Posted in day by day

It's been a long while again since I updated. The renovation things are pretty much done. We had a leak near the front door after some heavy rainstorms this spring - AFTER we painted the room - and that is patched now though it still requires some paint. The livingroom is nearly back together but does need some more decluttering yet. The interior doors still remain on the list of things to do. Life is slowly returned to some kind of normal though some major changes have been made this year.

The last post I made was shortly after I applied for a job. I didn't really intend to go out to work yet. I thought it would be a couple more years before I would search out a part-time job to keep myself busy and help out with monthly expenses. I thought I would continue to homeschool my son. Oh, he's still learning his educational pursuits at home. I'm just not the one helping him along. He doesn't need a lot of help these days except in the form of reminders of what needs to be done and discussion of key concepts. Although my husband is disabled, his brain still works extremely well and he's quite capable of supervising the day to day learning that goes on. So, back to the job application....

I applied and, after what felt like a very lengthy hiring process, was hired at a local home improvement store to work with kitchen and bath sales. I began work August 23rd. The first week or two were full of much training - mostly web-based to begin with. After that, I was able to be out on the sales floor but because computer systems are being changed over in a short time, I haven't yet received full training. It seemed pointless to keep trying to learn a system that was on its way out. Within a few weeks that should change and it will get easier to actually do the whole job I was hired to do. I'm working about 25-30 hours a week and the adjustment to spending many hours on my feet has been quite difficult for me. I suffered for a few weeks with massive blisters on my heals but now that they are healed and callousing up a bit, it's much better. I was hired mainly to work the early morning shift and, while that has been quite the adjustment for this night owl, I can't say that I hate those early mornings. I do still have some adjusting to do, though. ;) For the most part, I enjoy the job and the people I work with.

Life has changed in our house. My son is learning to cook and clean along with his normal high school education. My husband is learning to let the boy do... and just supervise and support. I am working for a living and we are all trying to adjust to the role reversal.

Dee..

Posted in devotional thoughts

Have you ever wondered what others see when they look at you?  I do.  I think often, in recent months especially, about how I am viewed by those who I come in contact with while living my life. 

One of the most recent events in my life is grieving the loss of a young girl who lived in Edson, AB with her family.  Her mother has been an online friend of mine for a number of years and Emily had become a good friend of my daughter's after her family visited with our family a few years ago on one of their vacations.  There have been many news reports of the situation and many comments by the public at large as well.  Most of those comments are ones of support, comfort, and encouragement.  However, some are ones of skepticism by people who don't have the same system of faith. 

These statements, often made in an insensitive manner, can come across to those of us with a similar faith experience in a hurtful way.  We may think of them as rude and ignorant, unfeeling and intolerant.  They can cut us to the very core of who we are and make our hackles rise up in defense.  Sometimes equally offensive statements are the result.  After all, those who hurt often end up hurting those around them. 

In this particular instance, what has prompted these thoughts is reading through the comments under one of the news articles about our young friend's funeral.  This isn't the first time bickering regarding the existence of God has taken place online and I'm sure it won't be the last.  It's too bad that it comes in response to such a sensitive situation with the potential to cause hurt but that's how these things can steamroller. 

As I read through the statements below the article it really struck me how we are active participants in the situation if we think only of ourselves and our feelings in the matter.  I have been grieving this week and although I'm not near as close with the family, or even Emily's mom herself, as many people I know are, some of the comments could really get me feeling angry if I had the energy to feel it right now.  However, as I began to think of the pain caused to those of us who are "people of faith" and struggling, I realized that these statements are being made without the source of strength that we have.  They also don't have the same understanding that we have of spiritual matters of Christianity.  A few don't even believe in God at all.  They are possibly struggling to make sense of the situation but without hope.  These comments actually give us a view of how we are seen by others. 

I believe that Emily's parents, family, friends, and neighbours could be hurt by these statements.  I also believe that, in time, they will be able to forgive those who would rail at our beliefs.  I am sure they will pray for them to have understanding and to find Peace in their life.  How hard it can be...  unless in possession of an authentic faith and true knowledge of Jesus. 

What would we want others to see when they look at us?  I don't know about you but I want to be seen to be understanding and caring of the situations of others, regardless of whether their beliefs match mine or not.  I need to bite my tongue, not living by my feelings only, sharing those with Jesus who knows my pain, until I'm able to pray for those that would seem my enemy... and I need to continue to strive to walk the walk of my Lord and Saviour, in all my imperfection.  I can be grateful for these comments showing me where my walk might be lacking. 

Dee..

Posted in devotional thoughts

I haven't posted in a long while again and I should do a "catch up" post but I'm working through some things and that is what is first and foremost on my mind today. 

Authenticity.  I'm reading a book on becoming an authentic Christian.  The book is written by Bill Hybels and is entitled Honest to God? Becoming an Authentic Christian.  I'm just beginning this reading and I'm really enjoying it so far.  However, my thought processes are about really being who I am at this point in time.  I've been "born again" for almost 9 years now and most of my time as a professing Christian has involved being surrounded by the Christian community.  In those nearly 9 years I've witnessed what I would call authentic Christianity and I've witnessed what I would not call authentic Christianity. 

