Dirty Windows and a Lap Dog

Saturday, my mom and dad were scheduled to come down and help at the house all day. My mom got this terrible sinus infection though (and had to work her new job on Sunday) and I told her just to stay home and rest. To take her place (and give my mom the peace of mind that it would be ok to stay home), my grandparents offered to come in her place along with my dad.

My grandparents are amazing people. You would NEVER be able to guess their age by watching them work. Let's just say, "They still got it".

The windows at Pappy's house (yes, we all still refer to it as Pappy's house. I am sure we always will) were so super nasty. You could barely see out of one window. I know that dirty windows will not keep us from moving in, but they will surely make this clean freak of a gal annoyed. My mom knew how dirty the windows were and she also knew how badly I wanted to clean them (they just are not exactly on the top of my list these days). She had originally told me she would clean windows or keep the boys when she came down. You must understand, these are not "normal" windows. Oh, no. They are storm windows that have not been cleaned since the house was built in 1987 (ok, that is a total guess on my part, perhaps they were cleaned in the 90's). From inside the house, you had to clean the top and bottom part of the window. Then, you had to lift it and take out the bottom of the storm window and clean both sides of it (there was mildew and black mud all over this). Once, the bottom part of the storm window was out, the screen needed to come out (it was so dusty you could barely see through it). Then, from inside, you pulled the top part of the storm window down and cleaned the inside part. You would go outside, clean the outside part of the storm window and the outside part of the actual window (while the storm window was down). You go back inside (unless you have a partner) and pull the top part of the storm window up, go back outside, and clean the outside, bottom part of the window. After that, all parts of the window should be cleaned. You go back inside, replace the screen, and the bottom part of the storm window and TA-DA!!!! You have a clean window!!! Talk about time consuming.

My dad, was of course, Mr. Babysitter. He wouldn't have it any other way and the kids wouldn't dream of him coming and NOT playing with them all day :-) He kept the kids out of our hair and ran some errands for us. It was amazing how much that helped out!

My grandmother asked what she and my grandfather could do and in all honesty, there weren't many options. I was almost done with the baseboards, we had doors to paint and were laying them across saw horses in the living room and we had to wait to get 2 coats on each door on each side before starting a new door)..... really, the only thing I could think of was windows. And no, it was not just because I wanted them done! LOL. They started on the first one and can I just say, they were so clean, I wondered why they had taken the entire window out?!?! Then, I realized! It was just super clean!!!!!!! The entire house is so much brighter. Honestly, I could have cried I loved my clean windows so much. I had complained to Brent (yes, I do complain ;-). LOL) a TON about the windows and he always told me they weren't that bad and could wait. Even he agreed when he saw the finished product, that yes, they absolutely did need to be cleaned.

First set of clean windows. I'm telling you--- A HUGE difference.

There is my grandmother (great-grandmother to 5, almost 6) cleaning windows like it is nothing.

The worst window-- picture does not do it justice.

After!!!!! I love how much brighter my living room is!!!!

Brent was working on doors while they were there. We Brent has run into an issue with out bathroom door. When he went to put on the knob, it wouldn't line up. He checked his measurements and the door he installed is completely level. The "foundation" or what was there when he started, the door frame, is completely NOT level.

See the light come through at the top?

That kept my hubby busy Saturday. It is still not fixed. He will have to rig something up for this door. It is causing him major stress ;-) He is a perfectionist, much like me.

Dad and the boys had a great time. Dad cut out pieces of this box and made them a new Hunting Club since Dane wanted the other one burned!

Yep, that is my dad and Webb inside!

Dad putting together this sleigh thing we got a Lowe's. I personally just loved his little sweater tied on his back. LOL!

On Saturday, Brent and I also plumbed the toilet. Oh yes, ladies, it was a blast! I encourage you all to start helping your hubbies plumb!

This is super duper FUN!!!!!!! I love messing around with toilets!!

My lovely view. I'm just glad this is a brand new toilet.

After church and our Thanksgiving meal with the new church family, we went back to the house to work. We knew we have a busy week of Thanksgiving and Brent is officially working. Even though we felt this way:

We knew the only way to finish this is to work on it.

