House Project {Week 17}

This is going to be a brief post.  If I could adequately describe our lives right now, you still wouldn't believe me.  BUT, much of it is for a time and it all stems from deliberate choices we've made.  But let me tell you...its crAzY!  :)

Imagine how bad I felt having to tell the guys I didn't like the bedroom furniture they had hauled all the way up to the third floor.  I've never bought a bedroom set before and it simply never occurred to me to measure it out first.  It was WAY too bulky for the space and blocked most of our two windows.

Much better!

Nasty pipe work in a cramped, hot space.Nasty pipe work in a cramped, hot space.

Shaun discovered the issue with the central air unit was electrical, so after a bit of work he had it running.  I went out to take a picture of the unit to document and I found this little guy having a blast in the mud.

Tough stuff packing up this house....its also SUCH a strange feeling going from one house to the next, maybe because they are only two blocks away?

Another bathroom (or soon to be!)

The stars on my office ceiling came off....though we knew it would leave a mark, it just wasn't going to work with my "motif" to have them there.

The living room with the trim completed.

The back door...

Hard to see them, but I'm talking to Shaun and Avery who are sticking their heads out the third floor window.

I know its strange, but I really like going to the dump.  Something about getting rid of stuff forEVER that is very satisfying.

Lots of UNO around this house.

Day 1 with R full time.  Shaun is giving the whole crew the low down on how things are going to go.

Now that we have two more people (R and my nephew Jared), it was time to split up between the two houses.  My new bed arrived so we stole the box spring from our old bed.  I keep a couple keepsake boxes under my bed that Avery started digging into.

Many treasures, this one made me laugh....our student IDs from our first (and my only) year at UCONN.  Our social security numbers are plastered all over the front of these.  Man, that guy is handsome!

SO happy with the new bed!  It still covers the windows but doesn't block any light!

Project 365, Week 30

Happy Sunday morning!  I am beginning this post after waking up for the first time at the new house.  Our three kids are up on the third floor sleeping on the girls' closet floor and Shaun is at the old house with four sleeping boys.

I'm still trying to process yesterday, one of the more chaotic days we've ever had.  I wouldn't even know how to recreate it but it was intense...and humorous.  A couple of the major, possibly life-changing highlights were showing our old house to someone who wants it...in two weeks!  Please pray that this man's job prospect comes through and they are able to rent the house.

The other was our respite kid coming back from camp with the news that he is not going back this week as we'd planned, but instead will be staying with us. 

How long will that be?  Well, he has no place to go now and the agency would like us to take him as he finishes his last two years of high school.   The ball is in our court.  Please pray for wisdom and discernment as we go through this "trial" week with him.

I've had lots of people asking, so I'll update on Z, too.  DCF is forging ahead with their plan to have all three kids reunified with their mom by August 16.  His visits have been increasing and it looks like it is actually going to happen.  I helped him box up some of his room yesterday and it was such a bummer.  Not going to lie that I'm kinda happy for the distractions we have going on right now.  Please pray for him as he wrestles with a wide variety of emotions and begins to make this transition.

I think those are the biggest updates.  How about a quick look at our week, and then I have to go pack!  :)

July 21
We went to drop off R at camp.  Avery had only been there once and as we walked up to his tent, Avery said, Ugh, its so...nature-y here.  :)  The kids were delighted to find this little peeper.

 July 22
Church Kids Camp drop off with cousins.  The decision of whether or not Z could go went down to the wire, but he made it!

 Amanda and Aiden were working Uncle Nathan hard for a ride.

 July 23
I spent the day at the house packing.  It started to really hit me that we'll be leaving this house we've loved for the last 15 years.  I'm grateful to be moving under these circumstances, but its still hard going room to room thinking of all the memories we've made here.

I took a picture of the kitchen to post in our ad....this has been a favorite room....so much life has happened here.

 July 24
Running new house errands.

 July 25
Rain all day and it kind of fit my mood.

 Stories while I prepared dinner.

 July 26
Avery loves all the little detail jobs.  She was ecstatic about filling nail holes in the trim.

 July 27
Shaun was giving everyone a rundown of the night and morning schedule.

 Jared and C4 were happy to be together.  I watched them playing for a bit, reminiscing about the times we had when they were babies and toddlers, long before I had children of my own.  Oh, the fun we had!

I told them one night I remember in particular when I was babysitting the two of them....they were not yet walking and both of them cried when I put them down.  So for several hours I sat in the middle of the living room floor and played with them and they were happy as long as they were touching me.  Now they are teenagers, but still so sweet to their Auntie.  :)

That's our week, hope yours is great.  Ours promises to be, umm..hectic and blessed, for sure.  :)

House Project {Week 16}

From the beginning, our excitement for this house project has ebbed and flowed....we take turns being really excited, knowing its going to be an incredible house for our family, to wanting to do ANYthing BUT go over there and work some more.

Projects go wrong at every turn, projects go smoother than expected.  We carry out a plan we've had since the beginning, we change our minds at the last minute.  We show each other grace and love, we react when tensions are high.  The kids get along and help out, they fight and get in the way.  A sense of accomplishment fills us as each room gets completed, we are washed over with waves of overwhelmed-ness.  We keep the end goal in sight, we think its never going to end.

Through it all though, our overriding emotion is gratefulness.  We recognize we are so very blessed and truly feel like God gave us this house.  Our little biological family is complete with three kids and for all of us we only need three bedrooms....this house has six.  I'm equal parts humbled, scared, and excited to see the ways God uses the remaining three.  Our hearts' prayer is that they are used for HIS glory.

The weather was a huge factor this week.  The third floor was well over 100, so Shaun paused his work up there and found basement and first floor work to do.

Shelves!  Right now, my entire third floor is used as storage.  When we move, the third floor will be living space.  What do we do with all our junk treasured possessions??  Hopefully this space will help.

 If there is a ladder propped up against a tree, you can be sure Uncle Nathan is around.  He put a better swing in for the kids after the other one broke.  They love it!

 Shaun writes lists all over the walls....things to buy, things to do.  I laughed at the "to do" he made for Amanda.

Living room....

 

  
 The girls found a good spot in the tree to work on their summer packets for school.

 This is the tree house that Z and R have been working on Saturdays when they are together.  It has not yet been OSHA certified.

 Back in the living room....

 We worked together to put the floor in.  Avery and Z were incredibly helpful....

 ...Amanda and Aiden, well.....lets just say their dance moves have improved.  :)

We wrapped up and got home at 9:30 PM.  Dinner was cereal and I had to hand wash spoons to use because there were no clean ones available.  The kids all desperately needed to be bathed, but we just brushed teeth and called it good.  THAT is how we roll these days.  :)