What do I mean by this?  What I mean is that sometimes we are too busy trying to show others that we are different.  Should we be different?  Yes, the Bible says we are to be different from the world.  Should we have to try to show that we are?  No.  I believe that if we have to show people that we are different then those differences are just not authentic.  If we have to TRY to show that we are different then perhaps the differences are not real enough to impact others in a positive way and create a desire for what we have gained.  Perhaps we need to toss aside that Christian veneer and instead just be real... and to be real with God as well as others. 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

I sometimes get to wondering what on earth happens to the time in a day.  During the renovation process we often got a LOT of work done in the span of a day but now that the crunch is over, it seems I can't get so much accomplished.  I think I know where my problem is, though.  I fail to plan.  And then on top of it all, I have a hard time sticking to a plan even when I make one!  :(  I'm working on it though and I daresay I've improved some since renovating. 

So, *S* has painted her bookshelf but it's still drying/curing.  Soon she'll be able to move it to her room and get her books into it.  Our old appliances have moved on to another home to bless others.  We were hoping to get a few dollars for them but in the end we donated them to a friend who rents houses.  I'm sure a little patience would have seen them sell but we're plumb out of that these days. LOL  I was a little surprised to get teary-eyed as our friend pulled away from the house with them on his trailer.  How silly is that?  Attached to appliances... 

Now that the appliances are gone, the remaining baseboards were put in and in the next couple days I'll touch them up.  They were painted before we cut them but there's some holes to fill and stuff.  As you might have guessed, I haven't done the faux finish on that wall yet.  It'll hopefully get done this coming week.  I did hang pictures in the livingroom though!  :) 

So, there's really not too much left to do.  The interior doors, and putting things away in most of the rooms.  Not that we haven't put things away.  We just have more to do.  It feels like there's always more to do but I have to keep reminding myself that when it's done it'll be beautiful.  One thing I hope will get done soon is calling the cable guy to re-install the upstairs cable outlets. 

Anyway, that's where we are with our progress now. 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged.  I've been somewhat busy with some things around the house but nothing really huge.  Our master bedroom is pretty much put back together with the exception of books and such.  Our son's monster bed frame has been made and he's spending his first night using it tonight.  He's quite excited because he helped a lot in building it.  It's just a simple 2x4 construction but it turned out pretty well.  Our daughter's room has all the furniture back in it and she's thinking of painting her bookshelf and a toy bench she's had that don't really match things the way she'd like.  After that's done then she'll be able to put her belongings away... and pack up a few things to store until the time comes that she is living elsewhere.  There is still a grab bar to install in the bathroom but other than that, it's been done for a while now. 

The hallway needs the faux finish done yet.  I'm still mulling over what to do with it, honestly.  I've had a few different ideas but haven't firmly decided on one yet.  I won't do it till a week or so from now, probably.  We still have our old appliances in the livingroom... waiting for a friend to come get them.  I think he's coming Monday or Tuesday to pick them up.  He's done some things for us in the past and now rents houses so is always in need of good appliances. 

I've been enjoying my new appliances and getting used to their intricacies - every appliance has them. ;)  I've also got my entire kitchen unpacked now, I think... and I'm moving things around almost daily to make sure they are in the best place possible before I get too used to having them just any old place.  We've given away our old microwave and taken a few boxes to Value Village as well... and there's a couple more getting filled as time goes on.  I really am excited about decluttering though sometimes it's hard to let go of things. 

Once the old appliances are out, we have a few baseboards to put on and I'll do paint touchups along with that faux wall that has been plaguing me. LOL  And it'll be time to put the rest of the livingroom together and hang pictures, put books into the empty shelves, and then start on the multitude of boxes that are still around and need sorting through.  Gosh, it still sounds like an awful lot of work considering we're almost done!  

Along with these organizing things and learning to maintain what we've done, I've had a few people over for tea and to see what we've done.  A lot of them were never here before so don't have a point of reference for their appreciation but still give the appropriate oooohs and ahhhhs during the tour.  It's really just nice to feel like having people over and not being worried about what they'll think of my "horrible house" or something.  When you can clean and clean but things look much the same afterward as they did when you started, one kind of loses the desire to have company of any type! 

We're also resting a fair bit more than we were during the renovation process.  Of course, that somewhat goes without saying maybe but we really needed to rebuild our energy levels.  Some days seem to be really good but there's still quite a few days when we just feel tired to the bones.  However, it's a happy tired so it's enjoyable!  

Dee..

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Posted in renovations..

This week brought an end to the waiting situation.  On Tuesday morning our countertop was finally installed.  This also meant that the undermount sink was put in.  However, at the end of the day we still did not have a drain or taps so that wasn't really a usable type of progress.  It was great to be able to have a solid surface to work at though and Wednesday I put more things away and did some cleaning.  Thursday we installed almost all of our baseboards.  There are 10 that haven't been put into place for one reason or another.  Thursday we had just finished with the baseboards and the plumber showed up but he didn't get done so he returned today (Friday morning) and finished up.  Our kitchen is complete!  I can't believe it!  :)  It was so nice to cook brunch and then sit down at the table to enjoy it.  AND, the dishwasher runs so quietly that we can whisper and still hear each other even when sitting right beside it!  Amazing! 