Brent was able to hang up blinds along the front part of the house while I painted door, doors, and more doors!!! LOL. I love the look the blinds bring.

We got up Monday morning with the plan to work all day, that is until we were meeting my parents in Calhoun to pick up a surprise for the boys. At 7am, Brent got called in to work 24 hours. I really should have been happy, but my controlling/has to plan everything/we can't get off course self was upset. I almost cried. Then, I truly did realize I needed an attitude adjustment. This is GREAT news actually. Even greater news for our bank account right around Christmas. This is what we prayed for, what we trusted for, what others straight out of school are jealous for. I asked God to forgive me and then made sure my husband knew I wasn't mad at him, just disappointed because this gal is ready to live in her own house (not because living with the in-laws is hard, because it really isn't!).

The boys and I went over by ourselves on Monday and I painted DOORS again. This time, I got smart and I just lined them up in the living room and painted them. I was able to finish them all! YIPPEE!!!!

We told the boys we had a surprise for them and I left the house to head to Calhoun. By the way, the boys' guesses on what their surprise was??? Cake! LOL.

My parents had graciously met a girl for me (she was from Soddy Daisy, TN- about 40 minutes north of my parents), pick up the dog, and then meet me in Calhoun with the dog. I had found this dog on Craig's List on Sunday night. It was/is Brent's dream dog. She is a miniature pinscher/ Jack Russell. She was found ababandoned on the side of the road and this 16 yr old rescued her. Her mom told her she had to get rid of one dog (she already had 2) and if a home wasn't found, the dog had to go to the pound. She was everything we wanted and affordable!

I even took the boys with me to buy a leash, collar, food, treats, kennel, bed, etc. I let Dane pick out the collar (pink camo by the way) and still they had no idea. LOL!

The boys were totally shocked!! When they saw Gammi and Granddaddy, they thought that was their surprise.

Then, they saw that dog!

They were beyond exctied!!!

Brent named her Rose and I am ok with that, since it is 4 letters :-)

Kissing Rose

She is very skiddish and scared. I am hoping she warms up to my wild indians quickly.

She LOVES Brent.

And she loves laps :-)

When Brent isn't in the car, she jumps right in my lap for the ride. LOL.

She is a sweetie and we love her already.

Well, I need to get me and the boys ready. I have a full day of cleaning in Ringgold.

Hope you enjoyed the update! Maybe next time, I will be posting a move in date :-)

Confession of an Emotional Woman

Here we are.

We can officially see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Somehow, I think that makes things more stressful.

Originally, we were planning to be moved in the house shortly after the counter installation on the 19th. Well, the counter lady called and said they had not previously set up a time and needed to do so. My husband told her that yes, she had in fact already called and scheduled an appointment, but she was adamant that she had not. So, we are now scheduled to get counters in a week from original date, on the 26th. I was bummed when I heard that because everything has to be out of storage by the 24th (and then I remembered how the Lord never makes a mistake and there MUST be a reason for this.) . We are still aiming to have everything out by then, we will just still sleep at my in-law's house and then be able to go and work at the house (getting it all organized and whatnot) after that.

I have to admit, I have allowed this renovation to get to me. I often stop what I am doing and pray out loud, "Lord, thank you for a home. Thank you for the opportunity to even do this. Thank you for providing the way You see fit. Thank you that everything is falling into place in Your timing."

It is so easy to get caught up in it all.

First of all, we have not had an "off day" in almost 2-1/2 months. I'd say that attributes to a lot of the stress. Everyday, we wake up, I make breakfast, then I pack a lunch, and then I prep dinner. After working at the house 6-8 +/-  hours, I come home (nasty with unbelievably tired children) cook for us all, clean up for us all, do any laundry that needs to be done, herd the children to the bath, fight them to bed (because they are the ones suffering the most. On top of living with grandparents and having absolutely no schedule, they get no naps and on average, they are getting in the bed 2 hours past bedtime each night). While at the house working, you add a 4 year old and 2 year old who just want to play and be silly to the mix of parents who just want to work and be FINISHED and to not have to retrace steps because someone brushed by a freshly painted wall and smeared paint or someone stepped in paint and trotted it alllllllllllll through the house or someone needs their butt wiped. We are on edge. Ok.....

