LABOR Day Weekend

Labor is definitely the operative word! We sanded and prepped the floors for stain and stained them. My arms feel like they are going to fall off and I can barely walk, BUT the floors look awesome! They are exactly how I envisioned they would be. Jon is going back up this week and will get the polyurethane down. Then we can install the cabinets and get a functioning kitchen upstairs. Oh Happy Day!! Now, for a nap! LOL!

Slowly but surely........

Well, we now have wood floors installed. I actually haven't been able to see them in person yet. Jon's been going up and getting that done. They are all down, they now just need to be stained. We put down pine floors and we are going to stain it a dark espresso color. I can just see it all done.....but really can't wait to ACTUALLY see it. Stay tuned.....

.......and here we are.

So, now we're in the present. We've got a bathroom, yay! Now to get the living space upstairs going. It had been at a stand-still FOREVER! Subfloor, stud walls, open rafters. Um, can you say cold in winter and hot in summer. First, we finished the insulation. That was no biggie. Then we decided to tackle wiring upstairs. Yep, WE were going to do it. And we did. And it worked. We installed all the recessed lighting. That was so awesome! From there we got Rick (our savior up there) to install the wood stove and brought in someone to install the sheetrock on the ceiling. We actually really, really hate sheetrock.........but that's what the budget allowed, so that's what we have. And now that it's up, it's fine. We're actually going to make a grid pattern on the ceiling with wooden slats to try and make it less "sheetrock" like.

About 2 months ago we then took another major step. We decided Jon would leave his job here in Beaufort and getting things finished in NC would be his new job. He's doing great! The majority of the wood plank walls are done upstairs, as well as the wiring. This past weekend the last of the outlets went in and the plumbing for the kitchen got done. Now the planks can go on the last wall. Then........floors!! Stay Tuned......

Time Marches On

So, for quite a while things went on this way. We did a few things here and there, but not a lot of appreciable progress. Then, in the summer of '08, the company I had worked for since 1997, went under. Yep, just like that. The upside is I was hired by another company in my same industry the very same day. The downside....I would now be driving an hour each way to work and would be making 1/3 less in wages. That was a tough pill to swallow, but a 1/3 less is CERTAINLY better than no wages!

Even with that happening, we were able to have a well drilled and get the septic tank installed. WE HAD WATER! And we could now have a REAL toilet! I'm a low maintenance girl and all, but there is something to be said for indoor plumbing. LOL! From there, we finished off the bathroom....sink, tub, etc. Also, the hot water heater......because what's better than just water? HOT water!! Oh yeah!

OK, downstairs is functioning, now, upstairs!