So, in the next few days my plans are to paint the trim and baseboards and then once that paint "cures" a bit, start to put furniture back.  Once the big stuff is back then I'll paint the faux finish I want for the feature wall and hallway... that way I won't mess up my walls by hitting them with furniture. ;)  After that, the interior doors will need paint and door handles before we'll be completely done.  It seems I keep thinking of things I've forgotten needs to be done but we will get there yet! LOL 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Friday morning we spent picking out supplies again. We got an interior door for the bathroom, trim and baseboards, along with some brad nails. Because of the length of these items, we rented the Home Depot van to get them home. It took longer than we planned but it got done. Then I played chauffeur a bit and tried to fit a few maintenance things into the day as well.

Saturday was a LONG, hot day. I painted all those baseboards and the trim out in the backyard. It didn't take long for the shade to disappear and I managed to make myself feel quite ill by mid-afternoon. I had become red in spite of the sunscreen I had used and also acquired a huge splitting headache. At this point I laid down for a while in a dark room with an ice pack on my head. By suppertime I was feeling enough better that we could go to the neighbours' house for supper.

Today the headache has returned so it has become a day of rest - as it should be. A fair bit was accomplished in spite of feeling so ill. In addition to the painting, the trim was installed and the bathroom baseboards.

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

What a day!  Today was such an incredible day.  :) 

First off, my husband had an optometrist appointment and the good news was that he didn't need new glasses yet!  Yay!  Then we zipped home to be here when the new fridge was scheduled to arrive for the third time - after two noticeably damaged deliveries a few weeks ago.  The good news is that only a small piece on the back was damaged this time so we kept it.    What a relief!  It looks VERY nice sitting in its spot in the kitchen.  Of course, it's not totally complete because the water hasn't been plumbed in - and that is how it will be until the counter installation when the plumber has to come anyway.  No sense paying for extra trips! 

We also got a call that the flatware we had to order had come in so we could go pick that up.  When we did, we also stopped at Walmart and picked up a few things.  One of the things I found was a comforter that perfectly matches the colours we put in the master bedroom!!!  I couldn't believe it!  And the price was half of the others I had been browsing for the past while so it was more than perfect!  :)  I picked up the queen size and took it home but then went back for the king later tonight because we wanted it to be a little longer at the sides than the queen allowed for.  It does look a little big but it's really not that bad.  At least it doesn't bother us. ;) 

After getting the table yesterday and these things today, we're all in a pretty good mood.  Tired at this time of night.. but very happy with the day. 

Dee..

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Posted in renovations..

Well, it's going again but at least it's nearing the end. 

Over the past few weeks the outlets and switches were changed, the light fixtures replaced, and the kitchen was unpacked.  Some things I had were old and ready for the trash so I got to go shopping a little.  It was nice to be able to do that although I have to admit that spending at this point is a little worrisome due to the sheer amount of money this kind of renovation project ends up adding up to.  But, in another sense, it's easy - too easy - because things don't seem to cost that much when you've put out large amounts for flooring and cabinets, etc.  Anyway, I was able to purchase a broom, a mop head, a new garbage can, some new baking sheets and pizza pans, some spice containers, drawer dividers, dinnerware, flatware... and I'm very excited about how nice it will be to cook and eat at home! LOL  So far, I'm even enjoying cleaning on the main floor.  ;) 

When we moved the stove into place, we saw that it had a little chip that we didn't notice when it was delivered and we were a little concerned because it is right on the front right corner of the top - very noticeable.  We were so disappointed that we hadn't done as thorough an inspection as we should have.  As we were reading through the manual, my husband noticed the warranty on the last page said that there was a 90 day scratch and dent warranty!  Yay!  So, long story short, there will be a repairman coming to see what is needed to repair it.  :) 

Speaking of appliances, we got a call just today that our (third) fridge is in and delivery is arranged for tomorrow afternoon.  Hopefully there will be NO damage this time and we'll get to keep it... and clean up the old appliances to sell if we can find a buyer.  It would be nice to offset some of the expense of this whole thing, even a few hundred dollars, if we can.  We'll see what happens. 

Today we also had our new table delivered.  It's a natural oak pedestal style and looks very nice in place.  The most exciting part for me is that my feet don't dangle so badly at this table.  The reason is the extra inch that was taken off two of the chair legs to accommodate we short people. ;)  The colouring is very close to that of our cabinets in spite of them being two different types of wood.  When it is at its smallest, it will seat 2-4 people and there are two leaves that can allow us to add up to 4 more people if we need to.  After it arrived, we put up the window coverings in the west-facing windows.  We actually got some warm weather the past day or two and so I felt we needed to block some of the heat/sun that was shining through the canker worm scourged tree out front.  Usually that tree is our protection but this year it is without leaves due to these worms. :(  Last year the same thing happened but because we had a warmer spring and more rain, the trees actually started to grow new leaves.  Sadly, that isn't the case this year. 

A phone call a couple days ago informed us that our countertop installation should happen on the 25th which is a week from today.  Then we will finally see the "finished" project.  We hope to also have the baseboards in by then but we'll see how it goes.  I also need to add the faux finish to the hallway and one wall in the kitchen where the table goes.  This feature wall should give that dining area a little bit of a different feel.  So, we have enough to keep us busy now until the corian goes in.  I'm really looking forward to the plumber and electrician finishing their jobs as well.  I'll have a sink, dishwasher, water in my fridge, and plug-ins again!  Oh, HAPPY DAY!!!  LOL

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

We are now in somewhat of a holding pattern with the renovations.  A few things happened today and it was a long one. 

