the most beautiful home that he will ever set foot it - and that it also had the sexiest water heater he has ever laid eyes on.

It is easy for me to walk back into our 1949 abode and start wishing for things to be different from what they are..... a bigger kitchen, a dining room, a porch...... the list can go on. But I can't giving myself a porch, or a dining room, or even a bigger kitchen at this moment or any moment in the near future. So instead, I do what I typically do and look for something to change that will satisfy my "dream home itch".

Luckily I have a fabulous husband who is along for the need to change something ride. So to kick off our Thanksgiving vacation we came home and started ripping out the carpet in our bedroom and the hallway. The goal is to get the carpet out of the entire upstairs since we discovered the original oak wood floors - but the little man was sleeping in his room so the last of the carpet ripping will have to come another day.

Until then, I feel a renewed sense of pride in the fact (and blessing) that we own a darling little 1949 home and are slowly making ALL of the improvements with our own hands, sweat and sometimes tears. Moments like this remind me that I have also always dreamed of owning a home that I could pour my energy and creativity into, and that there will be more stories and lessons to tell when I work toward my dream - not just have it fall into my lap.

The Details of the Big Reveal

Details of our Bathroom Remodel:

• We started work on our bathroom remodel Monday, June 7th and finished Wednesday, July 28th. (HGTV and all of those other DIY TV shows are very misleading!)
• We (mostly Micah) did all of the work ourselves, except for the plumbing.
• I could line out all of the little details, but I will leave something for Micah to share with those that are really interested.
• We stayed way under budget (always a plus)!
• Our little man knows exactly where the cold/hot water plumbing is in our bathroom and has also learned a great deal of tool names throughout this process as well.

The Big Reveal

We did...or should I say Micah did it! The bathroom is back up and functioning!

We are very, very excited to be rid of the plastic pink eraser tiles, and this is quickly becoming my new favorite room in the house! We will post detail pictures in a few days!