I am on edge.

I am grumpy.

I am mean.

I am hormonal.

I admit it all.

I had a break down Tuesday night around 7:30pm. In a perfect world (before we were living between 2 houses and on no schedule) we eat dinner at 5pm. I like an early meal, cleanup goes smoothly, we can play with the kids, bath time is not nearly as stressful and at bedtime, we have time for books and being a little bit silly. On this particular night, Brent was playing playstation (to unwind I suppose), Webb was crying, Dane had just fallen asleep on the couch, I was attempting a new recipe that WAS NOT working, and I was making a birthday cake for Brent. I woke up Dane because he had to eat and bathe and he started screaming crying. About that time, my soup spilled over. I literally sat in the floor and cried. I was so tired. I was so spent. I just wanted a day off. A night off. A teeny tiny bit of quiet for even 10 minutes.

We have this goal in mind for getting in the house. We don't want to pay on storage, we want some normalcy and schedules back for our children (and for us even!), the holidays are approaching and we want to be in our home doing our traditions, my husband is officially off of these orientation rides after the 21st. After that, it is game time. He will start working. Another part-timer at Bartow told Brent that last week he worked 125 hours. That will be great for us (to try and get back to where we were were and to catch up AND to buy Christmas presents) and Brent is total game for working lots and lots of hours (That is what a year of unemployment will do to you... especially combined with a passion for what you are doing). So, we know to expect him to be gone A LOT. That is the main reason we are working so fervently. We HAVE to keep going. We cannot stop. We have a goal in mind. If we don't meet that goal, who knows how long it will take because Brent will be unable to go.

Yesterday morning, Brent took Dane on a father/son outing. You can just tell when he needs that time.  Because of that, I decided to take the morning easy. Webb and I made cookies, played, read books. It was so great to be MOM again and to not feel an urgency to get to the house and to work nonstop. It was just what we all needed. We made it to the house after lunch and knew we wanted to stay till about 6pm-7pm.

I am impressed with everything we have gotten done.

After Brent hung all the baseboards, shoe molding, and doors, I went behind him and spackled the holes and then sanded them down.

See my excitement!?!

Then, I got to tape all the walls again for painting the baseboards again and painting the trim around the doors. This pic was taken before I taped all the floor too.

The doors were taken down and placed on saw horses (on top of cardboard boxes) in the living room. They each get 2 coats. The baseboards get one more coat (they were already painted before they got nailed up) and the trim around the doors get 2 coats.

Our bedroom is completed other than our bedroom door getting painted.

The office is complete other than the closet door and door getting painted. The hallway baseboards are painted. Today, I will paint all the doors I can, the boys baseboards (their door trim is finished) a hallway door and trim, the boys bathroom baseboards, and maybe move into the living room.

I thought about taking a day off since Brent is working 7am-7pm today, but I decided to just take it easy this morning with the kids and then head over around lunch. I will put no pressure on myself and what I get done, YAY me! And what I don't, Oh well. Every little bit will help though.

My parents are kind enough to offer to come tomorrow. Mom said they will bring a crock pot full of chili and will help anyway they can. Even if that means taking the kids away for the day.

That means so much to me! I feel horrible for my kids. That is another reason I want to finish. I want to go back to being mommy. Carefree, let's play and be silly all day, Mommy instead of this stressed, mean worker woman!

Next week is a crazy busy week of holidays and stretching ourselves thin all in the name of family ;-) We will work at the house every opportunity we can, Wednesday, Brent rides the ambulance 7-7 again and I go to Ringgold to clean 3 houses (I would generally clean on Friday of that week, but that is Black Friday and everyone asked me to come on Wednesday so the house would be clean for the holidays). I am not complaining about cleaning either. I would generally only clean 2 houses, but the I seriously prayed a prayer for a need (financially) and then got on FB and had someone else ask me to clean. I LOVE how God works! When I get back into town late Wednesday night, it's off to Brent's Nanny's for Thanksgiving. Thursday, I will help m MIL prepare Thanksgiving here and we will have it. Friday, it's back to Ringgold for Thanksgiving and Christmas with my grandparents (they celebrate Christmas in SC, so this way, the kids get their presents with them there). Saturday, it will be back to work.