We got a call from the company we bought our appliances from saying that the refrigerator will not be available to ship for a couple weeks.  We still have our old one so this is not a huge deal although it was disappointing. 

The flooring install was completed and it looks beautiful!  It's exactly as I was hoping it would be.  I wasn't sure that the sugar maple cabinets would go all that well with the countertop corian colour we chose (Aruba) but I figured if the flooring had all the colours in the kitchen in it, then it would pull everything together.  So far, so good!  The paint colour brings out the blues/grays and the browns match the cabinets very well.  Now just to see in a couple weeks if the same effect is achieved with the counters.  :) 

Also today, the bathroom was completed.  We noticed a few places where the caulking needs to be fixed, but otherwise it's done.  It is amazing how big it looks and how well things go together when I wasn't entirely sure that anything was going to match very well.  It will be nice to have a shower tomorrow morning! 

So...  now we are in that holding pattern, in a sense.  We need to install new baseboards and some door trim in the hallway including painting them.  I need to unpack my kitchen and put the stove in place.  Then when the counters arrive we will have the dishwasher and fridge plumbed in.  We have some under counter lighting to have installed as well but will likely wait till the dishwasher needs to be wired.  We will change out a few light fixtures and electrical outlets/switches as well.  It still sounds busy but it will be a much slower pace than we've been keeping for the past several months and that is a VERY good thing! 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

The crazy pace is slowing some now.  The weekend was a time of painting as we primed a couple rooms and gave two coats of paint to the kitchen, livingroom and hallway.  It took us a few hours on Friday and then 13 more on Saturday.  Sunday we changed some electrical plugs and prepared for today. 

Our flooring installer was early this morning so we were glad that we got up earlier than we thought we needed to.  He was almost an hour early!  He installed subfloor in the remaining areas except the bathroom because he needs to have the sink and toilet out to do it there.  Then the prep was done.. which involves using a levelling material to fill the spaces between subfloor pieces and allowing that to dry.  It was a lot slower drying than last time so no actual flooring was put in today.  But tomorrow there will be some sanding of the filler stuff and then the flooring will go in.  So, Dennis spent part of the afternoon cutting the flooring while we put a fan on to help with the drying. 

Tomorrow, as I said, the flooring will be completely installed by the end of the day.  I'm thrilled about that because it will be so nice to have a decent floor under my feet.  We will also have the plumber come to put shut-off valves on the bathroom sink and install the tub spout.  It's one that needs to be threaded or it would have been done already.  Our bathroom guy will then come and install the new toilet and sink after the flooring is completed.  Then we wait....

Today we also had the countertops measured for.  The guy came pretty much right on time and within a short time had made a template for the cutting of the corian.  He told us it could take 1-3 weeks... and most likely closer to 3 so we have some waiting to do.  The waiting was not quite so hard when there was a lot that still needed doing.  Now that it's mostly waiting.. and waiting.. it's a little more difficult. 

I'm starting to really long for a completed house.  This process has really gone quite smoothly for us and I'm grateful for that.  We've had few delays and things were actually moved up about 4 weeks from the original dates we were given at the beginning of the whole thing back in early March.  Tomorrow I think I will start to decide where to put things in the kitchen.  I have a few things I've put in the cupboards mainly to get them out of the way but I'm looking forward to figuring it all out so I might as well do some of that if I can do it without being in the way of our tradespeople.  If not, then that will be my Wednesday afternoon project.  :) 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Today was off to an early start since we had a couple different people here again.  We were up about 7am to see that we all had a chance to use the washroom and be ready for the day.  The first tradespeople to show up were our cabinet installers around 8am.  They got started almost right away and man, do they work fast and furious!  We were amazed!  By 2:30pm they were cleaned and gone for the day.  They got all the cabinets in but the ceiling moulding and kick plates.  Watching all the action was very exciting! 

At the same time, the fellow doing our bathroom was here and was able to get the tub surround installed and some mudding done.  It's nice to know that one more day should do it once the subfloor and flooring is done, along with some things the plumber was going to take care of when he's here to hook up the dishwasher.  :)  And it looks really great! 

We got a phone call today saying that the fridge has arrived again so it will be delivered just before lunch tomorrow.  We're very excited and hoping there are no damages again.  ;) 

We're hoping that everything will be done by about a week from now...  except the trim and baseboards.  They will likely take a little longer.  It's great to see the BIG changes happening and I'm just hoping we will have enough steam to keep going until it's totally completed.  It's so easy to peter out the closer one gets to the finish line but we don't want to leave anything undone so we're just praying for enough strength to keep on keeping on till it's ALL done.  :) 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

