I can't believe it was March when I did our last big house update. But actually, I can because life has been moving really really fast. The last time I updated you we had: cabinets, trim, some paint, barn doors, stone and tile work (in process), countertops and sinks.
In the weeks that followed the house got all dress up with lighting, a driveway, hardware (doorknobs, handles, railings, etc.), appliances, hardwood floors, carpet. And probably some technical stuff I'm not really aware of. Then Luke pulled some major mojo magic with The City (say it in a deep voice like its something ominous) and we got our C.O. (Certificate of Occupancy) which was was very necessary and time-sensitive so we could move.
In a perfect world I would have updated as each of those big steps happened, but life was too crazy so I'm basically going to throw all of those photos at you at once. If this feels overwhelming and chaotic then that's perfect - my intention (in addition to being time crunched and not wanting to organize the photos by stage)... I would literally run through every couple of days with my camera and snap some photos. (Let me clarify - I was at the house every day - much to Luke's chagrin - but I would only remember my camera every could of days).
Prep for the driveway (which was delayed due to rain - which everyone in Austin was excited about except me and my driveway)
Porch fans (still need to paint that ceiling)
Indoor lighting is starting to appear! (Dining room and mudroom)
From the kitchen into the living room. I see lights and a faucet and completed tile work.
Master bath sconces. Those are supposedly brushed nickle. Look bronze/gold to me. May swap them out but honestly they've kind of grown on me.
Shower tile
Powder room light
Fun touches upstairs - playroom fan (I decoupaged the map blades w/ a US and World map). I love maps. I would cover everything in maps if people wouldn't think it was weird.
The old light from Franny's new house (when it was old) that got repurposed (same green paint though) for the girls' window seat.
Sparkly lights in the girls' bath.
I always thought Owen's vanity light looked like a light saber. Even more so when its hung the wrong way (vertical instead of horizontal).
Lots and lots and lots of holes in our playroom wall. This is why you want to get outlets and light switches EXACTLY RIGHT before the sheetrock/drywall goes up. We changed our minds about the likelyhood of a built-in desk along that wall at some point so all the desk-hight outlets had to go. Live and learn. This is the builder - measure twice, cut once!
Entry light hanging out by the front door. I intended to give him a little love with steel wool to make him less shiny (chrome instead of brushed nickle like most of our other fixtures) but he got hung up too quickly and now I'm over it.
And more driveway.
Lights people!
Some concrete!
(Waaaaay down at the back)
(Waaaaay down at the back)
Kitchen pendants - these took a while to get right. This photo still isn't quite there...
Appliances!
Hardwood floors going in.
Ovens!
Tile countertop in the mudroom. (Funny - I am writing this post in Kyle's study because the tile guys are at our house right now redoing this countertop for the 3rd time because it keeps chipping. We finally have a plan and this time its going to work!!!
Working on teh floors
Finished upstairs (not yet stained)
Whoa - are those actual front doors????? Why, yes they are! Paint me please!)
I still think if Luke sees me with shoes on he may fine me. I'm checking our bills for that line-item...
Finished floors in Kyle's study
Railing - can't tell if its painted in this photo yet or not
Carpet in girls' room (all 4 bedrooms have carpet) - even though it turned out nice (I need to get you a close-up) I still sorta despise carpet.
Finished floors upstairs
Fun wall-mounted fans in living room and speakers (at some point the AV guy came out but I missed that)
Master tub!
From this...
To this!!!
And the kitchen island finally got painted.
Yep, railings aren't painted yet.
Okay...what you don't see here in pictures was that it was about at this stage that we moved in. I only know that because the next photo I had was of Kyle drilling some holes to mount a magnetic board for me in the mudroom (my office) so I wouldn't make everyone crazy with loosing receipts and stuff during the move. I consider it a built-in - it couldn't wait.
A few funny moving stories. Our movers - (Old) Charles, (Big) Charles and Jerome (?). When we get to the new house w/ them for the first time and walk the through so they know where stuff goes, he stops us and says.
Miss - I think it's time that I need to tell you something...If I may say so...DAMN GIRL, YOU UPGRADED!
Well yes, Charles, we did. And you may say so.
Big Charles told me - Lady, all your stuff fits exactly, like exactly, where you tell me its gonna go! How did you do that? (You do nothing else for about 16 months, that's how Big Charles.)
Big Charles also renamed a lot of our rooms - Kyle's office because the Barn Door Palace. The kids' playroom because Kid Wonderland. The Masterberoom became "My Apartment" (because he said it was bigger than his apartment).
When they helped bring our dining room table in (which got delivered while they were moving in furniture) - they YELLED at each other from across it - PLEASE PASS THE POTATOES!!! hahahahhaa
Anyways. We moved on Monday the 15th. At least, our stuff moved, But that means the last box got dropped off and last big awkward piece of furniture got carried upstairs (which the Charleses weren't too happy about) at about 10pm. So we did NOT stay at the house. In fact, we didn't stay at the house until FRIDAY night. Thank goodness for Franny for letting us stay with her all week. For my mom for literally being at our house to help unpack, run a million errands to Lowes and Bed Bath and Beyond, help me line all the cabinets, drawer, and for our wonderful babysitter Kimberly who kept the kids happy and healthy while Franny or Kyle wasn't watching them. I pretty much was a hermit at the house all week. Between furniture delivery and subcontractors and trying to actually unpack some - it was truly an exhausting week.