As for me, I went to bed praying for forgiveness and asking for grace, yet again. I am thankful for an unchanging God who tells me to cast my cares on Him because HE cares for ME. I am also grateful that He doesn't give up on me and that He hears me when I call.

Can I ask you to please pray for me as well? The renovation/ holiday season is taking it's toll on me. I need the Lord's help, His patience, His kindness, His quick to listen and slow to speak demeanor, His gentle reminders that it will all get completed in time and to not let stress take away my joy? I am sincerely asking. I do not like this person I have allowed stress to make me!

Thank you and thank you for letting me ramble. I already feel better :-)

Baseboards and Doors

Today is Brent's first day on the job in Bartow County. He is so excited, it is cute! He works there today, the 16th and the 21st and he is still 2 weeks out from starting at Hamilton EMS. We are really, really aiming to be in the house by the weekend of Thanksgiving.

We finally received our last Lowe's shipment (except for the living room fan, the sink to the boys vanity, and something else) and the floors have been laid. Those were 2 things we were waiting on to move further in our work. We still have some plumbing work that has to be done before we can truly move in. Even if we are not spending the night at the house by the weekend of Thanksgiving, we want to have everything out of storage. We owe on it again on the 24th and our goal is to NOT pay that again. It costs a lot of money and right now, this renovation is taking every penny, not to mention it is time to begin Christmas shopping (something I am usually finished with at Thanksgiving and I haven't even begun this year!!).

Yesterday, with a new goal in mind and knowing Brent is starting work, we went over to the house and Brent hung all the doors.

He needed some help from time to time, but when he didn't, I was outside painting baseboards. I was thankful for a warm and beautiful day! The boards dried in no time and my hands were actually warm!

Our plan is to go tomorrow and Brent will put up all the baseboards white I paint all the doors he hung and the trim. That will be so not fun. I have to tape all around the trim and we special ordered the doors (we needed bronze hinges) and the trim did not come primed like the trim on the doors you don't special order. It will probably take 3-4 coats of paint. FUN. LOL. Before I paint the trim, Brent will have to remove the doors and I will put those on saw horses and paint those. They are, thankfully, primed! I'm thinking 1 coat, MAYBE 2 coats.

Once I finish that painting, Brent will have to caulk the baseboards and then we tape those and paint those AGAIN!

I will probably paint those alone so Brent can finish all the other projects-- hanging more light fixtures that arrived, getting the boys vanity installed, their toilet installed, and lots more.

We found out my counters get installed on the 19th. That was sort of determining when we could move in because my sink is attached to the counters (it is all one piece). We could maybe move in without counters, but no way without a kitchen sink. So, I am really excited to have those brought in. We will install our stove once the counters get laid.

 

I am really excited to have my double oven!!!

We also got a new stainless microwave and dishwasher. We opted to not get a fridge now. The fridge we like is $2,500 and that was NOT in the budget at this time. We were able to get a lot more necessities by opting out of something that was a want. Our fridge is black and will go with the stainless just fine until that is something we can afford/want to spend that much money on.

Webb was the only child we had yesterday while we worked. He was so good and such a wonderful helper for us.

Dane was with Granddaddy at the TN game in Knoxville. I got this picture from my dad. LOL.

If you know us, you know sugar and colors are a treat! I bet Dane was wild and very happy :-) I sure do miss him. He is still at my parents. They are bringing him back this morning and going to church with me. I am so exited to show off the church we have found to them. It is honestly the most amazing/alive church I have ever attended. Brent was bummed to be missing SS and church this morning and that says a lot! LOL. We had been invited to some sort of meeting (where we can ask questions/ learn about the church and everything that is offered) with the pastor today and it was originally scheduled to be after church, but it got changed to 10am last week though. I hate that I am missing SS. The lessons are so basic, yet so good. Brent and I discuss it during the week and we both look forward to being back the next week and catching the next part of it. I was going to cancel the meeting that is planned, but Brent wanted me to go ahead and go. I am so very thankful for this church home we have found. I look forward to learning more about it today, continuing to meet awesome people, and growing closer to the Lord. God is good!