I feel like we're now on a fast track with most of the renovation things.  Since I wrote last, the subfloor was put into most rooms, the flooring installed in the 3 bedrooms, the plumber and electrician were here a couple times each, and things were begun in the bathroom.  Last Friday was a hectic day!  There was a mix-up with the delivery we were expecting but it worked out to our benefit after all.  The delivery was actually mistakenly booked for Saturday rather than Friday... but we needed some of that stuff Friday so my husband went to take care of that and ended up borrowing a van from Home Depot to bring the stuff home in.  The store staff loaded it for him and we had a couple guys here working on the bathroom that unloaded it for him so it actually worked out ok.  We were also refunded the delivery cost.  :) 

On Saturday we covered the flooring in the master bedroom with plastic and went to work filling holes, and sanding.  I'm grateful for quick drying joint compound!  We got a LOT done in a short time.  Sunday we gave it a coat of primer and a base coat of "Only Natural" by Behr.  Then on Monday I was able to put a faux finish on it with a colour called "Antique Ruby" which was probably not the right shade to use for a faux finish though it looked perfect as a solid colour to match our vertical blinds.  I had hoped for a nice deep, rich burgundy... but it looks pretty pinkish in bright light.  At night it's incredibly beautiful though.  Anyway, the faux finish I used was a positive application with a "tight bag roller".  With the beige colour underneath it left a lot of contrast which was exactly what I wanted.  My husband and I were both not really sure about the pinkish tones but when all is said and done, and the furniture back in place, it's quite a nice look.  Whew!  By Tuesday evening we were able to move our bed back and are now quite comfortably enjoying a new bedroom.  :) 

The bathroom has been worked on most days and is coming along nicely though it will be a week or so before it will be completed. 

Tomorrow and Friday (if needed) the kitchen cabinets will be installed.  I guess I better head to bed and get some sleep as morning will come early, I'm sure. 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Morning dawned bright and early.  We were up doing last minute prep to the areas that were getting subfloor installed.  The installer was to arrive between 10 and 11am and at 10:57am he called to let us know he was on his way.  He arrived and got started by 11:30am and by 4pm the kitchen, hallway, and two bedrooms had nice new subfloor.  Tonight we had to move an adjustable bed and that was the thing we were really NOT looking forward to.  When we got it, the delivery people took almost an hour to get it into our cozy master bedroom so we were afraid we wouldn't be able to get it out ourselves.  However, a rolling platform helped considerably and it was done in a fraction of the time it took those delivery people five years ago.  :)  So, tonight we will sleep in our kitchen! LOL  Our son will also sleep on a mattress on the floor while our daughter will sleep on the loveseat in the basement.  What a memory this will be! 

Tomorrow will be a very busy day.  We have the all the rest of the subfloor other than the livingroom (which is full of cabinets and appliances) going in and the sheet vinyl being installed in the three bedrooms.  We also have a plumber and an electrician coming to reroute water and drainage lines, and to finish installing the new electrical plugs, etc.  The fellow that is doing the bathroom is arriving to tear out the old fixtures so subfloor can go in there.  And if that isn't enough, the new fixtures for the bathroom are being delivered as well. 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Yesterday our new appliances arrived but we had to send the fridge back.  It came damaged.  It will take about 2 weeks for the new one to arrive now and hopefully there will not be any added issues with that one.  We aren't in a bind because we were still intending to use our old appliances till then anyway.  It is actually quite funny how this all happened.  We had asked for the dishwasher and microwave to arrive early but they couldn't split the shipment so they were all to arrive at once even though, technically, we didn't have the room for them all.  Of course, we moved things around and stacked things differently to make room.  It actually is a nice thing that we didn't have to find the room for the fridge though it's really too bad that the fridge was damaged.  However, we choose to see this as God's provision for our needs.  We didn't really have the room right away to store the fridge and yet the order couldn't be split, so God took care of it.  ;) 

Today was a long day.  It started out with packing the last of the kitchen cabinets.  Pots and pans, plastics, cutlery, etc all got boxed up today.  Along with that I cleaned my good pots and pans. Then it started...  Well, actually it started before the packing, as my daughter decided to make the packing easier on me before she headed to work.  She ripped off a door from the cabinet to make it easier to get things out.  Then my son needed to rip one off, too.  After the packing and lunch were done with, the plumbing was disconnected from the sink and the demolition was begun in earnest.  It didn't take long, really... and most of the wood these cabinets were made of was particle board and quite brittle so it didn't take a lot of effort either, honestly.  The toughest part was making sure the plumbing was relatively undisturbed and then using the reciprocating saw to cut the counter into 3 pieces that will be used on the new counter until our custom counters arrive in about a month.  The plumber said he'd see if he could rig up the sink portion for us, as well. 

Once the last of the demolition was done, I spent the rest of the day washing that last wall of wallpaper paste in the master bedroom.  The wallpaper is officially ALL gone now... paste and all!!!  I'm so GLAD!  What a gruelling job to spend 5-6 hours per wall scrubbing it all off... 

