Progress

Even though the addition was a far longer process, this kitchen remodel has seemed like it has lasted f-o-r-e-v-e-r! But that's just because it has impacted our daily lives so much. The addition was at the edge of our living space, so it didn't really factor much into our daily activities. But, having no kitchen affects so much more than you would think. You want a glass of water? Go to the bathroom to get it. Need a knife? Go find a plastic one in the office cabinet. Want to make a homemade dinner? Well, you've got an electric skillet and canned food, so be creative!

Actually, the process hasn't been quite as painful as I imagined, but last night I experienced something I never thought I would....I ENJOYED washing the dishes! Because they were in a kitchen sink! And I didn't have to bend over into the tiny bathroom sink or kneel next to the bathtub! Thanks to my amazing husband and his tireless hard work, we are now the proud owners of cabinets, countertops, AND a working sink! There's still much to be done, but we're enjoying the current fruits of our labors! Here's some "progress" pictures....

P.S. There's no pictures of the sink because there's dishes in it. I don't enjoy doing them THAT much! :)

My Little Princess

When I found out I was pregnant with a little girl almost 5 years ago, I had visions of fluffly pink dresses and bows in ponytails. Then, I had Paige.... When she was a baby, I dressed her in frills and cute little black patent shoes, and put her hair in bows. As she has grown, however, she has developed her own style, which is decidedly un-princess-like. She will dress fairly nicely for school, but here is a sample of the "rock star" attire she chooses the moment she comes home....

She takes pride in the fact that her jeans now have FOUR rips in them!! She would wear them every minute of every day if she was allowed to. So, although my "little princess" dreams have faded away, I have to admit that the kid does have style! She may fit in better with skateboarders and guitarists, but at least she knows who she is. So here's to my little girl, who is still my princess, even if she doesn't want to look like one!

Adventures in Remodeling

Well, we're still working on the kitchen walls, in case anyone was wondering. Six weeks of remodeling work, and all we have to show for it is...walls. If I were actually paying for this, I'd fire the contractor! But then I remember, I'm married to the contractor, and I've seen how hard he has worked every single weekend of those six weeks, and some weeknights in between. I guess I just had a romanticized vision of how this remodel would go. I mean, you tear down the old walls, and then it's just a matter of putting up a few pieces of wood and drywall, and you're ready for cabinets, right?? Wrong!

First there was the wiring, which was an adventure in itself. Dave had to figure out which existing wires could still be used, then add new wires for different lights and make sure they went to the right breaker, etc. etc. I just held the spools of wire and blindly did whatever he told me to. Then there was framing the new laundry room, which involved knocking out existing walls and again, re-wiring, as well as insulation. Finally, we got to drywall. It went up pretty fast, but then you have to tape it and mud it, then wait for it to dry before you do the same thing several more times. Dave keeps saying "the hard part's done now", but it still looks like nothing much has happened.

Our progress this weekend was hampered by a little...umm....accident. Dave was placing a new beam up in the attic to help stabilize the ceiling. The rest of us were sitting in the living room awaiting further instructions, when suddenly there was a crash, and part of the ceiling fell into the living room! After realizing that my husband's body was not attached to the ceiling, I was relieved. His foot slipped off the rafter he was nailing, and his leg went right through the ceiling! Not much damage was done, but it just added another several hours worth of drywall work for him.

Dave has made me a pinky-promise that we will get cabinets in this weekend. I realize this doesn't mean we're anywhere near finished, but at least it's measurable progress! I will post pictures of the cabinets when they are in, but for now, here's some Easter cuties to hold us over....