Monday, January 28, 2013

Our Two Layered House - Month 2

We are loving our new home! There is so much hard work happening all the time, but we have certainly found time to sit down and relax, too. One thing is for sure, home-ownership is not for the weary...especially owning a house built in 1936.

Month 2 started out with a bang... You remember me mentioning about giving Brandon a garbage disposal? Well, he began installing it on Dec. 29, and it turned into a 3 day project. I've learned so much about plumbing! It was hard work, but I am so pleased to that Brandon was able to get the job done. He's the man! We're both seriously loving having a basement with such easy access to all the plumbing. I'm not sure how many trips we took to various hardware stores around here. Although, the girls may have kept count.
;-)

Another major thing Brandon was able to do was install an exterior door in the "breakfast" nook. (Maybe we'll be able to eat in there one day.) The door opening presented several challenges...let me count thy ways.   But, hey, it's in. That's what counts, right?

Other than that, we've been busy trying to organize the house better, chip mortar from the salvaged bricks, clean up and clear out the overgrown yard, demo a bathroom, paint a wall, paint bookshelves and headboards, fix a leaky roof spot, do life, etc. I really do love it. I love how all the work makes us more connected to our community as we meet new people at the hardware stores, shop at the smaller stores around us, meet new neighbors, borrow tools from friends, talk "home talk" with others at church, etc. Oh, I also am thrilled to live closer to church! It's such a central part of our lives, and it makes things easier than I EVER thought. I might should also mention that I am learning how to better trust my very capable husband. You'd think I had that down after nearly 12 years of marriage. :-) If he says he can fix it, he can... he will. He has the patience of Job when it comes to hard, meticulous work.

About new neighbors... we live next door Mr. Mack. He has got to be one of the best neighbors! Often, I will find he and Brandon chatting over the fence. I think he is like our Wilson from the old TV show 'Home Improvement'. He has given us marriage advice, shared food with us, lent us tools... he even came over and cut down a dead tree for us. He rocks! We praise God for him.

Here are a few pics in no particular order. I'm so glad to have snapped some. It makes me realize several things that I had forgotten we've done this past month. On to month 3! :-)

Brandon made some attic access to work add a new vent pipe for the plumbing.

Enjoying (I think) a ride at Home Depot.

Pretending to blow things up while waiting on mom and dad at Home Depot.

A new faucet and new reverse osmosis system!

Libby helping paint old bookshelves. Clara helped a lot, too.

Clara's version of protective eye wear and head gear! LOL!
Scraping weird texture off a bathroom wall.

Out with the old!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

(in)courage

Have you ever had a friend grab your hand and drag you along on a new adventure? Well, that's exactly what Wendy has done to me! She has shown me the world of (in)courage. :-) It's so great! It's kinda a word I've seen around the www for awhile, but I didn't really know what it was. So, go ahead and click on over to (in)courage to see what it's all about. Trust me... good stuff there!

Today's post over at (in)courage happens to be about (in)courager groups. This is one of the things that has me so excited about the whole thing! Wendy and I will be leading an (in)courager group session that begins on Feb. 12. There are lots of groups forming, and it's sure to be a neat way to be encouraged and supported by your fellow sisters in Christ. I hope you'll stay tuned and find a group that's the perfect fit for you. Just click on those linky words... Can't wait!