So, now tomorrow we're supposed to have the subfloor start to go in so it might be quite exciting if there is also new flooring going in with it.  There are two bedrooms that will be ready for it... and the kitchen will be ready for the subfloor.  Friday our bathroom will be torn out and the new items for that will be arriving.  Hopefully it won't take too long for that part of this project to be done.  With only one bathroom in the house, it could make for interesting days if we're without for any amount of time.  I'm grateful for good neighbours who have agreed to allow us to use theirs if need be! ;) 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Well, the weekend is almost over and we have managed to get done what was planned and more.  I'm still hoping to wash the walls in one room tonight but I'm not sure how fast it will go since there is a wall of wallpaper paste again.  This is the last one, though.  There is no more wallpaper in this house!  Yeeeeehaw!  Oh, pardon my excitement.  ;) 

Both kids' rooms got the second coat of paint so there's just trim and baseboards for us to do after the subfloor and flooring is put in.  They look so nice and the kids are happy.  The kitchen and hallway ceilings got a second coat of paint and the master bedroom ceiling was done as well.  Once all that was done and the clean-up of the painting supplies, I scraped the last of the wallpaper off the wall.  It was a very productive day.  My goal is to have the master bedroom either painted or at least ready to paint by Thursday night. 

If the wall washing goes slower than I hope tonight, then I'll finish it in the morning after I prepare the space for the new appliances to be stored.  They arrive tomorrow afternoon.  :) 

It's getting so incredibly exciting around here! 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

One word for each colour... LOL Today was a day of painting and I had the headache to prove it. However, amazing progress was made. Of course, paint always makes such a HUGE difference to a room and this was no exception.

First of all, the kids' rooms both had the ceilings done along with the hallway and kitchen. The hallway and kitchen will get a second coat when we do the livingroom and master bedroom... in aweek or so. Then the two kids' rooms got the first coat of their colour. The second coats will be done on Monday.

My son chose a green called "Garland". It's quite dark and I wasn't sure I would like it but it's really a beautiful evergreen kind of colour with just a hint of blue to it.  It is the second lightest on the paint chip to the right.  The inspiration for it was the comforter that we've had for years that he's using now.  We used to use it in our bedroom and then on the guest bed but when his bed wore out and had to be tossed, it was decided that he would get the guest bed so he also inherited the bedding.  :)  He is quite pleased with his room and it will be very nice when it's all done.  He intends to paint his (now blue) dresser in time... and he may make a headboard and paint it, as well, in time. 

My daughter chose a shade called "Desert Sunrise" that seems to have several different colours and shades in the right lighting. It truly lives up to its name!  You can see it as the lightest colour on the paint chip.  She has a jungle themed comforter which it should go really well with and intends to ask her brother if she can use some of his leftover paint to paint her bookshelf for accent.  Her room is a really "glowing" shade and she loves it.  I have to admit that I do, too.  Good thing...  Someday that room may become my craft room! ;) 

Tomorrow is a day off for us, I think.  We need a day of rest but then the next two weeks will be filled with activity. 

Dee.. 

Posted in renovations..

Time is moving right along and it's getting quite exciting now because most of the changes happening are getting to be some of those big changes that one can't help but notice.  There were still a couple of commitments this week so the start was a little slow.  However, the one bedroom that was waiting to be washed down is done.  That was a huge job - much bigger than any of the other rooms that had wallpaper removed from them.  The reason was that the glue didn't come off with the paper as much so there was a lot more left on the walls.  It took me a day and a half to wash the one room... and it's just an average sized room.  I was so glad when it was done.  The mudding and sanding got completed for the rooms we are currently working on and as of tonight, the priming for those rooms is very nearly complete.  (One wall in our daughter's room took FOUR coats of stain-killing primer to cover it.  A couple walls in the kitchen took THREE coats.)  We want to prime the wall behind the current (lower) counter area once it's removed.  Over the weekend we're hoping to get the kids' bedrooms finished other than trim and baseboards and then the flooring that should be going in next weekend. 

Next week our appliances arrive, we take out the counter cabinets, the subfloor goes in... AND the bathroom gets ripped out.  In a little more than two weeks we'll have most things done other than a little more painting, baseboards, finding homes for necessities, and new homes for the things we no longer need or want. 

This process is quite an experience and in a lot of ways a great deal of fun... but I'll be glad when we hit the point where deadlines are a thing of the past. 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

This week is not such an interesting week in our renovation world.  We are continuing to move things out of the areas that will be worked on by the tradespeople and to get a jump start on the job of painting and the prep for it.  Today the moulding from around the doors to the bedrooms and bathroom were removed and there was mudding and sanding done in several areas.  The hopes are to have the children's bedrooms all done except the floors in about 10 days when the subfloor will go in.  Perhaps the installer will get the flooring into those rooms while he's here doing the subfloor.  One can always dream....  The kitchen and hallway will also be at least primed ahead, if possible.  The more that is done ahead, the better.  The hopes are to have everything done by the end of July so that we have August to just relax and enjoy it before the school year is set to begin again in fall.  

Today the plumber dropped by with good news for us.  The changes we are looking to make will be quite easy for him to do in a matter of a few short hours.  So, we will call him once the bottom cabinets are out and he'll come to make the re-routing changes to the existing plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom.  The charges for this shouldn't be too outrageous and that is a relief when you are looking to make changes. 

So, the rest of the week we're hoping to get the priming done.  There are a couple areas that will require more than one coat because of some totally wild colours we found under wallpaper.  I still have one wall of wallpaper to remove and two rooms to wash down.  Not very exciting... but certainly a necessary part of the whole process. 

Dee..