So, we had about a week in the house (still living with contractors) before Kyle left for Honduras for a week. He was pretty busy getting all his supplies/medicine ready for the trip so that added a whole other layer of crazy to our crazy. He's been gone since last Saturday and gets back this Saturday. We've texted a few times (but he doesn't get mine, which makes it really interesting/frustrating). We got to video chat for about 3 minutes the other night so I at least know he's alive (and has pink eye).
Landscaping has been happening since he left (before he left too). I see a big truck outside with pieces of sod - so that is VERY exciting. In fact, In a few hours I need to go out and confirm where are the plants are going. Unfortunately, its been so crazy that I haven't taken any during the process photos of the landscaping - I've mostly been inside trying to keep the kids form going outside (and getting filthy and falling in a hole).
Okay, back to the house - here are photos from the other night - we still have a LOT to do - there are subs here today finishing stuff up. And we still have a lot of organizing to do but most of our stuff is at least out of boxes (or in the garage).
Mud room. After almost 2 weeks in the house I can officially say the lockers are the bomb.
Laundry. Having some issues with my new fancy washer. My ol' Craigs List one was easier. But we'll figure it out.
The view coming out of the mudroom into the kitchen.
Back into the kitchen (If you know me well - I finally decided on some super simple bar stools. The saga had to end.)
Our gorgeous (and huge, yes I know) table - seats 12-15. The benches on the end can seat 2-3 kids and there are 8 chairs. Its made of reclaimed wood from 18-wheeler trailer floors from North Dakota (random, I know) and steel. It has all sorts of swirly gashes that give it character and give me peace when Maggie jabs a fork into it. In-di-structible!
The barn doors were stained to match pretty close to the table - different from the floors/cabs.
Our sectional. Once we sort of got settled - getting a rug moved up on my list - because its sooooo echo-y in here! (Also, TV and I even did a little preliminary arrangement on the bookshelves.)
Powder mirror. Perhaps my favorite (and smallest) room in the house.
Guest room - with roman shades that match the ones in the office (since those 2 street-facing windows are the same). It's our old bed and stuff. Needs some fun, but we'll get there.
Guest bath with an old mirror of my mom's that we've had for a while - used to be gold. Now it matches, thanks to spray paint.
Big slidey.
Would be interesting if I took a picture of this each time I changed it significantly - will probably have 400 photos by the time we move out of here (which is when they bury me in the backyard).
Master bedroom. Plantation shutters (so Kyle can sleep during the day) are coming.
Crazy artsy bookshelf in our room I have no idea what to do with. The other one is simpler - books!
Master bath - some lights on, mirrors (yet to be trimmed) - broken elliptical (thanks to Charles and Charles) on the floor in the closet.
Haven't had a chance to use the tub. Except to bathe all 3 kids at once. Which was chaotic. Kyle has even done a shower w/ all 3 of them (he wore a bathing suit). I have also used the tub to wash off some nasty stuff from moving. The hand wand is super handy. Some day I'll actually relax and take a nice bath.
I'm thinking by the middle or end of next week we'll have all the subs kicked out and the punch list widdled down to a handful of pesky little items.
Oh, I forgot to mention that we've had 2 minor (but very exciting) floods! The first time it couldn't have happened at a better time. Luke was here testing to see if our hot water heater/gas was working right so he was running a bunch of water in the master bathroom. Kyle and I were standing in the kitchen and out from under the ice maker starts poooooouring gallons and gallons of water. Did I mention that our plumber was upstairs fixing a wonky faucet handle in Owen's bathroom? Towels + shop vac + more towels + more shop vac + plumber scopes + clean-out drains + a 7 foot deep trench (tall enough for a grown man to stand in and not be seen) + another secondary flood in the same place + a landscape delay because the trench dug up that part of the irrigation system = all fixed! (We ended up cutting the wood floors in the kitchen for other reasons, but to all those who warned us not to put hardwoods in the kitchen - you would have very very right!)
So, quick family update. Like I said, Kyle is gone and will be back Saturday night. We miss him but are glad he got to go serve the people in Hondruas with TIME. Franny is there too. It'll be great to see their pictures and hear their stories. Even though I didn't get to go, its a good reminder that the world is a lot bigger than this big house. :)
The kids have done incredibly well in the transition - Rebecca and Maggie are sharing a room and its working out great. I knew naptime would be a challenge and I didn't want to be so uptight about having Owen and Rebecca be quiet-enough-for-a-baby to sleep during their quiet play time so they get to each be in their own room and Maggie sleeps in her pop-up tent in my closet - which she loves! So, it's great. And bedtime has been great too. They each have the ability to go to sleep when the other one is still awake, so I think we're cruising. Owen still says sometimes that he wishes he could share a room with Maggie, but he also doesn't complain when I'm tucking him in.
Once Kyle gets back and we get a little more settled (get the blue tape off the walls, the subs out, the house cleaned!!! and the grass in) we are looking forward to starting to have people over. Owen is dying for a playdate with his school friends. And since this is the last month for him at his preschool I say its about time! More on school (for fall) and summer plans, and general kid updates soon - as well as exterior/landscaping photos.
