All in a days work...

or should I say "weeks " work, or better yet "two years work".

We bought the house that I grew up in when I was pregnant with Emerson. We moved into it this coming weekend, 3 years ago. We had a plan, it sounded like a good plan. Our plan was simple, or could have been very simple. But with us nothing ends up simple.

(before)

We were going to fix it up. How hard could a few simple renovations be...

Well, simple is...

not for us "high strung", "always looking for a project", and "willing to try anything" type people that we found out that we are.

This last week, Ryan took the whole week off to wrap up some of the projects.

This last week has about killed me...

We poured a little concerete...

yea, I said we. As in my husband and I. I think that the concrete truck driver got a chuckle out of it. Me, in my irrigation boots running around helping him screet the concrete, smooth the edges, and shovel concrete into spots that were low. And after he was gone, Ryan informed me that when I was bent over you could see my crack. Pretty sure the driver had a good story to tell.

We worked on laying the brick in the front. Yea, again I said we. I mixed the morter (by hand) while Ryan layed the brick.

(Almost done with brick)

We finished siding. Okay, he finshed the siding while I cleaned up the yard, went to a PTO meeting, and shuttled kids back and forth to school.

We finished the bathroom. Which still needs a little paint touch-up and a new fan installed, but it is considered done in my eyes.

And to finish off the week with a big bang. We finished our hardwood floors. That is a project of gigantic propotions.

We moved all of our furniture (and all appliances) out in the garage, we sanded, we filled in holes, we sealed, and then we varnished. We had to follow a time frame, which made it hard to do much of anything. Thankfully, my mom let the girls spend the weekend with her. While they were having fun watching movies and getting pedicures, I was home having to crawl through windows to use my own bathroom.

But the end result is beautiful...

So during this process of "fixing Up the house,"

We have moved the front door.

We have moved the stairs from the kitchen to the living room.

We have finished the basement.

We have built a garage in the snow. And on the same day made a quick trip to the ER after Ryan shot himself in the leg with a nail gun, and then despite the Dr. advise to go home and rest, we finished standing up 2 walls.

We have put in new windows.

We have sheetrocked, painted, and refinished about every surface in the house.

I got pnemonia and was in the hospital after the garage incident.

Our kids have learned how to go to sleep to the sound of power tools.

We have cut down one massive tree.

But despite all the hard work and mess we have had to endure, it really hasn't been that bad. My husband and I have spent so much time together. I have done things that I never thought that I could do. And I have a new appreciation for my home.

Hard work really does pay off!