Our front door and carport door arrive at Lowe's on the 19th as well. After they arrive, they call to schedule and installation date. So, we are working fervently to be in by the 24th knowing everything that we are waiting on should be there. We knocked out a lot of work yesterday so if we go and work that hard everyday Brent isn't at work, we should be able to do it. Pray for us!

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday! Talk with you soon :-)

Hip Hip Hooray!

Today started out like any other day.

I got up around 6am and lifted some weights, took a shower, and did my Bible study. When my husband woke up, I cooked all of us breakfast- eggs and toast with honey.

After breakfast, Brent headed to the house to meet the man who was going to start laying our hardwood today and I loaded up library book and movies to take back while we were at story time.

After the library, the boys and I went into Publix to grab the rest of our groceries. While I was in there shopping, I got a phone call.

Brent said, "Hey! I got it! I got the job at Bartow! Whoo hoo!"

I could have dropped right where I was in the store in tears. I felt my heart soar in a way it hasn't in almost a year. My husband had felt confident after his interview, Thursday, that he would be hired. They told him he would hear in a couple of weeks. I believed the position was his too, yet I continued to pray for the Lord's will. I felt complete peace.

It feels so good to be able to say-----This unemployment period is OVER!!!!!!

It has been a rough year (he lost his job November 16, 2011-- remember this post), but the Lord has used it to better me, to teach me, and to draw me to Him.

If you remember, back in August, I posted this blog post. It was very humbling to admit our struggles to the world, but I wanted to be honest in our circumstances and our decisions. The Lord worked on me after that post, literally overnight. The next day, I posted this blog. God had me convinced that this move was His will. We were stepping out with blind faith though. Although the house was enough to make us move, my husband was still unemployed with no idea where to apply or when there would be openings. That is scary to make a commitment to buy a house and still have no job. We had no idea what the future held job wise, but we trusted the Lord completely that His will was for us to move. Through this entire process, the Lord has given me peace, hope, and joy. Never once have I questioned our decision and the fact that it was the LORD who told us to move.

From the start of Brent's EMT schooling he has told me to not be surprised if he applied at Bartow. It was where he wanted to work more than any place out there. He said the commute from LaFayette (1 hour one way) would be worth it to get to work there. How great that the station is literally less than 2 miles away from our new home?! We had been told it is rare for Bartow county to interview and hire. How awesome is GOD's timing? He allowed us to get moved, most of our house completed, and then lo and behold (9 EMT's got fired at Bartow), interviews took place and Brent got the call. It is truly only a GOD thing!

God already knew. His plans far exceeded our plans. His ways were so much better than our ways. His desires for us far surpassed what we hoped for ourselves. He just asked us to listen and then most importantly, to obey.

How can you doubt God and His goodness? He is so real. I am so thankful I serve such a real GOD!  A God who speaks to me. A God who cares for me. A God who looks out for me and provides for me. If you don't know my God, ask me how you can!

Brent went and took his drug test right when he got off the phone. Now we wait to see when he starts. I am so excited for my husband. I am so proud of him! YAY!!!!

Thank you for the prayers for Brent. We also anticipate great news from Hamilton this week.

Oh, as for the house... here is a sneak peak of our floors that are being laid!

My dream floors! I cannot believe this is our house! Isn't God good?!?!?!

Refinishing Cabinets and Halloween

A new week is starting! I am sort of excited. Each new week gets us closer and closer to moving day :-)

I am sitting here drinking coffee and watching GMA. The Northeast stories just break my heart. I cannot imagine what those people are facing. Also this precious 2-yr old that was killed at the Zoo. Wow. I cannot imagine what that poor mother is feeling and experiencing!! It really makes me look at all my blessings and realize just how good we have it! There is so much sadness all around :-( Praying for everyone dealing with heartbreak and devastation-- in whatever form it comes in.