Posted in specifically education

Today was the final day of our homeschool co-op gatherings for this year.  It was a bittersweet day.  One part of me is glad to be done, especially since we're in the midst of all the renovation prep and the nitty gritty will be starting very soon.  And another part of me is sad because, in spite of the fact that it can be hard to want to go every week, it's also fun... and sometimes difficult to keep in touch with people through the summer months.  I always find it so hard to break into groups and without the consistency of meeting with people on a regular basis it just doesn't work well for me.  I very often feel like an outsider.  Anyway, bittersweet....

The class of 9-11's I taught this term did a semi-impromptu presentation at assembly and I was really proud of the kids for stepping up to the plate.  The class was fingerspelling and we added in a bit of conversational signing as well.  They did well considering we had no chance to review what we were doing when we got there this week.  I had several of them thank me for teaching them and we talked in class today about what they enjoyed the most and the least from our times together.  After that we visited a bit to finish off our class time since some of them wouldn't get to see each other again until fall. 

There was one student in particular that I really enjoyed having in my class and although he missed a few, he certainly brightened up the rest.  Chance was attentive and always polite.  That's really kind of a rare combination these days but he's a really great kid and I know I will miss him.  I loved how his eyes sparkled when he answered a question and the grin he'd give me.  What a boy! :) 

It's strange to feel both the relief and the sadness at the end of something like this.  It will be odd not to be going next week. 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Part of the timing of this renovation is the arrival of new appliances. We chose a set by LG for the quality of their electronics. They are smooth white and I'm very excited about them. I have found images online but some are not exactly as they will be. They will give an idea though... The fridge is a bottom freezer French door model with water and ice maker. We've never had water in our fridge and this will be handy, I'm sure. The stove has a flat ceran top and has convection and self-clean options which will certainly be nice. The one in the image here is black but the actual is white with blue inside the oven.  The microwave is also blue, almost like enamel, inside.  It is white, and not the stainless you see here in the image.  And when we called to arrange for delivery, we found out that they are upgrading our model to a newer one free of charge because the one we originally decided on is no longer available!  Bonus!  :)  It was a very nice surprise.  Oh, and the microwave is an "over-the-range" model which is totally new to us.  I hope it will be convenient though it's  the perfect way to save space.  The dishwasher is semi-integrated with a stainless tub inside.  It also has some different options like doing a half-load at a time.  I've only ever had portable dishwashers and always secondhand ones so this will be a real treat!  I'm a little nervous about cooking on the stove because of the ceran top but hopefully it won't take too long to get used to once it's arrived and all.  I'm sure there will be a learning curve to most of these new appliances and it will be challenging for the first while. 

Ok, I think that's probably information overload now so I'll stop!  LOL  The next update will likely be after most everything is complete. 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Today we started the plans for the bathroom to be renovated as well. We have hired another dad from a homeschooling family we know and the timing was a little tough to coordinate because of the subfloor situation. It looks like things will go ok though. It will be happening within the week (or so) before the kitchen cabinets go in.

We didn't have a lot of options for a vanity or for faucets in the bathroom but we did manage to find ones we are ok with. We wanted something with some storage underneath and in our very cozy bathroom, this one fit the bill. The bonus is that the mirror comes with the vanity. The wood is cherry and so it has a reddish tint to it. The other options were white (which I'm sure most people have seen) and black. We felt the white was too ordinary and while the black was nice, it was a little too dark and the solid colouring would show scratches and such more than this wood grain one.

The toilet is an Eco-Friendly Kohler product in white and we chose a seat with a quiet close lid. It will likely be a blessing for those middle of the night trips... LOL We found out that when we get around to choosing accessories like towel bars, we can get matching flush handles for some of the styles. We don't have those figured out yet, but have done some browsing.

The tub is a standard steel tub in white and the faucets match those chosen for the sink.  They are Price-Pfizer and a nice quality product.  We were happy to be able to hold them in the store, see and feel what we'd be seeing and feeling for years to come.  They are single lever, mainly for ease of use for my husband who has difficulty using one arm very much.  The reason we went with the basic steel tub is also related to that difficulty as we need to attach a grab bar to the side of it.  There will also be a grab bar at the back end of the tub and along the side wall.  They are white and will blend in with the tub surround when we decide on it.  It will be white and likely with some built in shelving for housing shampoos and such things. 

We are contemplating whether we will need more storage than what these things will give us but we'll likely decide that later.  The flooring will be the same as what is planned for the kitchen... and we have yet to decide on the lighting and accessories like towel bars but we know that we will definitely be installing a fan which we do not currently have.  And that will be the final main floor window to be replaced as well.  We have also purchased a curved bar for the shower curtain to hang from and I'm looking forward to that.  So, that's the skinny so far.  :) 

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

We have been boxing things up from the entire main floor and moving as much as possible to the basement.  It initially started because the livingroom would house the new cabinets until the install but then when we decided to do ALL the flooring, it just seemed prudent to move as much as possible down here.  Wow, is it tight! LOL 

In addition to all the moving of things, the gazillion walls (really only 10) of wallpaper are being stripped, the walls washed and prepped for priming and painting, and a temporary kitchen set up.  Most of that is now done so the plan is to do the priming before the cabinets and flooring go in.  We feel quite ready in spite of the fact that our cabinets arrived about 3 weeks early and so the dates for everything are moving up.  It's really getting quite exciting!