We were working at the house last week and I was painting the inside of cabinets. I said, "Urg! I am about over this painting!" and Dane (who I didn't realize was even listening to me) said, "Just do what daddy does. He slams down his fist and says, 'This is bull-crap!' when he gets mad." Bhahahahaha. Can I just say that cracks me up! That child says the funniest and most honest things. I love him so much.

Speaking of cabinets---- I am FINISHED with them. I have to say, I am pretty darn proud of the finished product. When we originally started this renovation process, we talked about getting new cabinets. But, just in case you didn't know this, renovating is EXPENSIVE!!!!! You spend oodles and oodles of money on things like baseboards, electrical outlets (we changed the color from tan to white so allllll the electrical outlets and light switches had to be changed), door knobs, hardware for cabinets, PAINT, and so much more. We quickly realized we didn't exactly have $6,000 +/- to spend on cabinets. We really did not like the outdated look of the cabinets though.

 

Here is the only pic I have of the before.

 A friend of mine had refinished her own cabinets and although I couldn't remember exactly how they looked, I remembered liking them. I had dream cabinets in mind and knew if I went and picked them out, just what I would choose. I found this picture as my inspiration. This is my dream cabinet color. The counters I choose are similar and we will have stainless appliances.

This is the counter (on the right) we chose and our sink color on the left. We went with solid surface (LG High Macs) for our counters--- those are my dream mainly because the sink comes attached to the counter so it is a smooth surface with no gap.

We then found this kit at Lowe's. I could make the original cabinets look just like the above picture for only $150!!!! We snagged that kit and I could not wait to get started. They tint your paint at Lowe's when you buy the kit based on what you want your finished product to look like. There are many options.

First, we had to remove all the doors and hardware and number the doors.

Then, I opted to paint the interior of the cabinets white because I knew if I didn't, I would always wish I had. The first step is to apply this paint like liquid that removes the finish. This keeps you from having to sand everything. Once you applied it, you had to wipe it down really good.

After that, I painted them with the paint that came with the kit. It said it would take 2 coats, but... it took me 3 coats (just like ALL of our walls!).

 

I also added another coat of white paint on the interior after this pic!

Once that dries, you have the option to put glaze on. I definitely wanted the glaze in order to achieve my dream cabinets. You add the glaze, painting the same direction of the wood and then you wipe it off with cloths provided. You wipe until you get your desired look. No 2 cabinets will look the same and I really like that. I wouldn't have to stress to make everything identical.

This is the glaze

This is when I wiped it to get the look I wanted.

I LOVED the outcome. I was a little nervous because I had never done anything like this. Brent was nervous about me doing it also. He did not think he would like it. We just kept saying we would deal with it until we could afford new cabinets. Once they were complete, Brent raved at my work. He was very pleased with how they turned out. We keep talking about how much we love them!!!

I love our bronze hardware (we decided to do bronze throughout the house.)

On the left shows how it looked before the glaze, right is after.

We had this piece of board over the sink that we HATED!!! It could not be removed though. I know on fancy cabinets, there are often designs. I told Brent I wanted to find something like that to add to it. We found it at Lowe's for $20. I am extremely pleased with this also!

If you are considering refinishing your cabinets, I highly encourage you to. It wasn't very difficult, it is extremely affordable, and the outcome is better than I could have imagined!

Did your family have a good Halloween? We sure did! It is so much fun once you have kids. They add a magic to each seasonal celebration :-) Their excitement and wonder over everything is contagious. My MIL had a big party at her house for close friends and family. My parents and sister and her boyfriend even drove down to join us.

Aren't they precious?!?!

Our family! Dane REFUSED to look at the camera.

My hubby went to 2 different interviews Thursday and Friday. They both went fantastic and he feels pretty confident he will get both. I do too! Just more evidence we are where GOD wanted us.

Yes, life is good! We are healthy and happy and in God's will. I just don't think it gets any better than this.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!