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Well, my earlier post about the kitchen renovations should probably be revised to include all the correct information but I thought it would be nice to leave the original decision there so this one becomes an update. :)

We had a little issue with Home Depot not getting us a quote even after paying for AND having a measure done. As a result, they have reimbursed our deposit/measure fee and we went to several places looking at what was available. The first place was Parkland Carpet One. They were very professional and had a wide variety of materials available. We chose some very nice flooring though I wasn't really totally happy with it because it was outside the colour scheme I was contemplating. They gave us a measure and a quote about a week later. There were a couple places we went where we didn't even really get to browsing. First of all we are all about customer service and these places were more than lacking. Secondly, they just didn't have the products we were hoping for... or maybe they did but due to poor customer service, they didn't get a chance to show them to us.

The other place we went was End of the Roll. We hadn't even realized that they dealt with large amounts and even full rolls of flooring product. From the name, we just assumed that they had mainly smaller pieces - those that would fit in cozy rooms but not necessarily run through a length of a house. We had a recommendation for them though, so we decided to check them out. When we walked in, we headed down to the side of the store past the main desk and all we saw were those aforementioned pieces. We were about to head out and they stopped us at the desk and asked us to give them 5 minutes after explaining what we were looking for to find something we'd be interested in. They did a great job!

This is really a poor sample of the flooring, which is put out by Domco under the name of Fiber Floor. This sample is what was available for browsing online though and I tried to adjust the brightness to be at least a little closer to what I saw though it's definitely not exact. It should give a bit of an idea what it looks like though if you gaze at a larger sample it looks a lot more grey/blue with just a little of the browns. The grey/blue will complement the countertop we chose and the wall colour we are planning to work with. The browns will complement our cabinetry and that should really tie it all together.

The subfloor is scheduled to be installed beginning on the 23rd of this month so things are moving right along. Actually, the cabinets arrived late last week and were delivered (and inspected) on Tuesday morning. They will go in on the 29th if all goes as planned. They are beautiful though not quite as light as I had originally hoped for.

I'm not sure I mentioned that because we are putting down new subfloor it just made sense to do the entire main floor in new flooring at once. We didn't like the idea of having some of the floor higher than the rest for a time. So, the pattern above is what will be installed in the kitchen, hallway, back entrance, and bathroom. Another pattern was chosen for the bedrooms and the livingroom. It is a Tarkett product (also Fiber Floor since the two companies merged a few years ago) and is a wood grain look although it's actually a sheet vinyl product. It should go well with pretty much any colours we might choose for the rooms.

Both flooring styles have a 15 year warranty and good wear layers so our hopes are that we may never have to change it as long as we are in the house... but we'll see what the future holds. We should be set for a good number of years anyway. :)

Dee..

Posted in renovations..

Today we spent many hours looking at and comparing flooring.. styles, colours, prices, and installation fees, as well.  It was an informative day and started out in a frustrating manner for me.  It's not easy when you and your husband have two different things in mind.  Not that we were totally on different pages - we weren't.  I just saw colour as much more important than he did and he saw the style as more important than I did.  We were pretty much in agreement otherwise and so at least we had some common ground to work with. 

At the first place, we looked at a few things and narrowed it down somewhat... and then he liked a colour I didn't, and I couldn't find a colour that I liked.  Had there been a colour I was happy with, I think it would have been easy because we both agreed on the style and most everything else.  However, to find a different colour, we have to wait till the end of April when they are getting some new stock in the style we were looking at.  We left a little frustrated but having booked a measure for a quote. 

The second place we couldn't really see much that we were happy with at all and when we saw the prices for a very similar product to what we'd seen at the first store was considerably higher, we decided that we weren't even going to wait for the salesperson to finish with the other customers.  We left.  That was easy. 

The next one, we were pretty sure that we weren't going to find what we were looking for.  It seemed to have mainly roll ends and nothing really suitable at all.  We were about to leave when a salesperson stopped us and asked if we could be helped.  We said we didn't think we were going to find what we were looking for but thanks anyway.  Another salesperson who just finished with a customer came then and asked if we could tell him what we were looking for.  Well, to make a long story shorter, he was very helpful and showed us pretty much exactly what we were looking for (no disagreements!), and in a quality product, too.  Not only that, but he also gave us a rough price estimate that was about $2/sq.ft. lower than the first place!  We made arrangements for a measure and exact quote. 

We stopped in one other place but, again, the prices were higher for the same flooring so we moved on pretty quickly.  Easy!

So, now we wait for all our measures to be done and the estimates then make a final decision.  I'll be glad when this item is decided on.  We got the quote today that we were waiting for regarding the installation of new subfloor.  (This also contained a quote for the labour on the bathroom renovations and another small area that has needed repair for some time now.)  So, we'll need to make a decision on that and get back to the guy.  I think it's pretty much a go-ahead but we need to be sure so we'll talk about it in the next couple days, I'm sure.  This week is already so full... but I know that it won't be long.  We're hoping the bathroom will be completed by the end of the month so that means getting right on it and we still have things like tub surround and vanity to pick out for that. 

There's so much to decide and to think about with renovations.  I think by the time summer is over I'll be very tired of these types of things. LOL 

Dee..